If you want to master your salad game, this easy Caesar Salad recipe is a MUST!
Perhaps the most famous and popular salad on the planet, Caesar is so simple, yet so tasty. All you need is lettuce, croutons, parm cheese, and an awesome dressing. We have it for you!
Once you add this recipe in your arsenal, you’ll always have the perfect side dish for anything…
What’s the one item that you can find on pretty much every restaurant menu? A Caesar salad!
We love to make a big variety of salads, from the main course worthy Antipasto, to light and summery Spanish Pipirrana, to the exotic Indonesian Gado Gado.
But Caesar salad is really the perfect side dish or appetizer. The tangy, yet unobtrusive flavors go with just about anything. And it’s light enough that you’ll still have plenty of room for the main course.
Where Did Caesar Salads Originate?
The Caesar salad was first created in Tijuana, Mexico, by restaurateur Caesar Cardini in 1924.
So the story goes, during a big rush on 4th of July, the kitchen supplies were depleted. Cardini made due with what he had left, dramatically tossing his new creation together at the patrons’ tables.
His restaurant, Caesar’s, was visited by a young Julia Child. It is still open to this day, and the signature salads are still prepared tableside.
Caesar Salad Recipe Ingredients
- Romain lettuce – The base.
- Croutons – For some crunch.
- Parmesan cheese – For garnish.
- Caesar dressing – Olive oil, lemon juice, egg yolks, garlic, dijon mustard, anchovies, worcestershire sauce, parmesan, salt and pepper.
How to Make a Classic Caesar Salad
1. Make the dressing: Mix together all of the ingredients with a food processor or immersion blender. Either one only takes a few seconds, just enough to emulsify the oil.
If you don’t have either of these kitchen gadgets, you can also whisk everything together by hand. In this case, mince the garlic and finely shred the parmesan. First whisk the liquid ingredients, then add in the garlic, anchovies and parmesan.
2. Assemble the salad: Tear up the romaine lettuce into bite sized pieces. Toss with your desired amount of dressing, then top with croutons, freshly shredded parmesan cheese, and freshly cracked pepper.
If you have any leftover dressing, check out our Caesar Dressing post for plenty of other uses for it!
What to Serve with Caesar Salad
This classic Caesar salad goes with a huge variety of mains. Here are some of our favorite pairings:
- Eggplant Parmesan
- Steak Bites
- Pork Chops
- Fettuccine Alfredo
- Chicken Cacciatore
- Moussaka
- Shrimp fra Diavolo
- Johnny Marzetti
- Chicken Provencal
Variations
Caesar salad is pretty basic, and pretty classic. But there are a few ways you can tweak the recipe.
If you prefer not to use raw egg yolks, you can use mayonnaise as a substitute. Likewise, capers can be used in place of anchovies. The salad can be made vegan by using capers, and vegan versions of mayo, parmesan and worcestershire.
Although Caesar salads are known for their simplicity, you can add other veggies if you like. We think cherry tomatoes, avocado and black olives would all go great.
Turn your side dish into a light main by adding protein. Chicken, shrimp, fish and steak all make great additions.
Leftovers and Storage
We recommend only making as much salad as will be eaten fresh, as the lettuce will get soggy if stored coated with dressing.
Any leftover Caesar dressing should be immediately refrigerated in an airtight container. As it contains raw eggs, leftovers should be used within 2-3 days. If you use the mayonnaise substitute, it can be stretched to 5 days.
Give this easy Caesar salad recipe a try at home. It’s a perfect side dish that will brighten up any meal.
Caesar Salad, in our Gypsy Bowl… enjoy!
Try these other great salad recipes!
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Rainbow Pasta Salad
Zucchini Carrot Salad
Cucumber Avocado Pesto Salad
Farro Salad with Roasted Veggies
Thanksgiving Kale Salad
Balela Salad
Caesar Salad Recipe
This easy homemade Caesar Salad is a classic side dish that goes with just about anything, and it can be bulked up with your favorite protein to make a light main course.
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 anchovies
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Salad
- 1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
- croutons
- shredded parmesan cheese, for garnish
Instructions
- Using a food processor or immersion blender, pulse together all dressing ingredients until smooth. Alternately, you can whisk together wet ingredients with a hand whisk, then add in garlic, anchovies and parmesan (see note 1).
- Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, toss romaine lettuce with desired amount of dressing.
- Top with croutons and garnish with parmesan cheese and freshly cracked pepper.
- Serve immediately.
- Refrigerate any unused dressing in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Notes
- If using a hand whisk, mice the garlic, finely chop the anchovies, and finely grate the parmesan cheese.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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