Classic Caesar Salad recipe with romaine, bacon, croutons and yes – anchovies. You can leave those out if you want but then it won’t be CLASSIC caesar salad, just caesar salad. If you’re fine with that, I am too.
I can’t rest until I’ve completely figured out the best way to do something. A lot of times this obsession really starts to rage when the focus is food. I’m just not satisfied with something that’s pretty good. It has to be the absolute best version of itself that it can possibly be.
As you can imagine, those around me find this tiresome. Until they need the perfect caesar salad recipe.
Because my homemade caesar salad recipe is going to make them the hit of the pot-luck dinner they’re going to and everyone will think they’re smarter and prettier and better at math than they really are on account of it. They will appear so impressive in the glow of the caesar salad that almost any number of good things could happen! They could be offered jobs, company cars … pet monkeys! Anything is possible when you hold the recipe to this crowd favourite.
STUFF YOU WANT TO KNOW
Classic Caesar Salad
Ingredients:
So that’s what you need to make the best Caesar Salad dressing you’ve ever made.
Want to make a meal of it? Add grilled chicken for a Chicken Caesar Salad. Although, weirdly, even though I like both chicken and caesar salad, I don’t like them together. But you might. Most people do. They’re weird like that.
This recipe is made a lot like my mayonnaise recipe using that whole immersion blender technique. Like this …
How to Make this Caesar Salad Dressing
Just whack your egg into a mason jar and then add all of the other ingredients.
You don’t even need to chop the garlic. Just throw the whole clove in there.
Place the base of your immersion blender directly over the egg yolk until the blender is resting firmly on the bottom of the jar. Now turn it on. Don’t move the blender! Just leave it pushed down to the bottom of the jar and everything will immediately whirl and emulsify.
Once everything is emulsified you can slowly lift the immersion blender (while holding the mason jar firmly) and it will release it’s little tornado-like suction. Blend up and down a couple of times.
Let it sit in the fridge for a day if you can and you’re done. (Just like chili, caesar salad dressing is the best the next day.)
Classic Caesar Salad Recipe
Classic Caesar Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil OR very light olive oil
- 1 egg
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 4 tbsps parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp vinegar scant
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 inch Anchovy Paste
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
Instructions
- Crack egg into bottom of a wide mouth mason jar or immersion blender jar.
- Add remaining ingredients.
- Place the bottom of the immersion blender and blade directly over the egg yolk and press the bottom of the blender to the bottom of the jar. Turn on the blender and let it mix. Once the ingredients are emulsified slowly pull the immersion blender straight up. You will feel a vacuum and then the vacuum seal with break. This technique creates a mayonnaise consistency from your two main ingredients, egg and oil.
- Pour the dressing onto torn romaine lettuce leaves. Mix dressing into the leaves by hand. I mean, you can use salad tongs if you're fancy like that, but mixing it by hand will do a better job of getting all the dressing evenly distributed over the lettuce.
- Top with shaved parmesan cheese, croutons and bacon.
Notes
Nutrition
Like I said, I love my immersion blender for this. It’s the only way to go. Mine is similar to this one by Kitchen Aid, although I’m sure the cheaper ones probably work just as well. I do like the way mine and the one I’ve linked to have a flat bottom which helps create the great suction for emulsifying (as opposed to the style of blender that have more of a prong bottom)
Now if you’ll excuse me I have some very complicated math problems to solve whilst watching my pet monkey.
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My husband is a firefighter and everyone has always said his recipe is THE BEST. It’s essentially identical to yours, but with the addition of an AVOCADO! Makes it even creamier. (Is that a word?) We don’t have an immersion blender. We simply use our Vita Mixer.
Looks so simple and delicious! For someone who’s new to adulting and hasn’t yet invested in a blender (immersion or otherwise), can the ingredients be minced and whisked vigorously or will it not have the same effect?
To do the same thing without an immersion blender (but as soon as you can afford one, buy one because you’ll use it all the time and it’s way cheaper and more efficient than a cheap blender) you will have to whisk, whisk, whisk. Mince the garlic as tiny as possible. Add all the ingredients other than the oil to a bowl. Then slowly, SLOWLY, whisk in the oil. Slowly add it and whisk until it has emulsified then keep doing that until you’ve added all of the oil. ~ karen!
Hi Karen, Have you ever tried substituting capers for the anchovies? We use both, but when anyone is visiting that doesn’t like anchovies we stick to the capers, very finely minced. They make a pretty good substitute.
I have not! But I do love capers. ~ karen!
Another technique for mellowing out garlic: Slice the clove in half, lengthwise. Pick out the small green shoot part in the center. Your fingernail will work fine. That part contains the “harsh” part of the garlic. Not so important when cooking garlic, but I always do this for raw garlic. My wife claims that doing this has helped in avoiding garlic heartburn! (cutting off the stem end first makes it easier to peel too.)
