Caesar Salad Recipe
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This Caesar Salad Recipe is made with homemade croutons, crisp romaine, salty Parmesan, and that classic dressing we all know and love. It’s the perfect simple salad! No need to load up on a huge list of ingredients. Less is more with this refreshing salad!
The Best Caesar Salad
It’s not often that I go to a restaurant and crave salad. When they have a classic Caesar salad made with a good, homemade dressing, it always calls my name! The crunch of that fresh romaine lettuce paired with deeply flavored dressing. It gets me every time.
This isn’t your grocery store’s Caesar salad. You won’t find that overly creamy dressing reminiscent of Ranch. My Caesar salad dressing that I used for this recipe is a rendition on the traditional version. We’re talking dijon mustard, capers, (optional) anchovies; the works! Now, for the big question: are you a crouton or no crouton person?
Ingredient Notes
- Hearty bread – I used a French baguette.
- Olive oil – Canola, vegetable, sunflower, safflower, avocado, or grapeseed oils can be used instead.
- Garlic powder – Use more or less as per your preference.
- Salt – To taste.
- Romaine lettuce – 1 head or 2 hearts.
- Parmesan cheese – Fresh, shaved.
- Caesar salad dressing
Homemade Croutons
You can use store-bought croutons if you’d like to save some time. This is a great way to use up some bread that is going stale, or to just make your Caesar salad that much special. I mean, I am a food blogger after all. I owe you some wonderful homemade croutons!
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Toss: Place the croutons on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with garlic powder and salt. Toss well to coat the bread.
- Bake: for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crisped. Toss the bread once or twice as they bake to avoid burning. Set the croutons aside to cool down.
How To Make Caesar Salad
- Toss: Add the lettuce to a large bowl with the dressing. Toss to coat the lettuce well with the dressing.
- Top: with shaved Parmesan and croutons to serve.
How to serve
This caesar salad is a classic that we see in restaurants often offered as either an appetizer or main dish. If you want this recipe to be the star of the show, try it out alongside one of these perfectly paired proteins:
- Baked Chicken Breast
- Chicken Souvlaki
- Baked Lemon Pepper Salmon
- Honey Mustard Salmon
- Blackened Shrimp
Some Tips
- Add a protein to your salad to make it heartier, such as hard boiled eggs or crispy prosciutto or bacon.
- Before using the lettuce, plunge it into ice cold water, this will help crisp and refresh the leaves.
- Use quality Italian Parmesan cheese, labeled Parmigiano-Reggiano. It has great bite and sharpness.
Leftovers
If you plan on having extras, leave the dressing on the side for everyone to toss with their individual servings. Leftover Caesar salad, dressed, will get quite soggy and limp in the fridge.
Your dressing will last 1 week stored in an airtight container, bottle, or jar.
Seal the lettuce well in a large freezer bag or airtight container. It will last 7-10 days in the fridge.
Make sure the croutons have fully cooled down to room temperature before storing them in an airtight container or sealable bag. They will last 3 days at room temperature.
More Great Salad Recipes To Try
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Caesar Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Croutons
- 2-3 cups hearty bread (such as baguette, torn into bite-sized pieces)
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Caesar Salad
- 1 head romaine lettuce (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese (fresh, shaved)
- ½ cup Caesar salad dressing (click to get the recipe)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
Croutons
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Place the croutons on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with garlic powder and salt. Toss well to coat the bread.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crisped. Toss the bread once or twice as they bake to avoid burning. Set the croutons aside to cool down.
Caesar Salad
- Add the lettuce to a large bowl with the dressing. Toss to coat the lettuce well with the dressing.
- Top with shaved Parmesan and croutons to serve.
Notes
- If you plan on having extras, leave the dressing on the side for everyone to toss with their individual servings. Leftover Caesar salad, dressed, will get quite soggy and limp in the fridge.
- Your dressing will last 1 week stored in an airtight container, bottle, or jar.
- Seal the lettuce well in a large freezer bag or airtight container. It will last 7-10 days in the fridge.
- Make sure the croutons have fully cooled down to room temperature before storing them in an airtight container or sealable bag. They will last 3 days at room temperature.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
