Classic Caesar Salad With Homemade Dressing
There’s a certain magic in a properly made Caesar salad, a dish that is far more than the sum of its simple parts. I’ve been making this for over 7 years, and it never disappoints, transforming a humble bowl of lettuce into something deeply satisfying and elegant. After testing this recipe five times, I finally got it just right, balancing the creamy, tangy, and savoury notes of the dressing with the perfect crunch of the croutons.
Recipe Overview
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Servings: 4 as a main, 6 as a starter
- Difficulty: Easy
Why You’ll Love This Classic Caesar Salad with Homemade Dressing
- Authentic, Bold Flavour: This recipe delivers the true, robust taste of a classic Caesar, using anchovies and a proper emulsion for a dressing that’s both creamy and sharp.
- Perfectly Crisp Croutons: We bake our own croutons from scratch, ensuring they stay crunchy even after being tossed with the dressing, avoiding the sad, soggy ones you get from a bag.
- Restaurant-Quality at Home: You can recreate that iconic, satisfying Caesar salad experience in your own kitchen without any special equipment, using simple, fresh ingredients.
- Customisable Protein: While the classic version is a wonderful vegetarian meal, it’s also the perfect base for adding grilled chicken, Pan Seared Salmon With Lemon Butter Sauce, or juicy prawns.
- A Foolproof Method: I’ve refined every step to eliminate common pitfalls, from preventing the dressing from splitting to ensuring the garlic isn’t too harsh, making this a recipe you can trust every single time.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 2 large heads of romaine lettuce (about 400g)
- 150g stale sourdough bread, cut into 2cm cubes
- 60ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 4 anchovy fillets in oil, drained (or 1 tsp anchovy paste)
- 2 large egg yolks (pasteurised, if you prefer)
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (ensure halal-certified)
- 125ml sunflower or light olive oil
- 50g Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated, plus extra for serving
- Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tip: For the best results, use a block of Parmigiano-Reggiano and grate it yourself. Pre-grated cheese often contains anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly into the dressing, and it lacks that deep, nutty flavour.
How to Make Classic Caesar Salad with Homemade Dressing
- Prepare the croutons: Preheat your oven to 180°C (fan-forced). Toss the sourdough cubes with 2 tablespoons of the extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread them in a single layer on a baking tray. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until they are a deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. The kitchen will smell wonderfully of toasty bread. Set aside to cool completely – they will continue to crisp up as they cool.
- Make the paste: On a large cutting board, use the flat side of your knife to mash the anchovy fillets and the peeled garlic cloves together with a pinch of salt. Scrape and mash until you have a smooth, fragrant paste. The smell will be pungent and briny, which is exactly what we want. Transfer this paste to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Build the dressing base: Add the egg yolks, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice to the bowl with the anchovy-garlic paste. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is thick, pale, and well combined. The texture should look like a thick, glossy sauce. This is the foundation for our emulsion.
- Emulsify the dressing: With the whisk in one hand, begin to drizzle the sunflower oil into the bowl in a very thin, steady stream. Whisk constantly. You will see the mixture begin to thicken and lighten in colour, turning into a creamy, opaque dressing. The sound of the whisking will change from a slosh to a thick, muffled beat. Once all the oil is incorporated, the dressing should hold its shape on the whisk.
- Finish the dressing: Whisk in the remaining extra virgin olive oil, the Worcestershire sauce, and half of the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Season generously with black pepper. Taste the dressing on a piece of lettuce – it should be tangy, savoury, and rich. If it tastes too sharp, add another spoonful of cheese. Set aside.
- Prepare the lettuce: Wash and thoroughly dry the romaine leaves. Any water left on the leaves will make the dressing watery. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces and place them in a very large salad bowl. The leaves should feel crisp and cold to the touch.
