Did you know Caesar Salad was created in 1924 in Tijuana, Mexico, by Italian-American chef Caesar Cardini? This beloved salad quickly became a timeless restaurant classic. With its crisp romaine, savory Parmesan, crunchy homemade croutons, and that unmistakable creamy Caesar dressing, it's certain to become your timeless classic.
Whether you’re making this as a side dish for a holiday gathering or as a main course for a weeknight dinner, this classic Caesar Salad delivers the bold flavors and restaurant-quality crunch everyone will love.
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Why You'll Love This Caesar Salad
- No Raw Eggs Required: My creamy Caesar dressing uses mayonnaise for richness and to replace the typical raw egg.
- Crunchy Homemade Croutons: Day-old bread, olive oil, and a touch of salt and pepper deliver the crunch, complementing the salad with subtle flavor.
- Simple Ingredients, Big Flavor: Every element is easy to find and packs a punch.
- Versatile: Alter the amount of anchovies for different tastes, and add chicken or shrimp for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need
- For the Croutons: Check out my Homemade Croutons recipe for the ingredients and step-by-step photos.
- For the Caesar Dressing:
- For the Caesar Dressing: Find all the details in my Creamy Caesar Dressing (No Raw Egg) recipe.
- For the Salad: Preparing the croutons and dressing ahead of time makes assembling the salad quick and effortless - add Romaine lettuce and fresh Parmesan cheese.
Making the Caesar Salad - Step-by-Step
- Make the Croutons: If you haven’t already made the croutons, follow my dedicated Homemade Croutons post for full instructions, process photos, and a video.
- Prepare the Caesar Dressing: Blend up the creamy Caesar dressing using the step-by-step instructions, process photos, and video in my Caesar Dressing recipe.
- Prepare the Romaine: Start by tearing the Romaine into bite-size pieces. Then wash and dry the Romaine. I used my salad spinner to remove the excess water.
- Transfer the Romaine to a bowl. Add just enough dressing to coat the Romaine and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Toss to combine.
- Transfer the Caesar salad to a serving bowl, and top with homemade croutons and shaved Parmesan cheese.
Serve immediately with additional dressing for the best crisp texture and flavor.
Once you try this homemade Caesar Salad, you’ll never settle for store-bought again! Every bite bursts with fresh flavor and satisfying crunch. Yum!
Frequently Asked Questions
Feel free to prepare the dressing, croutons, and Romaine ahead of time. Store the dressing, covered, and the Romaine in a Ziploc bag in the refrigerator. Store the croutons in a Ziploc bag at room temperature. Toss everything together right before serving for the best texture and flavor.
Dry the Romaine thoroughly and toss just before serving for maximum crispiness.
The salad should be eaten as soon as the dressing is added to the Romaine. It's best not to plan for leftovers because the Romaine will lose its crispiness.
For a delicious meal, add sliced grilled chicken or grilled shrimp to this salad.
Other Salad Recipes:
If you'd like to see some more Salad recipes, check out some of my favorites:
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Recipe
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Caesar Salad
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 heads of Romaine hearts, cleaned and torn into bite-size pieces
- ¼ cup Homemade Caesar Dressing, or more to taste (See Tip 1)
- ¼ cup Homemade Croutons (See Tip 2
- 3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 Tablespoons Shaved Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Place Romaine lettuce in a large bowl. Add enough dressing to coat the lettuce, and grated Parmesan cheese. Toss to combine.
- Transfer Caesar salad to a serving bowl. Add croutons and shaved Parmesan cheese.
- Serve immediately.
- Yield: 6 servings.
Video
Tips/Notes
- For the homemade Caesar dressing, add 1 ½ cups of mayonnaise, 3 cloves of garlic, minced, 2 ounce can of anchovy fillets, drained and rinsed, 6 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard, 6 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon of Kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper to a blender. Blend until smooth. If desired, add 2 to 4 tablespoons of water to thin.
- For the homemade croutons, toss 5 cups of cubed day-old French bread with ¼ cup of olive oil, ¼ teaspoon of Kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Nutrition
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