Caesar Salad

This Caesar Salad is loaded with thick, creamy, garlicky and tangy Homemade Caesar dressing without using any anchovies. Perfect to impress your guests. Topped with some freshly grated Parmesan and homemade croutons what more can you ask?

I have been dreading making Caesar dressing at home because I always thought I had to use raw eggs as a base and anchovies. I wasn’t sure about using raw eggs in my salad dressing and I just couldn’t bring myself to use any anchovies. Why? Because as much as I love eating fish, anchovies just never seemed appetizing to me. So, I decided to skip the anchovies and raw eggs and use mayonnaise as my base because I love mayonnaise. I mean who doesn’t. My love for mayonnaise goes so far and beyond that I would probably spend over several blog posts just talking about it. So, let’s not dive into that just now.

Alright! So, this Caesar salad dressing is incredibly easy to make and so much better than the store bought. My husband and kids loved it because it’s super creamy and rich and makes them forget that they are eating something healthy. I made homemade croutons for this salad because I had some leftover baguette but if you don’t want to make them at home, I think store bought croutons work just as well. Also, I find that if I let the dressing sit for an hour in the refrigerator it really brings all the flavors together.

Variations

Top this salad with some grilled chicken, and you have a delicious meal ready in no time.

Make Ahead Suggestions

The Croutons can be made well in advance. Let them cool down and keep them covered lightly with a cling wrap at room temperature for a day.
The salad dressing can be made in advance, covered and refrigerated. Toss with the lettuce right before serving.

Servings : 4 as a side

Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Ingredients

To make Croutons

1/2 French Baguette cut in half and thinly sliced (1/4" thick)
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic, about 2 small cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For Caesar Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 small garlic cloves, peeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

For Salad

2 romaine lettuce heads, chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 cup shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

To make the Croutons

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Cut the baguette in half lengthwise to split in half and then slice diagonally into 1/4" thick pieces. Place the breads onto a baking sheet.
Toss the bread cubes with olive oil and sprinkle garlic, salt and pepper evenly on top.
Toss until evenly coated.
Spread in a single layer over the baking sheet and bake until light golden and crisp 10-12 minutes.
Set aside to cool down.

To make the Dressing

Combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, white vinegar, black pepper, salt, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and garlic in a food processor. Process until smooth and well blended.
While the food processor is still on, very slowly pour in the olive oil. Process until thick and creamy.
Add Parmesan cheese and pulse until combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Salad