- Assemble the salad: Drizzle about two-thirds of the dressing over the lettuce. Use your hands (the best tool for the job!) to gently toss and coat every leaf. The leaves should glisten evenly. Add the cooled croutons and the remaining cheese. Toss once more. The croutons should make a satisfying crunching sound as they mix with the leaves. Serve immediately, with extra cheese and black pepper on top.
Tips From My Kitchen
- Use stale bread for croutons: Fresh bread absorbs oil and becomes dense rather than crisp. Stale bread has a lower moisture content, which allows it to dry out and become perfectly crunchy in the oven without becoming greasy. If your bread is fresh, cut it into cubes and leave them on a tray for an hour or two before baking.
- Dry your lettuce thoroughly: This is the single most important step for a non-watery dressing. Water is the enemy of a good emulsion. After washing, spin the leaves in a salad spinner, then lay them out on a clean tea towel and pat them dry. The leaves should be bone-dry before they go into the bowl.
- Taste the dressing on a leaf, not a spoon: The dressing can taste overwhelmingly salty or sharp when tasted directly from the bowl, but it will mellow significantly when coated on the lettuce. Always do a ‘leaf test’ to get the seasoning right. The bitterness of the romaine balances the richness of the dressing perfectly.
- Don’t skip the anchovies: Even if you think you don’t like anchovies, they are the backbone of a classic Caesar. They don’t make the salad taste fishy; they melt into the dressing, providing a deep, savoury umami note that you can’t get from anything else. If you’re truly hesitant, start with just two fillets.
- Add the croutons at the very end: To keep your croutons gloriously crunchy, never toss them in the dressing before adding the lettuce. Add them right at the end, give a gentle toss, and serve immediately. If the salad sits, the croutons will absorb moisture from the dressing and the lettuce and go soft.
- Bring your eggs to room temperature: If you are using whole eggs (not just yolks) or are concerned about the dressing splitting, ensure your eggs are at room temperature. Cold eggs can cause the oil to seize and the emulsion to break. Simply place them in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes before using.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Large salad bowl
- Sharp knife and cutting board
- Salad servers (or your hands)
- Small jar or bowl for dressing
- Baking tray for croutons
- Whisk (or a food processor for the dressing)
Delicious Variations to Try
- Spicy Version: Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a finely chopped red chilli to the dressing base along with the garlic and anchovies. This adds a gentle warmth that cuts through the richness beautifully. For an extra kick, sprinkle some red pepper flakes over the finished salad.
- Vegetarian/Vegan Option: To make this vegetarian, simply omit the anchovies and add a tablespoon of capers (rinsed and chopped) for that salty, briny hit. For a vegan version, replace the egg yolks with 3 tablespoons of aquafaba (chickpea brine) and use a good vegan hard cheese or nutritional yeast for the cheesy flavour. The emulsion works perfectly with aquafaba.
- Different Protein: This salad is a fantastic canvas for protein. Sliced, grilled chicken breast is the classic choice. For a seafood twist, try flaking in some hot-smoked salmon or topping it with Grilled Lemon Herb Swordfish Steaks. Thinly sliced, seared steak, like in my Steak Salad With Blue Cheese Crispy Onions, also works wonderfully here, replacing the blue cheese with the Caesar dressing.
What to Serve With Classic Caesar Salad with Homemade Dressing
- A bowl of hearty Ground Beef And Zucchini Skillet Low Carb for a low-carb, protein-packed meal.
- As a starter before a rich pasta dish for a Dinner party.
- Alongside a simple bowl of tomato soup and some crusty bread for a comforting Lunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the dressing ahead of time?
Absolutely. You can make the dressing up to two days in advance and store it in an airtight jar in the refrigerator. The flavours will actually meld and deepen over time. Just be aware that it will thicken as it chills, so take it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before you plan to use it and give it a good shake or whisk to bring it back to a pourable consistency.
Is it safe to use raw egg yolks in Caesar dressing?
