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Caesar Salad

5 from 1 vote
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posted: 07/16/24

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy

This Caesar Salad recipe is easy to make with a simple delicious dressing. It is the perfect add on to dinner and great to bring to a BBQ or picnic.

side view of a Caesar salad in a bowl with large croutons and peels of Parmesan cheese

With as much cooking as I do, as a food blogger and as a mom, it still surprises me that I sometimes forget that when I’m craving something I can just make it.

Do you do that too?

Maybe you do that with something as simple as a Caesar Salad. You love it, you find it so delicious, but you only have it when you go out to eat.

Let’s make a pledge together that we won’t deprive ourselves of cravings that are super easy to make at home. And let’s start with this Caesar Salad recipe. You are going to love every single piece of this recipe and want to make it every week as a dinner side salad.

How to Make Caesar Salad

There are two major components to this recipe, the dressing and the croutons. Both can be made ahead of time, making this an ideal side dish on a busy weeknight.

  1. Make the Croutons. We are going to follow the directions for my Homemade Croutons. This involves cubing bread, tossing it with oil and seasonings and baking it.
  2. Make the Caesar Salad Dressing. The dressing for this recipe involves a few steps that I urge you to look at closely in the recipe card. It is simple once you make it, but it does require following steps rather that just whisking ingredients together.
  3. Toss the Salad. After the croutons and dressing are made, everything gets tossed with torn up Romain lettuce and we add some shaved Parmesan to the top.
bowl of Caesar salad dressing before the finely grated Parmesan cheese has been mixed in

Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe

The thing that makes a Caesar Salad what it is, is the creamy dressing. It is just a few ingredients, but when they come together, they create a signature taste that makes this salad so popular. I have a whole post dedicated to homemade Caesar Salad Dressing, but of course you can just follow the steps here.

Caesar Salad Dressing Ingredients

  • Garlic: Fresh Garlic is an important part of this dressing recipe, and brings in a great base flavor.
  • Anchovy Paste: Don’t shy away from this recipe because of the anchovy paste. It is part of that signature Caesar Dressing taste, and if no one told you it was in there, you wouldn’t know what was bringing that flavor.
  • Egg Yolks: We are adding raw eggs to this dressing. Read more on this below
  • Lemon Juice: I highly recommend using fresh lemons here for the lemon juice. It will bring a freshness that you can’t get from bottled. That being said, don’t shy away from this dressing if that is all you are able to use.
  • Olive Oil: I always recommend using extra virgin olive oil for salad dressings because it lends the most delicate taste.
  • Parmesan Cheese: This is a quintessential ingredient for this dressing. I highly recommend buying a block and grating it for best results.
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper

How to Make Caesar Salad Dressing

A key to making the salad dressing is following the steps as written. This is particularly true about adding the olive oil. Be sure to add the olive oil slowly. The other ingredients can only absorb so much olive oil at a time. By going slowly, it incorporates evenly and you end up with a smooth dressing.

  1. Whisk together the garlic and anchovy paste.
  2. Then whisk in the salt, pepper, and egg yolks.
  3. Adding just a little at time, whisk in the olive oil until it is fully incorporated.
  4. Finally, add in the finely grated Parmesan cheese.
bowl of Caesar salad dressing after the Parmesan cheese has been mixed in

Using Raw Egg Yolks

This recipe does call for raw egg yolks. I recommend using pasteurized eggs. These are eggs that have been briefly heated to kill bacteria.

If you are unable to find pasteurized eggs, you can follow these instructions to make your egg yolks safe to eat.

Parmesan Cheese

Whenever Parmesan is called for in a recipe, I advocate for you to buy a block and grate it. This is especially true in my Broccoli Pasta.

For this recipe, I am going to tell you that freshly grated Parmesan absolutely works best for consistency. That being said, please use what you can afford. I know blocks of Parmesan can be expensive, and I would hate for you to skip out on this recipe for that reason.

Homemade Croutons

Croutons, in my humble opinion, are 1 million times better when they are homemade. I strongly encourage you to whip up a batch for this salad. They are easy to make, and you can bake them while you work on the salad dressing.

