Easy Caesar Salad
Caesar salad is about as classic as they come. The beloved romaine lettuce salad is simply dressed with nutty parmesan cheese and crunchy croutons, letting the dressing shine. While there are a handful of variations to Caesar dressing, the main components typically include lemon juice, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, egg, anchovy and olive oil.
If you love ordering Caesar salads in restaurants, but find bottled versions of the dressing lackluster, try whipping up a batch at home. Making your own salad dressing may add a couple steps to your leafy green routine, but trust me when I say, it is totally worth it! This easy version isn’t entirely scratch-made, but it falls way closer to the scratch end of the spectrum that anything you’ll find from a bottle!
We’re sticking to the classic ingredients for the most part, adding fresh squeezed lemon juice, dijon mustard, fresh cloves of garlic and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Instead of raw egg, we’re using a couple spoonfuls of creamy mayo and we’re skipping the anchovy filets and going straight for an easy squeeze of anchovy paste. This stuff will last for months in the refrigerator, so it’s a great sub for the filets that are usually used in the dressing.
I know anchovies aren’t the most popular ingredient. If you’re not a fan, you know the serious disappointment that occurs when one of these little fishies finds its way onto a slice of pizza! But they‘re a traditional ingredient in Caesar dressing so don’t be afraid to give it a try! Their briny bite melds with all the other ingredients and adds the perfect umami to the dressing.
A quick whiz in the food processor and you’ll be Hailing Caesar in no time! Quick tip - you can make your own tasty croutons with your favorite bread (hello, pumpernickel!). Just cut a couple slices into smaller cubes, toss with some olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder and bake at 350° for around 15 minutes.
Try some of our other favorite salads! You can’t go wrong with this Simple Sensation Salad or the herb loaded Grilled Shrimp Salad!