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Sheet Pan Tahini Chicken Caesar Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 People

Ingredients

  • 1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs, halved lengthwise, chopped or sliced (about 2-3 cups)
  • 1 lb carrots, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces (about 2 ½ cups)
  • 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
  • 1 lb chicken tenders*
  • 6 cups thinly sliced loosely packed kale **
  • ½ cup toasted seeds or nuts, chopped ***

For the dressing:

  • ⅓ cup tahini
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp fish sauce or worcester sauce
  • 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed (or ½ tsp garlic powder)
  • ¼-½ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • *Or use chicken breast. I find the tenders cook faster and don’t dry out as easily. If using breasts, they will take longer to cook.
  • **You can use any salad green here (radicchio would be yummy)!
  • ***Highly recommend using the spiced seeds from the Creamy Green Rice recipe
  • Tip: ~ Massage your kale with a touch of olive oil before adding it to the sheet pan. This softens the kale and brightens it up.
  • Note: ~ Don't want to turn on your oven? Grill your fav summer veggies and some chicken to add to the salad!

Items you can prep ahead (optional)

  • Make tahini caesar dressing
  • Slice or chop 1-2 fennel bulbs (2-3 cups)
  • Peel and chop 1 lb carrots (2 ½ cups)
  • Thinly slice 1 bunch kale (about 6 cups)
  • Toast your seeds or nuts

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 450F or 425F convection. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. On one baking sheet, add fennel, carrots, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and ½ teaspoon salt and toss to coat. On the other baking sheet, add the chicken, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and ½ teaspoon salt. Bake the chicken for 10-15 minutes and the veggies for 20-25 minutes, or until carrots are tender and chicken is cooked through.
  • Scatter the kale over the veggie sheet pan (recommend massaging the kale with a drizzle of oil to soften it before adding). Place the chicken on top (you can keep it whole or slice it up).
  • Add all dressing ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk to combine. It should be thick, but drizzle-able. If too thick, add a splash of water to thin it out (this will depend on how thick your tahini is).
  • Drizzle ⅔ of the dressing all over the sheet pan. Top with toasted nuts or seeds. Keep extra dressing on the table to drizzle over plated salad! This salad is delicious on it’s own or with a slice of crusty buttered toast.

Notes

Substitutions:

  • To make vegetarian, substitute the chicken with these crispy chickpeas (or roasted tofu, marinated beans, etc…). Substitute the fish sauce with soy sauce or tamari.
  • You could use chicken breast. I find the tenders cook faster and don’t dry out as easily. If using breasts, they will take longer to cook. You could also use chicken thighs, which are a lot more forgiving!
  • Use any combination of roasted veggies (sweet potatoes, cabbage, broccoli, etc…) for the salad (about 5-6 cups worth). 
  • You could use classic romain in place of kale, but maybe let the veggies cool a bit so that they’re just warm or room temperature before adding the lettuce.

Storage:

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge:
    • Dressing: up to 4 days
    • Salad/veggies: up to 6 days
    • Chicken: up to 4 days 

Leftovers + Repurposing:

  • This salad tastes best if it’s at room temperature or with veggies still warm. If eating out of the fridge, pop the salad and chicken in the microwave just to take the chill off of the veggies and warm up the chicken. Drizzle with dressing and all the toppings.