I know this was posted a while back but I just thought I’d let everyone know that once you make this you will never buy Caesar dressing again. (And you will judge any other restaurant Caesar salad you eat!) this recipe is amazing! I don’t mind anchovy paste but I’ve used filets as well!! Just as good. Everyone must try this!!
I agree about the immersion blender as well. It’s almost a must have for salad dressing.
I have no self-control, so of course I had some right after I made it tonight and it was already delicious…can’t wait to try it tomorrow or the next day.
What is the recommended vinegar for caesar dressing? I spent several minutes staring at the 12 bottles of vinegar in my cupboard before using balsamic…and I also realized that I literally have vinegar in 5 rooms in my home (including the garage). In total I would estimate that there is currently more than six gallons of vinegar in my home. I think I need an intervention…or maybe I will just eat caesar salad every night for the next 6 months.
Hi Anna – For the vinegar just use normal white vinegar. Unless you love what the balsamic did … in which case keep using that. But normally it would be white vinegar. I’m making some tonight! ~ karen
I have used red wine vinegar very successfully
Ah! So that’s what vinegar scant is. I am in Australia and I have never heard of such a creature. But I’m only 71 years young…
Well you have many years of learning stuff left then. Decades and decades! And not scant ones. ;) ~karen!
This is so good-I’ve made it a couple times now. FYI-if you are out of parmesan then Feta is a great substitute!
Okay on a whim made this tonite, did not let it rest over nite. Made awesome homemade garlic croutons, and used extra crunchy romaine. The only thing different I did, was shave some wide strips of Parm Reggiano over the top. OMG good. Keepin this one close.
Wow. If you like it today Beth you’ll really love it in a couple of days. :) ~ karen!
For the pregnant lady or anyone else concerned with eating raw egg – you can add one drop of Microdyne or any other brand of disinfectant drops for washing and de-bugging veggies etc., into your raw egg and it will be safe to eat after 10 minutes. In Mexico we normally use one drop of Microdyne in several quarts of water to disinfect virtually all raw foods, and only use it IN the food on rare occasions (like when we want to eat your salad dressing using market eggs that have never seen the inside of a fridge!) I’m told it’s basically iodine, which is fine to consume in such small amounts. So there you have it!
I have used egg substitute in a recipe that is close to this one when my daughter was pregnant. It was very good. But if you do not have an immersion blender, I do not, I use a blender or actually it’s a Ninja mixer but I add the oil very slowly so it will be thick. We also use anchovies fillets. Very yummy.
Wish I’d sen this yesterday as we are having Caesar salad tonight.
Shannon V. – Somewhere higher up in the comments is a comment from someone saying you can microwave your garlic for a bit to cook it slightly. This will get rid of that sharpness it has. I haven’t tried this technique yet, so I can’t vouch for it, but it sounds reasonable. Look for the comment and give it a shot! ~ karen
Made this for dinner but substituted minced garlic (in a jar) for a clove as it is not as strong. Also used red wine vinegar because that is what I had. Everyone loved it. Next time I will use fresh garlic and make it a day in advance.
Thanks so much Karen!
I just found your site a few weeks ago and have an inkling that you may have been switched at birth with my sister – she hates to cook and believes the correct response to any situation is to throw money at it. Plus, you’re a bit warped. Like me. And I mean that as a sincere compliment. All of the best people are at least marginally warped.
Can I offer a suggestion to allow for immediate gratification (the very best kind)? To eliminate the sharpness of the garlic, slice the peeled cloves lengthwise and place them in a small glass bowl with enough water to float them. Microwave on high until the water boils. It won’t take very long, so don’t wander. Let the bowl sit until the water has cooled enough to handle. The cloves will soften but, since you’re about to pulverize them, texture doesn’t matter. You should be able to consume your dressing immediately and enjoy all of the garlicky goodness without the bite. I also use this same technique for my garlic toast spread.
Give it try. Go on. I’ll wait right here…
Thanks Laura – I’ll give it a shot. ~ karen!
I once worked in a fancy restaurant, and they made Caesar salad, in wooden bowls, at the table. I’d never had it before, and it was amazing. I’ve never had a good Caesar since, so I’m going to try this. As a thank you I’m offering a bit of knowledge most people don’t have: my father was stationed, during World War 2, in the town where Worcestershire sauce is made. He asked how it was pronounced and they said, “Wooster.” This saves half a second whenever I mention the stuff, for an estimated sixteen minutes over the course of the average life.
Augustus – Thank you. A friend of mine from England actually told me it was pronounced “Wuster like General Custer” but I think it was her accent that was throwing me. :) And ever since she told me this (years ago) I wondered if she just was telling me how to pronounce the first portion of the word. The Worcerster part … and did I still need to add the “shire” at the end? As you can see .. it’s been a very confusing time for me. Wooster. Got it. ~ karen!
