The Best Classic Caesar Salad Recipe
Homemade dressing with anchovies, fresh made croutons, crispy lettuce, and aged parmesan come together to create the best classic Caesar salad recipe! Top with grilled chicken, sauteed shrimp, or salmon for a complete meal.
Servings 6 servings
Calories 325kcal
Ingredients
Olive Oil Fried Croutons
- 6-8 oz country style dinner bread, broken into bite-sized pieces
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- kosher salt
Homemade Dressing
- 1 egg yolk
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice, divided, 1 tsp to start and the rest later
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp anchovy paste, or minced anchovies (optional)
- 1 clove garlic, finely mince or grated
Caesar Salad
- 2 heads romaine lettuce, outer leaves removed
- 1 oz parmesan cheese, shaved into thin sheets or shredded
- anchovies, optional
Instructions
Olive Oil Fried Croutons
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium low. Add the garlic and saute until just beginning to color, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the pieces of bread and spread them out in a single layer in the skillet, turning to coat the bread in the olive oil. Cook at a low heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring as needed, until the croutons are golden brown and crisp on the outside. Adjust the heat if the croutons are browning too fast.
- Transfer the fried croutons to a towel lined plate and sprinkle with kosher salt.
Homemade Dressing
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolk with 1 tsp of the lemon juice, the mustard, and a pinch of salt. The color of the yolk will change to light yellow and then darken again. Once it darkens, it's ready to add the oil.
- Pour the oil in very slowly at first while whisking vigorously. Keep whisking and add the oil in a light, but steady, stream. (You can stop to rest as needed. Begin whisking again before adding more oil when you are ready to start.)
- Once the oil is all incorporated, add the remaining lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, anchovies, and garlic. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding salt and more of the other flavors as needed.
- Now add cold water by small spoonfuls and whisk it in until the dressing lightens up and becomes pourable.
Caesar Salad
- Divide the romaine lettuce among four plates, leaving smaller leaves whole and slicing large leaves.
- Top each plate with some of the fried croutons.
- Drizzle dressing over and arrange some parmesan shavings around the lettuce. Add fresh anchovies if you wish.
Notes
- Dressing: For more tips and information about the dressing visit my Homemade Caesar Dressing post. You may not need all the dressing. It will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Just give a stir or a shake before using it on your salad.
- Croutons: See my Olive Oil Fried Croutons post for an expanded discussion of making the croutons.
- Making More Dressing: You may add up to 1/2 cup of oil to one egg yolk - more than that will be too much for the yolk - so if you want more dressing feel free to use the 1/2 cup instead 1/3 cup. The dressing recipe is also easily doubled, just start with 2 yolks and go from there.
- Lettuce: If romaine is unavailable, you can switch to any sturdy green. Kale, chard, endive, spinach, iceberg, and other crispy greens. Note that baby greens will not work - for instance baby spinach will wilt under the dressing while large spinach leaves will hold up beautifully.
Nutrition
Calories: 325kcal