Caesar Salad Recipe
Fresh romaine lettuce, crispy croutons, and savory parmesan cheese are combined with a Caesar Salad dressing that's rich and creamy, all without the use of anchovies or eggs. This delectable salad boasts a delightful blend of savory, tangy, and umami flavors, making it a top favorite. Moreover, it can be effortlessly adapted to a vegan version!
Ingredients
For Caesar Dressing
- 3 garlic cloves – medium-sized
- 4 kalamata olives or 5 to 6 green or black olives
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce – vegetarian or vegan
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (black pepper powder)
- ¼ teaspoon salt or add as required
- ½ cup Mayonnaise – eggless or vegan
- ¼ cup grated parmesan – vegetarian or vegan parmesan cheese
For Making Croutons
- 2 cups bread cubes or ½ of a french bread or baguette
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic or 1 medium-sized, minced or finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (black pepper powder) or add as required
- 1 pinch salt or add as required
Other Ingredients
- 3 romaine lettuce hearts or 3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- ¼ cup shaved parmesan – vegetarian or vegan parmesan cheese
- few shaved parmesan – vegetarian or vegan, for garnish
Instructions
Prepare Lettuce
- First cut the root part of the the lettuce.
- Chop or tear the lettuce leaves.
- Place in a colander or strainer and rinse well. Rinse gently so that the leaves do not bruise, but rinse well enough to remove soil or mud particles.
- Drain the water really well in the mesh strainer or colander.
- Spread leaves on a large tray lined with paper towels.
- Pat dry the leaves with paper towels. Set aside. You can also opt to use salad spinner to dry leaves, or chop leaves an hour before and let them dry naturally in the refrigerator.
Prepare Croutons
- Slice half of a baguette in ½ to 1 inch slices. Then chop each slice in bite sized cubes.
- Place 2 cups of chopped bread cubes in a large bowl. You can use any artisan bread or French bread.
- Add olive oil, minced garlic, black pepper to taste and salt.
- Toss and mix very well.
- Transfer the bread cubes to a baking tray.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius (390 degrees Fahrenheit) for 10 to 15 minutes till golden and crisp. Remove half way and turn bread cubes for even roasting.
- Set the toasted bread croutons aside.
Make Caesar Salad Dressing
- Smash garlic with a pestle or using the back of a chef’s knife. Chop kalamata olives. Discard the stones.
- Roughly chop garlic and olives.
- Place both in a mortar pestle and smash to a smooth or semi fine paste.
- Add this paste to a small bowl. Add lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, salt and black pepper. Go easy on the salt as Dijon mustard, mayo, and Worcestershire already have salt in them.
- Whisk till smooth.
- Pour in mayonnaise and add grated Parmesan cheese.
- Whisk again till smooth. Check taste and adjust the ingredients if required.
Make Caesar Salad
- Place leaves in a large mixing bowl. Add the dressing. Toss and mix with the help of two salad spoons or any two large spoons.
- Add bread croutons and shaved Parmesan.
- Toss and mix again.
- Garnish with some shaved Parmesan and a fresh crack of pepper for serving.
- The salad taste best when freshly assembled and tossed. I would not recommend storing this salad in the fridge as the salad leaves can become soggy and loose their crunch. The flavors and tastes also change over a period of few hours.
Nutrition
Calories: 452kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 12gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 1140mgPotassium: 260mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 2540IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 152mgIron: 3mg
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