Active Time
10 minutes
Total Time
20 minutes
This Caesar salad recipe has no relation to the sad side dish you got from takeout last week. A great Caesar recipe has swagger: The head of romaine should be cold and crunchy, the dressing creamy and briny, and the croutons craggy and freshly made. Here’s how to get there:
Squeamish about raw egg yolks and anchovies? Sorry! Yolks are what give richness to a classic Caesar salad dressing recipe, while umami anchovies are the primary reason it tastes so good—that, and a good garlicky kick. (If you just cannot, substitute mayo for a lazy Caesar, replacing the anchovy with a splash of Worcestershire sauce.)
Homemade croutons are a must—but don’t dice any old bread into perfect cubes. Tear a rustic country sourdough or other sturdy loaf into bite-size pieces. The shaggy edges will hold onto the creamy dressing and make the salad more dynamic to eat. Pre-shredded cheese is also a no-go. Pick up a hunk of real Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano if you can get your hands on some) and shave it into thin planks with a vegetable peeler.
Use your hands to toss the cold romaine lettuce leaves—whole, not chopped—in your largest bowl. Distributing homemade Caesar dressing evenly requires feeling, so leave the tongs aside, give your hands a good wash, and dive right in.
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What you’ll need
Citrus Juicer
$13 At Amazon
Microplane
$18 At Amazon
Vegetable Peeler
$12 $10 At Amazon
Whisk
$10 At Amazon
8-Inch Chef's Knife
$47 At Amazon
Ingredients
6 servings
Caesar dressing
6
1
2
2
¾
2
½
3
Croutons
3
3
Assembly
3
Preparation
Caesar dressing
Step 1
Chop together 6 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained, 1 small garlic clove, and a pinch of kosher salt. Use the side of a knife blade to mash into an anchovy paste, then scrape into a medium bowl. Whisk in 2 large egg yolks, 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, and ¾ tsp. Dijon mustard. Adding drop by drop to start, gradually whisk in 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, then ½ cup vegetable oil; whisk until dressing is thick and glossy. Whisk in 3 Tbsp. finely grated Parmesan. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired.
Do ahead: Dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Store in an airtight container and chill.
Croutons
Step 2
Preheat oven to 375°. Toss 3 cups torn 1" pieces country bread, with crusts, with 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil on a baking sheet; season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Bake, tossing occasionally, until golden, 10–15 minutes.
Do ahead: Croutons can be made 2 days ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Assembly
Step 3
Place 3 romaine hearts, leaves separated (for the ideal mix of crispness, surface area, and structure), in a large bowl. Use a vegetable peeler to thinly shave a modest amount of Parmesan (a mound of grated Parmesan may look impressive, but all that clumpy cheese mutes the dressing) on a plate. Use your hands to gently toss together the lettuce, croutons, and dressing. Top with the shaved parm.
Editor’s note: This Caesar salad recipe was first printed in April 2013. Head this way for our best Caesar-salad-inspired recipes →
Nutrition Per Serving
Leave a Review
Reviews (1556)
Back to TopI only use EVOO and not as much as all the combined oil asked for in the recipe. And I soak sliced fresh garlic cloves in it all day before using it to add to the dressing (discard garlic or save for another use). I also use anchovy paste incorporated into the dressing. Woschestershire (sp?) is a must to add.
Madagascar
Botswana
2/26/2024
Excellent! Perfect! Amazing! Have been making the same Caesar dressing for years. Decided to give this recipe a go! Out with the old, in with the new! We are lemon lovers, so added an additional tablespoon of lemon juice. Also tossed in some crisped pancetta. Delicious!
CookBug
Mississauga, ON
12/24/2023
Have been using and tweaking this recipe for years...If you don't want to essentially make the mayonnaise yourself with the vegetable oil and egg yolks, swap out some good mayonnaise, to taste. I think a touch of Worcestershire sauce is included to the original dressing recipe as well, but if you don't have any on hand, I don't think it's a huge loss.
Dari
Lyon, France
12/9/2023
This my go to Caesar salad
Anonymous
8/27/2023
I would make this Ceasar salad again! Just what I was looking for. Quick and easy. Fantastic flavor 😋 I added microplaned zest of the lemon to give it extra lemony flavor. Yum!
Anonymous
Santa Barbara, California
5/28/2023
It tastes good BUT it's very thin and runny. I'm not that impressed.
Kenneth
Florida
5/5/2023
This is my go to caesar recipe and it’s always a hit.
Anonymous
Stamford, CT
11/27/2022
Old school cooking, terriffic on the details that make the difference. Add some quality tuna from a jar or roast chicken to make it a full feast. As it is a Western US dish, a supple smoky Zinfandel seems called for. @ Eric: This dish can of course serve as a lunch, a snack, a main dish or starter at will and with that choice the size - and amount of ingredients - vary. As in Italian or French style I tend to use wayy too much olive oil, being european I suppose.
Jean Paul
The Hague, Netherlands
10/2/2022
The dressing is way too light for my taste and I assign that to the 1/2 C of salad oil. Also not enough of almost everything else except anchovies.
Eric
Savannah, GA
8/26/2022
Excellent!
Anonymous
Arkansas
7/21/2022
This is the best Caesar salad we've ever had! Really spectacular in every way. Followed the careful instructions to the letter; did add a bit more lemon juice to the dressing at the end. The romaine was so crispy, the homemade croutons perfectly crunchy and the dressing sharp and salty. We even obeyed and tossed it by hand. This will blow any other Caesar salad off the map. Thank you.
Beth G
Los Angeles, CA
5/29/2022
I made this recipe for the first time today and it was outstanding. I was astonished by the complex taste of the dressing, it truly is a lovely complement to the crunchy, fresh and clean tasting romaine. Just what I needed for salad season. The dressing instantly made its way to my recipe book, thank you for sharing it!🥬💚
Valentina
Hungary
5/27/2022
Best caesar salad dressing we've made
Bridget Mudd
San Francisco, CA
5/18/2022
A nice take on Caesar and simple to make. @ LovesLilac in LA, try saving to Pinterest and using an iPad or other device when preparing. This will omit the use of paper altogether.
David
Chicagoland
4/26/2022
WHERE IS THE MEASUREMENTS?
Anonymous
WILMETTE,IL.
4/16/2022