Raise your hand if you love a good Caesar salad. (Me! I do!) I have many favorite salads, but Caesar salad has been a favorite for as long as I can remember. A great Caesar salad hits a satisfying balance between fresh and crisp, and creamy and cheesy. The Caesar salad is a versatile one. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a generous bowl of soup or your favorite homemade Italian meal. It will also round out a special occasion—whether that’s a weekend dinner or a big holiday.
When I was expecting our baby, Grace, I started craving all of my creamy childhood favorites, ranging from baked potatoes to ranch dressing to crisp but creamy Caesar salads. Clearly, it was time to develop a proper Caesar salad recipe, and here it is. This recipe combines my Caesar salad dressing (it’s so simple!) and simple homemade croutons with crisp romaine lettuce and a final sprinkling of additional Parmesan cheese. You’ll find the full recipe below, written from start to finish.
How to Make Caesar Salad
The Caesar salad is fairly straightforward. Here are a few quick notes and tips to keep in mind:
Start with the croutons, then work on the dressing.
While the croutons are baking, you’ll have time to stir together the dressing. It’s so easy since it’s made with store-bought mayonnaise, rather than a homemade emulsion of raw egg yolk and oil.
Chop your own romaine lettuce.
Fresh, chilled heads of romaine lettuce will yield the nicest chopped salad. Pre-chopped bagged lettuce tends to go brown at the edges, plus the pieces are cut larger than I like for Caesar salad (aim for small bite-sized pieces).
Toss when you’re ready to serve (no sooner).
Once tossed in dressing, the lettuce and croutons will start to soften. Wait to dress the salad until you’re ready to dig in. Keep in mind that the croutons are best consumed within a few hours after baking.
Special diet considerations:
This Caesar salad recipe, unlike most others, is anchovy-free so it is safe for those with shellfish allergies (see my Worcestershire sauce recommendations at the bottom of the recipe). It’s also fully vegetarian if you choose your Parmesan carefully—Whole Foods 365 and BelGioioso brands offer vegetarian Parmesan cheese.
Watch How to Make Caesar Salad
More Green Side Salads to Make
Here are a few more of my go-to green salads:
Favorite Green Salad with Apples, Cranberries and Pepitas Pomegranate & Pear Green Salad with Ginger Dressing Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese & Pistachios Super Simple Arugula Salad
View all of my salad recipes here. As always, please let me know how your Caesar salad turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
*Worcestershire note: To ensure that this salad dressing is vegetarian/fish-free, choose your Worcestershire sauce carefully, as most contain anchovies. I like Annie’s, The Wizards or Whole Foods 365 brands (note that some anchovy-free Worcestershire sauces contain soy).
