I love so many of our salad recipes, but this from-scratch Caesar salad recipe might be my favorite. I have wonderful memories from when I was young of being out to dinner with my parents, ordering a Caesar salad, and watching as our server made it tableside. The whole experience felt so fancy, and I was utterly captivated. This recipe reminds me so much of that tableside salad I enjoyed as a child. My Caesar dressing is classic, made with garlic and anchovies, but trust me, it’s so worth it. They combine to make such a delicious dressing. Trust me on this one!
Key Ingredients
Lettuce: I love romaine lettuce for Caesar salad (kale is excellent, too). You can tear the leaves or chop them. Romaine lettuce tends to brown around the cut edges over time. It’s because of this that I chop right before serving or simply tear the leaves. Parmesan: I add parmesan cheese to my salad and my homemade dressing. My homemade dressing: You can make my Caesar dressing up to a day in advance. Most of the time, I make it by hand using a bowl and whisk, but you can also use a blender, immersion blender, or food processor. The method for making it by hand is shown in the video since we knew everyone would be able to make it this way. My favorite recipe (shown below) has raw egg yolk. If you don’t like using raw eggs, look at this eggless dressing. Croutons: Buy your favorite croutons or make your own. We have two easy recipes for homemade croutons. I love both. In our video, I make these herby croutons, but you can also try these garlic croutons.
How to Make the Best Caesar Salad
The best homemade Caesar salad starts with a great dressing. The one I go to most calls for classic ingredients, which means we’ll be whisking together raw egg yolk, anchovies, garlic, lemon, and oil. You can watch me make it in the video. It’s easy and tastes much better than what you can buy from the store (promise)! To make this salad truly homemade, I love making my croutons. You’ll toss day-old bread cubes with olive oil and herbs, then bake until crisp. I love them! To put your salad together, toss fresh lettuce with the dressing, more parmesan cheese, and the croutons. You can always add chicken on top for a chicken Caesar (try this poached chicken) or try my lemon dill baked salmon for a salmon Caesar. Parmesan cheese shavings Caesar dressing, recipe below Croutons, recipe below 3 to 5 anchovies packed in oil, depending on taste, see notes 1 large egg yolk 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/3 cup (80ml) oil, like fruity olive oil, avocado oil, or safflower oil, plus more as needed 1/4 cup (15g) grated parmesan cheese Salt and fresh ground black pepper 3 tablespoons olive oil Salt and fresh ground black pepper 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs like rosemary thyme, oregano and Italian seasoning, optional 2Whisk the egg yolk, lemon juice, and mustard in a medium bowl until frothy. Placing a dishcloth underneath the bowl helps to steady it as you whisk. 3Get into a comfortable whisking position, and while you whisk with one hand, slowly stream the oil into the bowl with the other hand. You are looking to add the oil in tiny drips and will notice that as you whisk in the oil, the mixture in the bowl will start to lighten in color and thicken. 4When all of the oil is added, check the consistency. If it’s too thick, whisk in a teaspoon or so of water. If it’s too thin, continue to whisk and stream in a bit more oil. 5Finish by whisking in the mashed anchovies, garlic, and parmesan cheese. Then, taste and generously season with salt and pepper. 2Toss the bread with olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper in a medium bowl. Add dried herbs, if using, and toss well. 3Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake, stirring once, until crisp and lightly golden around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool and then store in an airtight bag for 2 to 3 days.
