The Caesar salad is one of the most popular salads to exist, I’ve never been to a country where I couldn’t order a Caesar salad. It’s on the menus everywhere! Whether you go to an American restaurant or an international cuisine restaurant, you will surely find Caesar salad on the menu. The salad might be slightly different from one restaurant to another, and it depends on a few factors. Everyone agrees that a Caesar salad consists of Romaine/Cos lettuce, garlicky croutons, and a creamy savory dressing. But how each component is prepared? That’s what the debate is about! What not everyone is agreeing on is whether the lettuce should be served as whole leaves, are the croutons best baked or fried, is a Worcestershire sauce enough for the dressing or do we need the anchovies? So let’s talk about all things Caesar salad, from who invented it, and how it’s made to its variations and lighter versions (and the recipe is included in the recipe card below, just scroll down).
What is Caesar Salad?
The famous Caesar salad was invented in 1924 in Tijuana by Caesar Cardini, an Italian immigrant who operated restaurants in Mexico and the US. Although the salad was created by an Italian immigrant in Mexico, it quickly became an American staple. Caesar salad is made with Romaine/Cos lettuce, garlicky croutons, and Caesar dressing. There are many variations of the Caesar salad, and my version here is quite close to the original classic (but with a cheat’s sauce as we use ready-made mayonnaise instead of emulsifying raw egg yolks with oil) and it’s basically what you would get if you order a Caesar Salad at The Cheesecake Factory. Plus, who doesn’t love easy recipes? I know I do!
How to Make The Best Ever Caesar Salad
Whether you choose to make this salad entirely from scratch, or you’re using some store-bought ingredients, this salad is so easy to make and it’s ready in no time! Here’s what you’ll need:
The Ingredients
You only need 4 ingredients to make this simple salad.
Homemade or store-bought Caesar dressing – I usually make my own dressing at home and I have the perfect recipe for you! But if I ever buy it then this is the brand that I buy.Lettuce – Always go for romaine/cos lettuce or romaine hearts, as that’s the traditional ingredient that goes into Caesar salad. Romaine is crispy and perfect for this salad. If for some reason you can’t find it, then go for Iceberg lettuce – it’s not the same but it can do. Many versions of Caesar salad are made with Kale, so if you’re a health geek and like Kale in Caesar salad then use that! 😁Parmesan cheese – a Caesar salad essential.Croutons – making garlicky croutons at home is so easy, healthier, and cheaper than store-bought! Use my easy crouton recipe that I make in the oven, or make them in the air fryer!
The Directions
Making your own Caesar dressing? Here’s the recipe for the easiest and the best Caesar dressing! I make my own homemade Caesar dressing 99% of the time, it’s so simple and honestly tastes much better than the sad dressing that you can get at the store. Plus, it will only take 5 minutes of your time! Make the croutons. I usually use a day old bread, my favorite is a french baguette but sourdough and ciabatta are also nice. To make garlic croutons: Toss pieces of bread with some olive oil, garlic powder, and salt, then bake in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 10-15 minutes or until they’re crispy and golden brown. Chop, rinse, and drain the lettuce, it’s important that you dry the leaves from water to avoid getting a soggy salad. I use this awesome salad spinner, and it does an amazing job! Use a large salad bowl that will allow you to comfortably toss the salad. Place the lettuce leaves in the bowl, pour the Caesar dressing over the lettuce and toss well so that every lettuce leaf is coated with the creamy dressing! Add the croutons and the parmesan, toss again and serve immediately.
Don’t like anchovies?
I either use anchovy fillets that are then diced and mashed, or anchovy paste to make Caesar dressing. The good thing about anchovy paste is that you don’t need to mash the anchovies. I know that many people don’t like the taste of anchovies, but honestly, they’re a MUST in a Caesar salad as they add a savory depth of flavor. However, if you really don’t want to add anchovy fillets, you can substitute with the sweeter alternative which is the Worcestershire sauce (it’s made with anchovies and other seasonings but you won’t taste the anchovies here).
Top Tips
The anchovies in the dressing and the parmesan cheese are quite salty, so don’t season with salt before tasting the salad. Do a taste test and adjust the seasonings.Make sure that the lettuce leaves are totally dry for a crispy and fresh salad, use a salad spinner. When salad leaves are wet, you will end up with a soggy salad.Use a large bowl to toss the salad before serving. If you use a small bowl, you will end up bruising the romaine salad leaves which can ruin your salad and make it soggy.To make a chicken Caesar salad, add grilled chicken, baked chicken, seared in a pan chicken, or rotisserie chicken. Find my Chicken Caesar salad recipe here.Pair with a cheesy tuna melt!
For more salad recipes, check out my Kale Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette, Watermelon Feta Salad, Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, and my favorite Crab Kani Salad. © Little Sunny Kitchen
title: “Caesar Salad” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-25” author: “Victor Foss”
How to Make Caesar Salad
There are two major components to this recipe, the dressing and the croutons. Both can be made ahead of time, making this an ideal side dish on a busy weeknight. Do you do that too? Maybe you do that with something as simple as a Caesar Salad. You love it, you find it so delicious, but you only have it when you go out to eat. Let’s make a pledge together that we won’t deprive ourselves of cravings that are super easy to make at home. And let’s start with this Caesar Salad recipe. You are going to love every single piece of this recipe and want to make it every week as a dinner side salad.
Homemade Croutons
Croutons, in my humble opinion, are 1 million times better when they are homemade. I strongly encourage you to whip up a batch for this salad. They are easy to make, and you can bake them while you work on the salad dressing.
Caesar Salad Dressing Ingredients
Garlic: Fresh Garlic is an important part of this dressing recipe, and brings in a great base flavor. Anchovy Paste: Don’t shy away from this recipe because of the anchovy paste. It is part of that signature Caesar Dressing taste, and if no one told you it was in there, you wouldn’t know what was bringing that flavor. Egg Yolks: We are adding raw eggs to this dressing. Read more on this below Lemon Juice: I highly recommend using fresh lemons here for the lemon juice. It will bring a freshness that you can’t get from bottled. That being said, don’t shy away from this dressing if that is all you are able to use. Olive Oil: I always recommend using extra virgin olive oil for salad dressings because it lends the most delicate taste. Parmesan Cheese: This is a quintessential ingredient for this dressing. I highly recommend buying a block and grating it for best results. Salt Black Pepper
If you are unable to find pasteurized eggs, you can follow these instructions to make your egg yolks safe to eat. For this recipe, I am going to tell you that freshly grated Parmesan absolutely works best for consistency. That being said, please use what you can afford. I know blocks of Parmesan can be expensive, and I would hate for you to skip out on this recipe for that reason.
Make it a Meal
You can easily make this a meal by adding some grilled chicken or shrimp to the top of this. Additionally, buying it as a paste instead of a can allows us to easily keep the leftovers and use it two weeks from now when we make this recipe again. Anchovy paste is a totally acceptable replacement in thin sauces and salad dressings. When you need that texture, like in my Puttanesca, you want to rely on the full canned fish. If you would like to go the traditional route, please note that 1/2 a tablespoon of anchovy paste is equal to 3 anchovies.
Lightly season whatever protein you choose with salt and pepper before cooking. Double the dressing for this recipe and add the cut up chicken or shrimp before topping with the dressing.
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I love hearing from you! If you make this Caesar Salad recipe please leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
