How to make a great Caesar salad with our homemade dressing, perfectly crunchy and seasoned croutons and a generous amount of Parmesan cheese.
watch the video
Related: We love this delicious Greek salad.
Prepare Great Caesar Salad
The best Caesar salads start with a great dressing. The version I go to most often calls for classic ingredients, which means we stir together raw egg yolks, anchovies, garlic, lemon and oil. If you’re not a fan of raw eggs, check out this egg-free dressing instead.
The dressing can be made up to a day in advance. Most of the time I make it by hand with a bowl and whisk, but you can also make it with a blender, hand blender, or food processor. The method of making it manually is shown in the video as we knew anyone could make it this way. We also have detailed instructions on how to make it here.
Once you’ve prepared your dressing, the rest of the salad is pretty easy. Croutons are essential for the crunch. You can buy them, but you can also easily make them yourself.
Simply tear or cut the bread into small pieces and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and, if you like, some dried herbs. Bake the seasoned bread in the oven until crispy.
Romaine lettuce is the standard for Caesar salad. You can tear or chop the leaves. When chopping, keep in mind that romaine lettuce tends to brown on the cut edges over time. For this reason, I cut it right before serving or just tear off the leaves.
To finish, I love adding a generous amount of parmesan cheese to the dressing and salad. For the dressing, I stir in grated cheese and for the salad, I use a vegetable peeler to make small slivers of cheese that I spread over the salad.
recipe variations
Dressing without egg (and without mayonnaise): Check out our Egg-Free Caesar Salad Dressing.
Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing: Substitute egg and oil for vegan mayonnaise (1/2 to 1 cup) and replace the anchovies with about a tablespoon of chopped capers. Hummus or tahini are also excellent bases for the dressing. You should also leave out the Parmesan cheese.
Prepared without anchovies: If you don’t like anchovies, try capers instead. Use 1 to 2 tablespoons of drained capers and chop thoroughly before adding to the dressing. A little drizzle of Worcestershire sauce is also a nice addition to replace the salty umami flavors lost by not having anchovies.
More salads to try
Our favorite homemade Caesar salad
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PREPARATION
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COOK
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IN TOTAL
Homemade Caesar dressing is easy to make and can be prepared a number of ways: by hand, in a blender, in a food processor, or with an immersion blender. All methods are simple and fast. I especially love making this by hand and love to see little bits of garlic and anchovies in the dressing. The method of making the dressing by hand is shown below. To prepare in a blender, food processor, or with an immersion blender, see our more detailed Caesar Salad Dressing recipe.
Makes about 4 main servings
Watch as we prepare the recipe
you will need
The dressing
Depending on your taste, 3 to 5 anchovies in oil
2 medium garlic cloves
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup neutral oil (like grapeseed, safflower, or avocado oil), plus more as needed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
homemade croutons
4 cups yesterday’s torn or diced bread, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, and Italian spices, optional
The salad
2 hearts romaine lettuce, rinsed and chopped or torn into small pieces
parmesan cheese shavings
directions
- Make the dressing
1Using a chef’s knife, chop the anchovies and garlic into small pieces. Using the side of the knife, mash them into a very fine paste by pushing and pulling the anchovy and garlic chunks across the cutting board. Put aside.
2In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks, lemon juice and mustard until fluffy. Placing a tea towel under the bowl will help keep it more stable while stirring.
3Get into a comfortable stirring position and use your other hand to slowly pour in the oil while whisking with one hand. You want to add the oil in small drops and you will find that the mixture in the bowl lightens and thickens as you stir in the oil.
4When all the oil has been added, check the consistency. If it’s too thick, stir in about a teaspoon of water. If it’s too thin, keep beating and add a little more oil.
5Finally, stir in the anchovy puree, garlic and Parmesan cheese. Taste and season generously with salt and pepper. Store covered in the fridge. The dressing can be prepared a day in advance.
- Make croutons
1Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2In a medium-sized bowl, toss the pieces of bread with olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a few pinches of black pepper. If necessary, add dried herbs and mix well.
3Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake, stirring once, until crisp and lightly golden on the edges, 10 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool, then store in an airtight bag for 2 to 3 days.
Adam and Joanne’s tips
- Anchovy paste: 1 anchovy fillet equals 1/2 teaspoon of anchovy paste (anchovy fillets and anchovy paste taste slightly different, so add to your own taste)
- Nutritional Information: The nutritional information below is an estimate. We used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
If you make this recipe, take a picture and tag it with the hashtag #inspiredtaste – we love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste
Nutritional value per serving
serving size
1/4 of the recipe
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calories
435
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total fat
33.3g
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Saturated Fatty Acids
6.6g
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cholesterol
57.4 mg
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sodium
531.9 mg
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carbohydrate
26g
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fiber
2.6g
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total sugar
0.6g
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protein
10.5g