Caesar Salad at the Movies



I took my son to the movies this weekend (Big Hero 6 - really liked it) and couldn't help but notice the awesome way they serve their Caesar salad (we were in one of those theaters where you press the little red button when you want food... so handy). They served the salad like veggies and dip: whole Romaine lettuce leaves with the dressing on the side for dunking. Genius. Who wants to mess around with forks and knives at the movies? I didn't order the salad because A) I'm allergic to egg yolks and B) I know how unhealthy "restaurant" Caesar dressing can be. A traditional Caesar salad has close to 500 calories, 40 grams of fat and 1,070 milligrams of sodium.Remember, that's the salad, often served with or before the meal.

Since I can't eat eggs, I've created my own, egg-free Caesar dressing and, by swapping a few ingredients, drastically slashed calories and fat. I replaced most of the oil with good chicken broth, added Worcestershire sauce for its anchovies and garlic, and whirled in Dijon for tang and the mustard's ability to emulsify everything. You'll love it, even without a movie to watch. 

Caesar Salad Dressing

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together all ingredients.  Serve over mixed greens, chopped Romaine lettuce or with whole Romaine lettuce leaves.

Serves 4

Nutrition Info Per Serving (1/4 cup)
Calories: 41
Total Fat: 3 grams
Saturated Fat: <1 gram
Total Carbohydrate: 2 grams
Sugars: <1 gram
Protein: 2 grams
Sodium: 265 milligrams
Cholesterol: 2 milligrams
Fiber: 0 grams