Simple Classic Caesar Salad Recipe (Without Anchovies)

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This Classic Caesar Salad Recipe is a delicious combination of freshly made Caesar dressing, crispy fresh romaine lettuce torn into bite-size pieces, grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and homemade garlic croutons. This simple salad dressing is my family’s favorite salad side dish and is one of the best ways to celebrate a birthday or homecoming meal.

The best Caesar dressing is made the traditional way in a wooden bowl with crushed garlic cloves and ground with the salt directly into the bowl. Mixed together with the remaining fresh ingredients and then tossed with crisp chilled romaine lettuce, fresh ground pepper, garlicky homemade croutons, and more grated or shaved Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese in a tableside restaurant-style way.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH CAESAR SALAD

This traditional Caesar Salad recipe goes with just about anything. One of our treasured Christmas Eve traditions is to serve this Delicious Seafood Chowder with this homemade salad. During birthday season, we serve this classic Caesar salad with a juicy beef tenderloin steak or a delicious salmon fillet. 

My mom’s Drip Beef Sandwich recipe is another great companion during football season. Serve leftovers with chicken tenders and crunchy croutons for a light lunch or quick dinner. You can always use the dressing as a dipping sauce for Everything Pinwheels or Super Easy Sausage Balls!

CLASSIC CAESAR DRESSING INGREDIENTS

what you’ll need:

Classic Caesar Dressing Recipe

• Wooden Bowl
• simple metal cooking spoon
• garlic cloves
• coarse sea salt 
• extra virgin olive oil
• fresh lemon juice from one medium-sized lemon 
• 1 raw egg
• Anchovy Paste or 4 whole Anchovies
• Classic Caesar Salad Recipe Ingredients
  • 1 head crisp Romaine Lettuce
  • Parmesan Cheese shaved, shredded, or grated
  • Simple Garlicky Homemade Croutons

  KITCHEN ITEMS YOU’LL NEED

  

  HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CAESAR SALAD…in a few simple steps

  • STEP ONE: Smash the garlic pods with the smooth side of a meat mallet (I use this mallet every day!) or the flat part of a larger knife using the back of your hand
  • STEP TWO: Cut up mashed garlic and place it in the wooden bowl with the coarse sea salt. Use the back of a large kitchen spoon and rub garlic and salt all around your bowl.

  

  

  • STEP THREE: Scrap out half of the mashed garlic-salt mixture and save it for later to make homemade toasty croutons. Note: This step controls the salt.

  

  • STEP FOUR: Pour Olive Oil and swirl around with a spoon mixing the garlic, oil, and salt together. Note: if using real anchovy fillets, add at this step but mash with your spoon in the oil-garlic mixture.

  

  • STEP FIVE: Crack and add a room-temperature raw egg into the oil mixture. Whisk for about 10 strokes. Squeeze 1 whole medium-sized lemon into the egg-oil mixture. Whisk vigorously until the mixture becomes thicker and “milkier”. Note: the milky color is the lemon juice “cooking” the raw egg.

  

  • STEP FIVE: Add the anchovy paste, Worcestershire Sauce, and Dijon mustard. Whisk together until smooth. Note: if using real anchovies skip adding the anchovy paste in this step.

  

  • STEP SIX: Add the anchovy paste, Worcestershire Sauce, and Dijon mustard. Whisk together until smooth.  Note: if using real anchovy filets, skip adding the anchovy paste in this step.
  • STEP SEVEN: Add and mix Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese.  Refrigerate for at least an hour. ​Note: If making the day before, refrigerate overnight, and transfer to a glass bowl or jar…you’ll ruin the wood bowl if the liquid stays in too long.

  

  PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

  Tableside Style

  Use one large crispy fresh Romaine lettuce head…wash ahead of time and let dry, return to the refrigerator, and let it chill. When ready to serve, tear lettuce leaves into bite-sized pieces and place them in the wooden bowl with Caesar dressing on the bottom.

  Toss torn-up lettuce leaves in dressing using salad or small tongs making sure all the dressing is mixed with the lettuce. Sprinkle with shaved parmesan cheese and toss again. Lastly, toss with croutons and freshly ground black pepper. It’s ready, dig in!

  Individual Servings

  Drizzle the dressing on top of crispy, fresh, torn pieces of Romaine lettuce in individual bowls. Sprinkle shaved Parmesan cheese and croutons, and gently toss to coat.

