Classic Caesar Salad Recipe
A classic Caesar Salad recipe featuring homemade garlic croutons baked to golden perfection and a creamy, tangy dressing made with anchovy paste, lemon juice, and Parmesan. Crisp romaine lettuce is tossed with shredded Parmesan, crunchy croutons, and a luscious Caesar dressing for a timeless starter or light meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Halal
Ingredients
Scale
Croutons
- 1/2 French Baguette, cut in half and sliced into 1/4" thick slices
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Caesar Salad Dressing
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salad
- 1 large romaine lettuce
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded or shaved
Instructions
- Preheat Oven for Croutons: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the croutons.
- Prepare Bread for Croutons: Place the baguette slices in a large bowl, ready for seasoning.
- Make Garlic Olive Oil Mixture: In a small bowl, combine the extra virgin olive oil with the minced garlic and stir well to infuse the oil with garlic flavor.
- Coat Bread Slices: Drizzle the garlic olive oil mixture over the bread slices and toss until all slices are evenly coated, ensuring flavorful croutons.
- Bake Croutons: Arrange the coated bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until they turn lightly golden and crisp. Remove and allow to cool.
- Prepare Caesar Dressing: In a medium bowl, combine the minced garlic, anchovy paste, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, sour cream, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Set aside.
- Prepare Lettuce: Rinse the romaine lettuce thoroughly and dry it completely to prevent sogginess. Chop the lettuce into bite-sized pieces.
- Assemble Salad: Layer the chopped romaine in a large serving bowl. Sprinkle shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese over the lettuce. Add the cooled croutons.
- Toss Salad: Drizzle half of the Caesar dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly. Add more dressing as desired to taste.
- Serve: Serve the salad immediately for the freshest flavor and best texture.
Notes
- For best results, allow croutons to cool completely before adding to the salad to keep them crunchy.
- You can use freshly grated Parmesan for the dressing and shredded or shaved Parmesan for topping the salad.
- If anchovy paste is not available, finely minced anchovy fillets can be used as a substitute.
- Make sure to dry the romaine lettuce well after washing to avoid watering down the dressing.
- Adjust the amount of dressing to your preference to keep the salad light or more creamy.
Keywords: Classic Caesar Salad, Caesar dressing, homemade croutons, garlic croutons, romaine lettuce salad, easy salad recipe
Find it online: https://www.cheftara.com/classic-caesar-salad-recipe/