Homemade Croutons

Homemade Croutons are so easy to make. They come together with just four ingredients in under 20 minutes, and are amazing on salads and soups.
Close up photo of bowl of Croutons
Caesar salad dressing being poured over a caesar salad

Anchovies vs. Anchovy Paste

Most Caesar Salad recipes call for canned anchovies. I decided that since this recipe typically calls for those to be worked into a paste with garlic, we could skip the middle man and go right to paste.

Additionally, buying it as a paste instead of a can allows us to easily keep the leftovers and use it two weeks from now when we make this recipe again.

Anchovy paste is a totally acceptable replacement in thin sauces and salad dressings. When you need that texture, like in my Puttanesca, you want to rely on the full canned fish.

If you would like to go the traditional route, please note that 1/2 a tablespoon of anchovy paste is equal to 3 anchovies.

overhead view of a bowl of Caesar salad with dressing next to it, lemon wedges, and additional parmesan peels

Make it a Meal

You can easily make this a meal by adding some grilled chicken or shrimp to the top of this.

  • Lightly season whatever protein you choose with salt and pepper before cooking.
  • Double the dressing for this recipe and add the cut up chicken or shrimp before topping with the dressing.

Chicken Caesar Wrap

If you make this salad and love it as much as I do, turn it into a wrap with some chicken! You will absolutely love this delicious recipe.
Side view of Chicken Caesar Wrap sliced in half and stacked on top of each other. Tomatoes beside

FAQ

Is Caesar Salad vegetarian?

It is not. The anchovies in the dressing are what stand between this recipe and vegetarianism.

Is Caesar Salad gluten free?

It is not. If you have guests who are gluten free, I suggest making croutons and serving them on the side to keep your guests safe.

Can Caesar Salad dressing be made in advance?

Yes! A great time saver is to make the dressing ahead of time. And the time you take whisking in that olive oil will keep it from separating.

overhead view of a big bowl of Caesar salad recipe

What to Serve with Caesar Salad

This is a perfect side dish for so many of my recipes.

I love hearing from you! If you make this Caesar Salad recipe please leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

side view of a Caesar salad in a bowl with large croutons and peels of Parmesan cheese
5 from 1 vote

Ceasar Salad

Serves: 4 servings
(tap # to scale)
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Who doesn't love a big giant Caesar Salad? This Caesar Salad recipe is easy to make with a simple delicious dressing.

Ingredients

Homemade Croutons

  • 4 cups cubed French Bread
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Caesar Salad Dressing

  • 2 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 1/2 tablespoon anchovy paste
  • 2 egg yolks (if you are nervous about raw eggs, please see these notes)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese finely grated

Salad

  • 2 medium heads of Romaine lettuce chopped to bite size pieces
  • more Parmesan cut with a vegetable peeler for topping

Instructions

To Make Croutons

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parcment paper and set aside.
  • In a small measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, garlic powder, and salt. Toss with the bread cubes in a large bowl.
  • Transfer to the preapred baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, tossing them once during baking. Bake until they are golden brown.

To Make Dressing

  • In a small bowl, combine the garlic and anchovy paste. Whisk in egg yolks, salt, black pepper, and lemon juice. Starting a little at a time, whisk in the olive oil. Please see my notes in the post about why adding the olive oil slowly is important. Finally, whisk in the grated Parmesan cheese.
  • Taste the dressing and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice to taste.

To Make Salad

  • Toss with Romaine lettuce in a large salad bowl. Top with croutons and more Parmesan.
Calories: 301kcal (15%) Carbohydrates: 19g (6%) Protein: 9g (18%) Fat: 24g (37%) Saturated Fat: 18g (113%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g Monounsaturated Fat: 15g Trans Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 74mg (25%) Sodium: 854mg (37%) Potassium: 53mg (2%) Fiber: 1g (4%)
Author: Lisa Longley
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
side view of a Caesar salad in a bowl with large croutons and peels of Parmesan cheese

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Ceasar Salad

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Hi! I'm Lisa Longley, and I am committed to giving you simple dinner ideas and recipes that are easy to make; recipes that will fill your home with joy. I am the owner and author of SimpleJoy.com and I'm so glad that you are here.

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