This classic Caesar Salad is one of my all-time favorite recipes. It’s easy to prep ahead, made with crisp romaine lettuce, crunchy croutons, freshly shredded Parmesan, and a bold homemade dressing. It even won over the family member who insisted they didn’t like anchovies.
This easy salad is a great side dish for one-pot chicken pasta or turn it into a main dish topped with grilled chicken breasts or grilled sirloin steak.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights: Caesar Salad
- Flavor: Creamy, savory, and tangy with lemon, garlic, Parmesan, anchovies, and capers.
- Who Invented Caesar Salad: Caesar salad was invented in 1924 by Italian-American restaurateur Caesar Cardini at his restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico.
- Why Make It: The blender does most of the work, creating a creamy, restaurant-style dressing with minimal hands-on prep.
Total Time: 25 Mins Servings: 6 Cooking Method: No cooking!
Ingredient Notes
- Romaine Lettuce: Romaine hearts are crisp, sturdy, and ideal for holding a creamy Caesar dressing. Wash thoroughly and spin completely dry in a salad spinner so the dressing coats the leaves without becoming watery. Substitute kale to create a kale Caesar salad.
- Croutons: Store-bought croutons are a convenient shortcut, while homemade croutons are an easy way to customize the flavor.
- Parmesan Cheese: Freshly shredded Parmesan offers the best flavor and texture, while shaved Parmesan makes a delicious finishing touch for garnish.
- Egg: A room-temperature egg helps the dressing emulsify into a smooth, creamy consistency. Prefer to skip the raw egg? Try my quick Caesar salad dressing without raw egg, which starts with mayonnaise
- Anchovies: Use anchovies, anchovy paste, or replace with extra capers for a similar briny, salty flavor.
- Garnish: Garnish the salad with shredded Parmesan cheese, lemon wedges, bacon bits, or fried capers.
How to Make Caesar Salad
- In a blender, combine the dressing ingredients (full recipe below).
- Blend until smooth, then add some Parmesan.
- In a bowl, combine the lettuce, croutons, and remaining Parmesan. Add the dressing and toss to combine.
Make Ahead and Store
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store romaine separately with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture, and store croutons at room temperature in an airtight container. Do not freeze.
- Prepare the dressing and lettuce in advance, but store everything separately. Add the croutons and dressing just before serving to keep the salad crisp.
Do not freeze Caesar salad or Caesar dressing.
Turn Caesar Salad Into Dinner
Did you enjoy this Caesar Salad Recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.
Caesar Salad
Crisp romaine, crunchy croutons, and Parmesan are tossed in a rich homemade Caesar dressing with lemon, garlic, and savory anchovies.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup croutons
- ⅓ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Dressing
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 10 small capers
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 anchovy filets or 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- black pepper to taste
- ½ cup light olive oil or canola oil
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a blender, combine garlic, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, capers, egg, anchovy fillets, and pepper.
- Blend until smooth. With the blender running on low speed, slowly drizzle in olive oil in a thin, slow stream (this should take a few minutes).
- Add ¼ cup parmesan cheese and pulse to combine. Taste and season with salt and additional pepper if desired. Refrigerate until using, up to 3 days.
- In a large salad bowl, combine lettuce, croutons, and ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese. Add dressing as desired and toss to combine.
- Garnish with additional parmesan cheese and fresh lemon wedges for serving.
Notes
*Keep dressing in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Ingredients (including the egg) should be at room temperature before making the dressing.
- Drizzle the oil SLOWLY. The slower you drizzle, the thicker the dressing will be.
- If you don’t have a blender, you can whisk the ingredients while slowly drizzling in the oil.
- Use fresh lemon juice and fresh garlic for best results.
- To save time, prep the dressing up to 3 days in advance and keep it in the fridge. Store lettuce, garnish, and dressing separately and combine before serving.
- For extra crisp lettuce, wash it and spin dry up to 3 days ahead of time. Store with paper towel in a plastic bag or food container.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 245 | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 282mg | Potassium: 215mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 5579IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 151mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dressing, Lunch, Salad, Side Dish
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Does the anchovies make it any sort of fishy? I cannot stand anchovies, but understand they are used for Ceasar dressing. I just dont want to taste it. The dressings I like in restaurants leaves me questioning if there are anchovies in it.
Not at all!! I have served this dressing to many and they have never known.