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Mar 31, 2023

Best Caesar Salad Recipe

The key to a perfect salad is homemade dressing! Wash some romaine lettuce and

The key to a perfect salad is homemade dressing!

Wash some romaine lettuce and shave a pile of parmesan, it is time to make a classic Caesar salad! From layered salad to pasta salad to breakfast salad to strawberry pretzel salad to salad pizza, there is almost no meal that can't be turned into a creative, delicious, ingredient-packed salad. This salad, however, is celebrated for its simplicity. It's just lettuce, croutons, and cheese; almost all of the iconic flavor lies in the coating of creamy, garlicky dressing. At its most basic, Caesar salad is made with pre-shredded cheese and bottled dressing, but at its most extravagant, the dressing is whipped up tableside by expert hands in a large salad bowl. Making it at home gives you the opportunity to enjoy the incredibly delicious tableside-style dressing in the comfort and ease of your own kitchen.

What is Caesar salad?

Caesar Cardini, an Italian immigrant and restaurant owner, created this salad in 1924 in Tijuana, Mexico. Generally, the salad has romaine lettuce, shredded parmesan cheese, crunchy croutons, and vibrantly flavored dressing. In this recipe, the lettuce is chopped into bite-sized pieces—sometimes the leaves are eaten whole, delicately picked up with the diner's fingers. The cheese is blended into the dressing, baked onto the crispy homemade croutons, and shaved over the salad to utilize parmesan's different textures. The croutons can be store-bought to save time, but they're worth making on your own here. They're crispy, cheesy deliciousness!

What is in Caesar salad dressing?

This dressing uses a countertop blender to easily mince up the garlic and emulsify the egg yolk into the olive oil for a thick but still pourable dressing. Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce give the dressing all of its savory and bright notes. The slightly spicy flecks of freshly ground black pepper are also a must! The number one question restaurant goers ask their waiters is whether their Caesar dressing is fishy. As it has evolved over time and become more well-known, the basic components of the dressing have shifted from the original concoction, depending on who is making the dish. Ree Drummond actually prefers her Caesar salad dressing with plenty of anchovies and no egg yolk for a savory, vinaigrette-style dressing. This recipe leaves plenty of room for variation; just taste as you go! Anchovies are blended into the dressing for their uniquely savory (not fishy) flavor. Don't like anchovies? Skip 'em! Prefer grainy mustard over Dijon? Spoon it in! Want more cheese? Ooh yes!

Does Caesar dressing contain raw eggs?

Understandably, the idea of consuming raw eggs makes people nervous. However, for the classically thick and creamy dressing Caesar salad is known for, it's an essential ingredient. Make sure to use pasteurized whole eggs which have been heated briefly so they are safer to consume raw. They are found in most grocery stores. You can also coddle the egg by first bringing a small pot of water to a boil. Submerge a room-temperature egg in the boiling water for no more than 1 minute. Immediately chill the egg in an ice bath and use like any other egg.

large pasteurized egg yolk

dijon mustard

anchovy filets

large clove garlic

balsamic vinegar

fresh lemon juice

Worcestershire sauce

ground black pepper

olive oil

grated parmesan cheese

Kosher salt, to taste

loaf (about 1/2 pound) day-old French bread

olive oil

grated parmesan cheese

garlic powder

kosher salt

ground black pepper

large head romaine lettuce

thinly shaved parmesan cheese

ground black pepper, to taste

Tip: Chop up some dressed Caesar salad with some rotisserie chicken and roll it in a tortilla for an easy wrap!

Leah Perez is a professionally trained recipe developer and food history fanatic. When she is not testing, tasting, and fine-tuning a recipe for The Pioneer Woman, she can be found reading in the botanical gardens or stirring up risotto for her friends.

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