Caesar salad is all about the dressing and we have an easy homemade dressing that can't be beat! Drizzle over that crunchy romaine lettuce tossed with croutons and parmesan cheese and you have the perfect Caesar salad that everyone knows and loves. Serve it as a main dish or side.
If you love this classic salad, you'll want to check us out Simple Greek Salad.
Why our recipe?
- A scratch dressing that uses mayo instead of egg whites.
- Classic salad with the option of adding chicken.
- We've even included a recipe for homemade croutons.
Caesar salad is just Caesar salad, or is it? When you take a few extra minutes to make homemade dressing you really add a wow factor that can't be beat by your store bought bottled dressing. There's just something about that rich and creamy dressing with crispy croutons and parmesan cheese – yum! You are going to love it! And if you really want to take things up a notch, take an extra 20 minutes to make your own homemade croutons.
Material notes
- Mayonnaise: Gives the smooth texture we know and love in this salad.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: All the yummy flavors carry throughout the salad for a delicious taste in every bite.
- Caper: Their amazing brine brings a salty element that balances out this creamy dressing. You can find them in grocery stores near bottled salad dressings and olives.
- Lemon Juice: Brings brightness and a slight hint of acidity.
- Worcestershire Sauce: A bold, depth of flavor you'll love.
- Roasted Mustard: You can use a stone-ground mustard as an alternative.
- Bell Pepper: Use coarse black pepper for texture that brings more pop to every bite.
- Garlic: Measure with your heart.
- Kosher salt: A great texture, but you can also use regular salt.
- Anchovies: Caesar salad is a classic ingredient and the source of its distinctive flavor. Go ahead and substitute 2 tablespoons of anchovy paste if you don't want to deal with those juvenile filets.
- Cheese made in Parma: Freshly grate some parmesan cheese or you can buy pre-shredded or pre-grated parmesan. Avoid powdered or shelf-stable Parmesan cheeses because they are inferior with several additives.
- Romaine Hearts: Use romaine hearts to get the most crunch for your delicious salad.
Adding the chicken
Absolutely! We love a good chicken caesar salad and you have so many options for what chicken to use! You can buy pre-cooked chicken that's salad ready, ready to cook Chicken breastUse leftover chicken, or even a rotisserie chicken piece!
Egg whites
We know a lot of people balk at raw eggs, so we made this recipe without them to give you one less thing to worry about. Instead, we've used mayonnaise that's already made from egg whites mixed with oil so you're already one step ahead.
Please direct forward
You really want to make this dressing the day you serve it. It is best fresh, although it can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Storage instructions
Keep in fridge For about 3 days. How long your salad stays fresh will largely depend on how fresh your romaine and dressing ingredients are. The croutons will start to soften the longer they stay in the fridge.
