Best Caesar Salad Recipe
User Reviews
5
Best Caesar Salad Recipe
Description
To prepare the croutons, Italian bread pieces are coated in a garlic butter and olive oil mixture then baked until lightly golden, providing a flavorful crunch without being overly hard. The dressing is made by blending grated Parmesan-Reggiano with anchovy fillets and garlic, followed by egg yolks, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard. As the food processor runs, olive and neutral oils are drizzled in to create a smooth, emulsified dressing. Freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt are added to balance the taste.
The romaine lettuce is trimmed and prepared just before serving to maintain freshness and crispness. The salad is assembled by tossing the lettuce with the dressing, topped with homemade croutons, freshly ground black pepper, and extra Parmesan cheese for garnish. The resulting salad has layers of flavor from the anchovies and garlic, balanced by bright lemon juice and creamy texture.
This recipe allows for making the dressing ahead, which can be stored refrigerated for up to a week. Croutons can be prepared one or two days earlier and kept airtight. Dry lettuce leaves, possibly with a salad spinner, help the dressing adhere better to the greens. These practices ensure the salad stays fresh and flavorful when served.
Ingredients
Garlic Croutons:
- 3 cups Italian bread with crusts and all, 1-inch pieces, or country bread
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic peeled and minced, cloves
- kosher salt
Dressing:
- 2 ounces Parmesan Cheese about 1/2 cup grated Parmesan-Reggiano, reggiano
- 6 anchovy fillet drained, packet in oil
- 3 garlic peeled, cloves
- 2 egg large yolks
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice from about 1 1/2 lemons
- 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil (or other neutral oil)
- black pepper freshly ground
- kosher salt
Romaine:
- 1 romaine lettuce outside leaves trimmed and/or discarded, large head
- Topping:
- black pepper freshly ground
- 1 ounce Parmesan Cheese reggiano
Instructions
To Make the Croutons:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Tear your bread until you get 3 cups of torn bread pieces. Add them to a baking sheet.
- In a small saucepan, set over medium heat, add the butter, olive oil, garlic and a few pinches of salt. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Immediately pour over the torn bread and toss until the bread has been coated in the butter mixture. Transfer to the oven to bake until lightly golden brown, about 10 minutes.
- I don’t like my croutons too too hard. If you like them crunchy, you’re more than welcome to bake them an extra 5 minutes longer.
To Make the Dressing:
- In a food processor, add the Parmesan-Reggiano. Pulse until it’s grated and ground up. Then, add the anchovy fillets and garlic cloves; and blend. Next, pour in the egg yolks, lemon juice and Dijon mustard. With the food processor running, pour in the neutral oil and olive oil. Open up the food processor and scrape down the sides. Add about 5 turns of freshly ground pepper and blend one last time. Give it a taste and mix in salt to taste. I only needed a pinch. This will vary depending on your anchovies.
- At this point, you can store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
To Assemble the Salad:
- Prep your romaine lettuce. Trim off the root end. Discard any outer leaves that are witty and browned. And then using a knife, slice the romaine into 2-inch strips. Transfer it to a colander and wash. And then dry.
- Place romaine lettuce in a large bowl. Pour dressing on top, along with the reserved bread crumbs, Parmesan-Reggiano and toss until evenly coated. You really want to make sure the leaves are thoroughly coated in dressing.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- The dressing can be made up to one week ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
- Croutons can be prepared up to two days in advance and stored in an airtight container for freshness.
- Prepare and dry the lettuce just before serving to ensure crispness and better dressing adherence, using a salad spinner if possible.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 205 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 6g | |
| Calories | 205kcal | 10% |
| Carbohydrates | 2g | 1% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 22g | 34% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol | 10mg | 3% |
| Sodium | 4mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 20mg | 0% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 117IU | 2% |
| Vitamin C | 4mg | 4% |
| Calcium | 5mg | 1% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
