Dive into the classic Caesar salad, featuring crisp romaine lettuce, toasted croutons with a salty crunch, freshly grated parm, and our secret dressing that ties it all together!
There is truly nothing better than a great Caesar salad. The crisp, crunchy romaine, salty toasted croutons, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and a garlicky, creamy caesar dressing harmoniously tossed together make the tastiest salad out there.
There are things you can adjust and substitute in a pinch, such as a bag of croutons over homemade or shaved parmesan from the store over grating the block of cheese yourself. But, the secret to a perfect Caesar will always be the dressing. I’m sure everyone has ordered one of these classic salads at a restaurant or gotten a pre-made salad kit from the store and thought, “The dressing ruined the salad.” I know I have.
Here, I’ll show you the best homemade dressing and croutons and how to assemble your very own perfect Caesar!
READ NEXT: If you like recipes full of veggies, check out our Spinach Salad with Pine Nuts and Goat Cheese and Simple Lemon and Herb Chicken with Roasted Vegetables!
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Why You Will LOVE this Caesar Salad Recipe – especially the dressing
- Simple Recipe – know exactly what’s in your dressing when you make it from scratch. Throw together six ingredients to make a better-than-store-bought dressing!
- Bursting with Flavor – using ingredients like freshly minced garlic and tangy ripe lemons make for deliciously fresh flavors.
- Quick Recipe – it may seem a lot easier to pick up a jar of pre-made dressing or croutons, but the reality is making it yourself doesn’t take much time, tastes better, and is even cheaper!
Ingredients
- 1 baguette
- 3-4 garlic cloves, depending on the size
- 2 anchovies
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise – I use Best Foods, but you can use homemade or another good quality mayo
- Juice of two lemons (4-5 tablespoons)
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese – it’s best to grate yourself, but you can use pre-grated
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire
- Black pepper – Freshly cracked
- Salt – Kosher or Sea Salt
- Romaine lettuce
- Homemade croutons
- Freshly grated parmesan – to finish the Caesar, measure with your heart
How to Make the Best Cesar Salad
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the baguette into strips, then tear into bite-site crouton pieces. Toss with olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper in a bowl. Spread the croutons on a sheet pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until toasted to your liking.
Finely dice the anchovies and garlic cloves as fine as possible, pressing them into the cutting board to create a paste-like consistency.
Put the minced garlic and anchovies in a small to medium mixing bowl and add in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and Worcestershire. Whisk until combined. Grate the parmesan cheese and whisk into the mixture.
Taste the dressing and add the salt and black pepper until seasoned to your liking. Toss with romaine lettuce and top with homemade croutons, more parmesan cheese, and serve.
Tools You’ll Need
- Salad Spinner – such a useful tool in the kitchen. Clean your lettuce with ease.
- Cheese Grater – to grate the parmesan for the dressing and to garnish the salad.
- Whisk – to combine the caesar dressing
- Knives – to mince anchovies and garlic, as well as chop lettuce.
Tips and Substitutions
Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
For the best croutons ever, follow step 1 of the recipe for easy homemade crouton recipe.
A crisp, crunchy lettuce like romaine works best, but mix it up and use any lettuce you like!
How to Make the Perfect Caesar Salad
Course: SaladsDifficulty: Easy10
minutes10
minutesDive into the classic Caesar salad, featuring crisp romaine lettuce, toasted croutons with a salty crunch, freshly grated parm, and our secret dressing that ties it all together!
Ingredients
- Caesar Dressing
3 garlic cloves
2 anchovies
3/4 cup mayonnaise
Juice of two lemons (4-5 tablespoons)
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire
Black pepper
Salt
- For the Croutons
1 french baguette
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
- For the Salad
Romaine Lettuce
Block of parmesan cheese
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the baguette into strips, then tear into bite-site crouton pieces. Toss with olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper in a bowl. Spread the croutons on a sheet pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until toasted to your liking.
- Finely dice the anchovies and garlic cloves as fine as possible, pressing them into the cutting board to create a paste-like consistency.
- Put the minced garlic and anchovies in a small to medium mixing bowl and add in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and Worcestershire. Whisk until combined. Grate the parmesan cheese and whisk into the mixture.
- Taste the dressing and add the salt and black pepper until seasoned to your liking. Toss with romaine lettuce and top with homemade croutons, more parmesan cheese, and serve.