A shire is a village-the Hobbits- Bilbo Baggins lived in the “Shire”
A shire is an English county, generally rural. A lot of the counties have lost the old-fashioned -shire ending, but not all: Devonshire, Cheshire, Wiltshire, Hampshire, etc. Worcester is the top city in Worcestershire. We grew up saying the town of Wustuh is in Wustuhsheer
K—why is your Lea/Perrins label so much more classy than mine?
so… i reaaally want to make your ceasar dressing… but… anchovy paste… is that raw fish mush? I could handle cooked fish mush… but raw?…. I’m not cool enough for that.
I recently had a Caesar salad with grilled shrimp at a restaurant and was raving about their dressing. I was excited to come across this “proper” recipe on your blog linked from the “ies” recipe. I’ll definitely try this sometime soon!
OMG Thanks!!! I have come up disappointed with every other recipe I’ve tried. I kinda rolled my eyes when my best friend told me about this one.
Well, I JUST whipped up a double batch and dipped my finger in and I cannot believe how good it is! Even with not resting – I love garlic.
I will let it rest though…
I just took a break from typing this and dipped in again. SERIOUSLY.
Oh, and before I forget, I was completely out of the most important ingredient, and substituted canola – can’t wait to try it with the good stuff.
Thanks again.
I Love the blog so much and all the better that it’s coming from a fellow Canadian Thrifty Perfectionist.
You can come and be Obsessive Compulsive at my house anytime if you promise to always produce results like this :) Yum!!
Hee! Did you try it or are thinking of trying it. As I have stressed to everyone … you have to let it REST. I made it last night and of course did not follow my own rule. We ate it last night. It was gross. Well maybe not gross, but nothing like how it’s supposed to taste. :( I have absolutely NO self control.
Great recipe! I brought it to my work bbq today and the foodies fawned over me. Fawned, Karen! Smarter and prettier and better at math, indeed.
YAY!!! I’m so happy to hear that. Honestly, I’m thrilled it elicited some foodie fawning. Did you let it rest a few days?
Yes, it chillaxed for 1.5 days. It smelled so good as soon as I had blended it and it tried to seduce me from its mason jar every time I opened the fridge afterwards but I took the virtual slap vow seriously and let it rest.
Also: Mayonnaise – Please don’t buy that crap in a jar.
A friend recently turned me on to how easy homemade mayo is (30 seconds in a blender), and I hope to NEVER buy the crappy, white stuff again!
I am going to attempt to make this tonight. Hopefully our discount grocer has anchovies or paste!
Good job! Don’t forget to let it sit a day or two. I’m sure you’ll find anchovies in a can at your grocery store. Let me know how it goes!
Tossing in a -whole- anchovie works just fine, by the way, no need for the paste.
The fish, you see, get “pasted” just fine, once you start the immersion blender on it.
Thanks Eivin. Um … “pasted” just doesn’t sound appealing does it? LOL. Tastes good. Just doesn’t sound good. O.K. I’m sold … next batch of Caesar Salad I’ll use an actual anchovy.
This was some kind of wonderful!!!!! Even my kids loved it!
That’s great Kristi! I’m glad you got a chance to try it and reported back.
THANK YOU!!! *rubs slapped hands together*
Yers welcome. Oh! And to all of you making the Caesar Salad … remember you can adjust to your tastes. More salt, less lemon, no anchovy paste (which I chastise you for) whatever you want. Try the first batch you make as the recipe states then play with it. That’s how I came up with this version. It’s perfect for me. Make it perfect for you.
Okay so I know this was posted ages ago, but I need to know:
Can I leave out the raw egg? What is the purpose of the egg? If it is to bind the dressing, can I substitute a flax and water mixture?
Hi mel – I’m afraid you can’t really make Caesar Salad dressing without the egg. It’s what technically creates the dressing. Egg + oil = mayo. Are you allergic or worried about raw egg? The risk of getting ill from a raw egg is very slight if you use locally produced eggs from a small farmer. NOT a big huge chicken farm. I use eggs from my own chickens now, but prior to that I always just used a store bought egg. ~ karen!
Worse, I’m preggers, and raw egg along with a ton of other things are off of the menu. I’ll have to just wait until after the little monkey is born. And then I will make your super yummy sounding dressing. Thanks for the fast reply!
late to this party BUT, Mel, you can substitute store bought mayo for the egg and oil. It is not as tasty but it works. No doubt you tried this by now but there may be another pregnant newcomer who will find this to be useful info. AWESOME recipe!
Just a tip for the egg dilemma…..place the unopened egg in a pot of freshly boiled water. Let sit for NO MORE than 1 minute. ( I prefer 5o seconds myself) This will heat the egg enough to kill any bacteria.
You crack me up.
The dressing looks delicious, I can’t wait to try it!
Freshly made dressings are really soooo much better than store bought. I can’t wait to try this!
Ugh, that anchovy paste looks gruesome. I do like anchovies, but i’m not sure about anything that is basically fish, blended.
Mmm … uh … then just mush up your own anchovies from a can. Although I’m not sure how that will be less gruesome. Just close your eyes when you squeeze it out. Besides blended fish is really only gruesome when it’s in the form of a milkshake and you have to drink it through a straw.
Whole anchovies for the win.