Caesar Salad with Pizza Croutons
User Reviews
5
Caesar Salad with Pizza Croutons
Description
Caesar Salad with Pizza Croutons innovates on the classic by incorporating croutons baked with marinara sauce and Italian cheeses, delivering a crispy, savory bite that complements the fresh romaine lettuce. The croutons are prepared by tossing sourdough cubes with olive oil, seasoning, garlic powder, and basil, then baking until golden. Afterward, they are topped with marinara sauce and a blend of Asiago and Parmesan cheeses and baked briefly to melt the cheese.
The dressing blends minced garlic, Greek yogurt, Parmesan, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, anchovy paste, lemon juice, and seasonings, pureed to a creamy consistency with olive oil streamed in. This yields a tangy, umami-rich dressing that coats the lettuce evenly.
Assembled together, the salad balances the freshness of lettuce with the richness of the dressing and the crispy, cheesy croutons, offering layered flavors and textures. The dressing can be made ahead and stored for several days.
Ingredients
pizza croutons
- 3 cups sourdough bread cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt kosher salt
- black pepper kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon basil dried
- ¼ cup marinara sauce
- ¼ cup Asiago cheese freshly grated
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese finely grated
caesar salad
- 3 romaine lettuce washed and chopped, hearts of
- 4 garlic minced, cloves
- 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Parmesan Cheese for garnish, shaved
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the bread cubes on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper, the garlic powder and basil. Bake the cubes for 10 to 12 minutes, until slightly golden.
- Remove the baking sheet and top each cube with a dollop of marinara sauce. Sprinkle the asiago cheese on top (don’t worry if it gets on the baking sheet too - it gets crispy and amazing!) along with the parmesan. Return the sheet to the oven and bake for 4 to 5 minutes more, until warmed through and the cheese is melted.
- I make the caesar dressing while the bread cubes are toasting. To make the dressing, add the garlic, yogurt, parmesan, mustard, vinegar, anchovy paste, lemon juice, salt and pepper to a food processor and blend until pureed. With the processor still on, stream in the olive oil until a creamy dressing forms. (This may make more dressing than needed, but you can store it sealed in the fridge for about 3-4 days and stir well before using.)
- Chop the romaine hearts and place them in a bowl. Toss with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add in a few tablespoons of the dressing and toss the romaine with kitchen tongs, until the dressing is evenly dispersed. Top with a few shavings of parmesan cheese. Top with the pizza croutons. Serve immediately with extra dressing for serving.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
