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How To Make Caesar Salad (Dressing Recipe Included)

How To Make Caesar Salad (Dressing Recipe Included)

Caesar salad is a wonderful light salad to have out or at home.

I just love the creamy dressing but I hate the idea of anchovies and that is why we created a caesar salad without anchovies or raw eggs. 

An important key to this recipe is to refrigerate it prior to serving it.

It dramatically changes the flavor.

Make this at least 2 hours in advance so that you have plenty of time for the flavors to meld. 

Overnight is better.

What goes in a Caesar salad?

There are a few core ingredients that go into a Caesar salad.

The main ingredient that makes Caesar is the dressing.

Then it includes fresh romaine lettuce, croutons, and parmesan cheese. 

It is a simple salad but getting that dressing right is what really matters here.

It has to be the perfect mixture of creamy and tangy at the same time. 

What goes in Caesar salad dressing?

Traditionally, Caesar salad dressing includes raw eggs and anchovies, lemon, garlic, mustard, oil, and mayonnaise.

We make our dressing without raw egg and anchovy free.

How to make homemade Caesar salad dressing

With our recipe for Caesar salad dressing, you don’t need a blender.

You just need a good mixing bowl and whisk. You do also need a bit of time.

We recommend that you refrigerate this dressing at least 2 hours prior to serving it, but four hours is good and overnight is even better.

This dressing is so easy to make. You can make it in 10 minutes without a blender! 

  1. First, we add lemon, mustard, Worcestershire, minced garlic, and vinegar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until well blended.  
  2. Then add in the mayonnaise (you can buy egg-free mayo if desired) and whisk until blended.
  3. Next, slowly add in the olive oil while whisking.
  4. Finally, fold in the parmesan cheese.
  5. Refrigerate the dressing for at least 2 hours before serving. 

Tips for making Caesar salad

  • Crisp, fresh, and cold romaine lettuce is vital to a stellar salad. Pick out the best romaine lettuce that you can find.
  • Tear your lettuce instead of cutting it.
  • We love garlic croutons for this recipe but plain croutons work perfectly fine. The fresher the better with these croutons.
  • Mix the salad and dressing with your hands. This allows you to gently massage the dressing into the romaine as you mix it. 
  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese is best for this salad.
  • Don’t forget to crack fresh pepper atop the salad right before serving it.
  • Don’t drown the romaine in the dressing. Use just enough to coat the romaine and croutons. You can provide extra salad dressing as desired to taste when serving it.

Variations on the recipe

Are you wondering what else you can put on a Caesar salad to make it even more hearty? Well, the options are endless but here are a few of our suggestions

  • Chopped crisp bacon
  • Hard-boiled eggs
  • Grilled chicken chunks
  • Radishes
  • Prosciutto
  • Tomatoes
  • Strawberries
How To Make Caesar Salad

How To Make Caesar Salad

Yield: 5 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

This is easy to make Caesar salad that includes the recipe for the dressing and the salad. No anchovies!

Ingredients

  • 1 head romaine lettuce
  • 1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup croutons
  • fresh ground pepper
  • ½ c olive oil
  • ¼ c egg-free mayo
  • ¼ c grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ t prepared mustard (yellow, dijon, or stone ground)
  • 2 t lemon juice
  • 2 t Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 T red wine vinegar
  • 1 t minced garlic
  • Dash salt and pepper

Instructions

To make the dressing:

  1. In a large mixing bowl add the lemon, mustard, Worcestershire, minced garlic, and vinegar. Whisk until well blended.
  2. Add the egg-free mayo to the mixture and whisk until blended.
  3. Slowly add in olive oil while continuously whisking. Continue to whisk until the mixture is thoroughly blended.
  4. Stir in cheese.
  5. Transfer the dressing to a container with a lid.
  6. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours prior to serving.
  7. Stir before serving. Dressing should be fresh-tasting for about two weeks when kept very cold the whole time.

To make the salad:

  1. Rinse and pat the romaine dry.
  2. Tear the romaine into bite-size pieces.
  3. Add the lettuce to a large serving bowl.
  4. Toss the lettuce with salad dressing. (Amount to taste)
  5. Add in croutons and cheese and toss the salad.
  6. Sprinkle crushed pepper on top.
  7. Serve and enjoy!

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

mrs. diane patricia redman-heath

Friday 7th of October 2022

requesting liking cholesterol free recipes

Kim

Monday 5th of September 2022

The dressing is really great! How long do you think it will save in the fridge?

Andi Reis

Monday 5th of September 2022

Thanks! So glad you like it! Ours stayed tasty for about two weeks. Keep it very cold (don't leave it out on the table for an hour every day of the two weeks, in other words) and take it out just long enough to dress the salad. It may last even longer since it has the usual condiments that stay in the fridge for a long time. Remember to shake it or whisk really well every time you go to serve, since it will separate.

Marilyn Bauer

Tuesday 10th of August 2021

What kind of mustard? Dry mustard or prepared mustard? If prepared mustard, is it yellow Dijon, or something else? Never had caesar dressing before so unsure what it should taste like.

Andi Reis

Sunday 15th of August 2021

Hi, Marilyn. Any kind of prepared mustard will work. Dijon and stone-ground have better depth of flavor, but yellow works just fine. I edited the recipe to reflect this, too. Thank you! - Andi

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