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–+ servings
Caesar Salad with homemade croutons and shaved parmesan cheese in a white bowl on a mustard yellow towel

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.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Course dinner, holiday, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 211 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 wooden bowl
  • 1 large metal kitchen spoon

Ingredients
  

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.

Nutrition

Serving: 6gCalories: 211kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 4gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 1333mgPotassium: 270mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 9155IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 136mgIron: 1mg
Keyword anchovies, anchovy paste, garlic, holiday, homemade, parmesan cheese, parmigiano reggiano cheese, salad
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