For most people, the risk is very low, especially if you use fresh, high-quality eggs. If you are pregnant, elderly, or have a compromised immune system, you can use pasteurised egg yolks, which are heat-treated to kill bacteria. Alternatively, you can make a ‘cooked’ version by whisking the egg yolks and lemon juice over a bain-marie until they thicken slightly before adding the oil.
My dressing split and looks oily. Can I fix it?
Don’t panic – a split dressing is almost always fixable. The most common reason is adding the oil too quickly. To rescue it, place a fresh egg yolk in a clean bowl and slowly, drop by drop, whisk the split dressing into the new yolk. This will create a fresh emulsion and bring everything back together. It works like a charm every time.
What is the best lettuce for a Caesar salad?
Romaine lettuce is the traditional and, in my opinion, the best choice. Its sturdy, crisp leaves have a natural bitterness that stands up beautifully to the rich, creamy dressing. It also holds its crunch well after being dressed. While you can use other lettuces like cos or little gem, they lack that signature robust texture and flavour.
Can I use a food processor to make the dressing?
Yes, a food processor makes the dressing incredibly easy and foolproof. Simply add the garlic, anchovies, egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce to the bowl and pulse until smooth. Then, with the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oils through the feed tube. The result is a perfectly emulsified, fluffy dressing in under a minute.
Classic Caesar Salad with Homemade Dressing
A timeless Caesar salad featuring crisp romaine, crunchy homemade sourdough croutons, and a rich, tangy dressing made from scratch with anchovies, garlic, egg yolks, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Ingredients
Method
- Prepare the croutons: Preheat your oven to 180°C (fan-forced). Toss the sourdough cubes with 2 tablespoons of the extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread them in a single layer on a baking tray. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until they are a deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. The kitchen will smell wonderfully of toasty bread. Set aside to cool completely – they will continue to crisp up as they cool.
- Make the paste: On a large cutting board, use the flat side of your knife to mash the anchovy fillets and the peeled garlic cloves together with a pinch of salt. Scrape and mash until you have a smooth, fragrant paste. The smell will be pungent and briny, which is exactly what we want. Transfer this paste to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Build the dressing base: Add the egg yolks, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice to the bowl with the anchovy-garlic paste. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is thick, pale, and well combined. The texture should look like a thick, glossy sauce. This is the foundation for our emulsion.
- Emulsify the dressing: With the whisk in one hand, begin to drizzle the sunflower oil into the bowl in a very thin, steady stream. Whisk constantly. You will see the mixture begin to thicken and lighten in colour, turning into a creamy, opaque dressing. The sound of the whisking will change from a slosh to a thick, muffled beat. Once all the oil is incorporated, the dressing should hold its shape on the whisk.
- Finish the dressing: Whisk in the remaining extra virgin olive oil, the Worcestershire sauce, and half of the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Season generously with black pepper. Taste the dressing on a piece of lettuce – it should be tangy, savoury, and rich. If it tastes too sharp, add another spoonful of cheese. Set aside.
- Prepare the lettuce: Wash and thoroughly dry the romaine leaves. Any water left on the leaves will make the dressing watery. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces and place them in a very large salad bowl. The leaves should feel crisp and cold to the touch.
- Assemble the salad: Drizzle about two-thirds of the dressing over the lettuce. Use your hands (the best tool for the job!) to gently toss and coat every leaf. The leaves should glisten evenly. Add the cooled croutons and the remaining cheese. Toss once more. The croutons should make a satisfying crunching sound as they mix with the leaves. Serve immediately, with extra cheese and black pepper on top.
Notes
Ensure Worcestershire sauce is halal-certified if required. For a safer option, use pasteurised egg yolks. Croutons can be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container.
I hope this recipe brings as much joy to your table as it has to mine. It’s a dish that feels special yet is so simple to pull together. I’d love to hear how you get on – did you try any of the variations? Do you have a secret tip of your own? Please leave a comment below and share your experience!
