My version of Caesar Salad is fresh, cheesy, and WAY better than store-bought or restaurant-bought. All you gotta do is crisp up some bread in the oven, whip together the flavor poppin dressing, and toss it with fresh romaine and parmesan.
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How to Make Caesar Salad
Make the Croutons
Step 1: Spread cubes of bread out on a baking sheet. Drizzle them with olive oil then sprinkle with Italian seasoning and garlic powder.
Step 2: Bake until golden. Be sure to flip the croutons to make sure all sides are browning evenly.
Mix the Dressing
Step 3: Add all of the ingredients for the caesar dressing to a food processor.
Step 4: Pulse until smooth and well combined.
Assemble
Step 5: Arrange the salad leaves in a serving bowl and pour dressing on top.
Step 6: Toss the leaves with the dressing until the leaves are all coated then place the croutons on top. Then finally sprinkle with remaining parmesan and serve.
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Caesar Salad Recipe
My version of Caesar Salad is fresh, cheesy, and WAY better than store-bought or restaurant-bought (those bagged croutons could nevah!). All you gotta do is crisp up some bread in the oven, whip together the dressing (it's seriously amazing y'all), and toss it with fresh romaine and parmesan.
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
I’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Servings: 4 side salads
Ingredients
For the Croutons
- 2 cups crust bread sourdough or French loaf bread, cut into cubes
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning to taste
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese optional, to garnish
For the Caesar Dressing
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3 anchovy fillets or 1 1/2 tsp anchovy paste
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 1/2 cup parmesan freshly grated or 1 ounce of fresh cheese broken up in chunks if using food processor
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
For the Salad
- 1 romaine lettuce head sliced vertically in 1 ½ inch slices or roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup shaved or freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
For the Croutons
- Preheat oven to 350 ℉.
- Spread cubes of bread out on a baking sheet.
- Drizzle cubes with olive oil then sprinkle with Italian seasoning and garlic powder.
- Bake for 12 – 15 minutes. Be sure to flip the croutons every 5 minutes to make sure all sides are browning evenly. Easy Peasy.
- If you are feeling really sassy, sprinkle the croutons with freshly grated Parmesan cheese as soon as they come out of the oven.
For the Caesar Dressing
- In a food processor, add all of the ingredients for the caesar dressing and pulse for 20-30 seconds until smooth and well combined.
To Assemble
- Arrange the salad leaves in a serving bowl and pour the caesar dressing on top. Toss the leaves with the dressing until all leaves are coated.
- Place the croutons on top of the salad and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese. Serve and Enjoy!
Notes
- Bake your croutons a little longer if you like ’em extra crunchy. Just give them about 3-5 more minutes in the oven, flipping halfway through, until they’re exactly as crispy as you want.
- When prepping your lettuce, roughly chop or even tear it by hand. It’s quicker and easier! Just make sure you dry the lettuce thoroughly boos, wet leaves won’t hold onto that yummy dressing.
- Speaking of dressing, pour it gradually. You can always add more to your salad, but once you drench it, there’s no going back y’all.
How to store Caesar Salad
Store your Caesar salad in an airtight container in the fridge, and it’ll keep for up to 1 day. But honestly boos… It ain’t ideal. The lettuce and croutons can get soggy once they sit around in the dressing too long, so your best bet is to prep your dressing and croutons ahead of time, then assemble everything fresh the day you’re planning to eat. Bonus Tip: This recipe gives you about an ounce extra dressing (you’re welcome!), so store that extra goodness in a sealed jar or container in the fridge. It’ll stay tasty for up to a week. Ingredient Swaps and InformationFor the Croutons
- Bread: If you’re a true crouton lover, grab a fresh loaf of sourdough or French bread from the bakery section. Gluten-free bread is cool too, or whip up cornbread croutons if you wanna keep it Southern!
- Olive Oil: Good-quality olive oil is the way to go, but Avocado oil is a great sub.
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning and garlic powder. If you don’t have Italian seasoning, a sprinkle of dried oregano and basil works.
- Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated parm all day, every day.
For the Caesar Dressing
- Mayonnaise: I skip the raw egg and use mayo instead. But if you wanna keep it real classic, swap in egg yolks.
- Anchovy Fillets (or Paste): If you just can’t, add a little extra Worcestershire and taste as you go.
- Dijon Mustard: Any Dijon brand you prefer (Grey Poupon, etc). You can also use regular mustard.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Or soy sauce.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Bottled ain’t the same boos, but you can use it.
- Garlic Cloves: Crushed, minced, pre-minced, whatever you have.
- Parmesan Cheese: Again, freshly grated or get a block and break it down in your food processor.
- Salt and Pepper: Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
For the Salad
- Romaine Lettuce: Look for bright, crisp, green leaves when shopping. Wilted leaves and rusty spots mean it’s past its prime. Iceberg or chopped kale make good subs too.
- Parmesan Cheese: Grab a wedge from the deli or cheese section. I don’t play with the flavor in this classic Caesar salad!
Nutrition
Calories: 733kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 20g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 1575mg | Potassium: 229mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 808IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 329mg | Iron: 5mg
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Recipe Tips
- Bake croutons longer for extra crunch. Add 3-5 extra minutes in the oven, flipping halfway, until they’re exactly as crispy as you want.
- Roughly chop or even tear the lettuce by hand. It’s quicker and easier!
- Dry your lettuce thoroughly. Wet leaves won’t hold onto the dressing, and you’ll end up with watery salad.
- Pour your easy Caesar dressing gradually. You can always add more, but once you drench it, there’s no going back boos.
Recipe Variations
- Add protein. Grilled chicken, crispy bacon, or sautéed shrimp would be amazing. I actually have a shrimp Caesar salad recipe too!
- Toss in extra veggies. Cherry tomatoes, sliced red onions, cucumbers, or avocado.
- Boiled eggs. Sliced hard-boiled eggs make it hearty. Great if you’re serving this as an entree salad!
- Make it spicy. Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce to the dressing.
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