  Quick Tips:

  😎Romaine Lettuce Tip: Cut end and stand up in colander, let drain. Layout 4 or 5 connected paper towel sections and lay about 10 romaine lettuce leaves flat on towels. Cover with an additional 4 or 5 connected sections and lay another 8-10 lettuce leaves on top. Continue this process until all leaves are covered with paper towels. Roll up semi-tight and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. ⭐NOTE: clean up counters with the moist used paper towels…2 uses before they land in the trash. Extra tip: If using a salad spinner, wash and tear up romaine lettuce and then spin it. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

  

  ADD-ONS AND SUBSTITUTES

  Make this Caesar Salad as a main course with baked or grilled salmon fillet, rotisserie chicken, baked chicken breast, sliced beef tenderloin, seasoned cooked shrimp, pepperoni slices, salami, hard-boiled eggs.

  Instead of romaine lettuce add shaved Brussels sprouts, sliced red onions, capers, canned French fried onions, chickpeas, black olives, green olives, and pepperoncini.

  As a substitute use store-bought Caesar Cardini, adding extra lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, anchovy paste, or garlic to taste. If using anchovy fillets out of a can, drain 3 or 4 (or more depending on your taste buds) on a paper towel before mashing into the oil. 

  

  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  Can you use vegetable oil instead of extra virgin olive oil? Not if you want it to taste like authentic Caesar dressing.

  Can you substitute Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese for blue cheese? I have done this, it tastes like an oily blue cheese dressing.

  Is Caesar Dressing gluten-free? The dressing itself is gluten-free but the croutons are not. Add raw or toasted pecans, almonds, or roasted sunflower seeds with the salad instead of croutons. 

  MORE HOMEMADE SALAD DRESSINGS👇

  • Cilantro Dill Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
  • Best Homemade Dijon Italian Salad Dressing
  • Best Spicy Jalapeno Chipotle Ranch Dressing
  

  Print

  Simple Classic Caesar Salad Recipe

  The best Caesar dressing is made the traditional way in a wooden bowl with crushed garlic cloves and ground with the salt directly into the bowl. Mixed together with the remaining fresh ingredients and then tossed with crisp chilled romaine lettuce, garlicky homemade croutons, and more freshly shaved Parmesan Cheese in a tableside restaurant-style way.

  Prep Time10 minutes mins

  Active Time8 minutes mins

  Course: dinner, holiday, Salad, Side Dish

  Cuisine: American

  Keyword: anchovies, anchovy paste, garlic, holiday, homemade, parmesan cheese, parmigiano reggiano cheese, salad

  Yield: 6

  Calories: 400kcal

  Equipment

  • 1 wooden bowl
  • 1 large metal kitchen spoon

  Materials

  Caesar Dressing

  • 3 cloves garlic, mashed and cut more or less to garlic preference
  • 1 tbsp coarse sea salt you can use fine ground but coarse works best
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 whole lemon more or less to taste
  • 1 raw egg
  • 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard more or less to taste
  • 1.5 tbsp Anchovie Paste make it mound, heaping
  • 6 shakes Worchestershire Sauce more or less to taste
  • 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese grated or shredded, extra for topping
  • fresh ground pepper to taste

  Caesar Salad

  • 1 head Romaine Lettuce
  • Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese shaved, shredded, or grated
  • Homemade Garlic Croutons use store bought if necessary

  Instructions

  • STEP ONE: Smash the garlic pods with the smooth side of a meat mallet or the flat part of a larger knife using the back of your hand. 
  • STEP TWO: Cut up mashed garlic and place in a wooden bowl with the coarse sea salt. Use the back of a large kitchen spoon and rub garlic and salt all around your bowl. 
  • STEP THREE: Scrap out half of the garlic-salt mixture and save it for later to make these homemade toasty croutons. Note: This is a great way to control the salt. 
  • STEP FOUR: Pour the Olive Oil and swirl around with the spoon mixing the garlic, oil, and salt together.
  • STEP FIVE: Crack and add room temperature raw egg into the oil mixture. Whisk for about 10 strokes. Squeeze 1 whole medium-sized lemon into the egg-oil mixture. Whisk vigorously until the mixture becomes thicker and "milkier". 

    Note: the milky color is the lemon juice "cooking" the raw egg. 

    ​
  • STEP SIX: Add the anchovy paste, Worcestershire Sauce, and Dijon mustard. Whisk together until smooth. 

    Note: if using real anchovy filets, skip adding the anchovy paste in this step.
  • STEP SEVEN: Add and mix Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese.  Refrigerate for at least an hour.

  Notes

  If using anchovy fillets out of a can, drain 3 or 4 (or more depending on your taste buds) on a paper towel before mashing into the oil.

  😎Romaine Lettuce Tip: Cut end and stand up in colander, let drain. Layout 4 or 5 connected paper towel sections and lay about 10 romaine lettuce leaves flat on towels. Cover with an additional 4 or 5 connected sections and lay another 8-10 lettuce leaves on top. Continue this process until all leaves are covered with paper towels. Roll up semi-tight and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. ⭐NOTE: clean up counters with the moist used paper towels…2 uses before they land in the trash.

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