Classic Caesar Salad

5 from 18 votes

This classic caesar salad is easy to make and vegetarian. Topped with a delicious homemade creamy dressing, it comes together quickly with simple ingredients.

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A classic Caesar salad is a perfect appetizer or side salad. Made the traditional way with a homemade dressing, this Caesar salad is quick, easy, and a great recipe to have in your repertoire!

Classic Caesar salad in a large salad bowl with an extra jar of dressing nearby.
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Caesar salad is such a classic recipe, and I love how simple it is to make! I love serving this as an appetizer or as a side alongside my Homemade Lasagna, Eggplant Parmesan or Healthy Shrimp Scampi. The dressing is so wonderfully creamy and the crispy baked croutons add a wonderful texture.

Caesar salad ingredients

Ingredients for recipe before prepping: French baguette, oil, spices, garlic cloves, anchovy paste, grated parmesan, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce.
  • Romain lettuce: Chop roughly into bite sized pieces to form the base of the salad.
  • Parmesan cheese: Shaved parmesan adds the best texture and salty bite.
  • Salt and pepper: Use freshly cracked pepper and flaky salt to taste

For the croutons

  • French baguette: Use a day old baguette for the crispiest croutons. Cut them into small chunks or into thin wide pieces
  • Olive oil, salt and pepper: This is for flavoring the homemade croutons, but you can also add other seasoning like onion powder or garlic powder.

Caesar dressing

  • Mayonnaise: You can use vegan avocado mayo if that’s what you have.
  • Lemon juice: For the best tasting dressing, use fresh lemon juice rather than the bottled juice.
  • Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce: Both of these add a great tang to the dressing. You can use different kinds of mustard, like yellow or brown, if you’d like, and you can substitute the Worcestershire sauce with soy sauce if you’d like and make it vegetarian.
  • Anchovy paste: Used in a classic Caesar dressing, or you can use capers to make this vegetarian-friendly.
  • Garlic: The garlic brings extra zing to this homemade caesar dressing and I recommend fresh garlic!
  • Parmesan cheese: Use freshly grated for best results.

How do you make homemade caesar salad

Make the Croutons

French baguette cubes on a sheet pan.
Step 1: Cut the French baguette into cubes and toss with oil, salt and pepper.
Homemade croutons after baking on a sheet pan.
Step 2: Toast until crisp and browned.

Make the dressing

Step 3: Mince the garlic and anchovy paste until it forms a paste and add to a jar or bowl with remaining dressing ingredients.
Step 4: Whisk together until smooth and creamy.

Assemble the Caesar Salad

Salad ingredients in a large bowl before tossing together.
Step 5: Place the lettuce in a bowl with the croutons, shaved parmesan, and dressing.
Salad after tossing.
Step 6: Toss gently to combine to coat the salad with the dressing fully.

Tips for making caesar salad

  • Use one or two day old bread to make the croutons. Fresh bread contains moisture that can cause it to steam when baked and result in less crispy croutons.
  • Use a salad spinner to dry the lettuce. If you don’t have a spinner, after you have washed it, pat it gently with kitchen paper to remove excess water. This helps to avoid any excess water pooling in the bottom of the salad bowl or watering down that yummy dressing.
  • Dress the salad just before serving. If you dress it too early the lettuce leaves can wilt.
Homemade Caesar salad in a large salad bowl with an extra jar of dressing nearby.

Frequently asked questions

Can you make it ahead of time?

You can make the dressing 3 to 4 days ahead of time and keep it in an air tight jar in the fridge. The croutons can be made up to a week ahead of time and stored in a cupboard.

Can you make it vegan?

This Caesar salad can easily be made vegan if you use to the avocado mayonnaise and capers instead of anchovy paste, and substitute the parmesan cheese for a vegan kind. You can also leave out the cheese and sprinkle some nutritional yeast on top to give it the cheesy flavor.

Can you make it a full meal?

It’s really easy to turn this simple Caesar salad into a fuller meal by adding some protein like grilled chicken or grilled shrimp. It’s a great meal prep recipe for easy lunches or light summer meals.

Caesar salad in a bowl with a fork nearby.

More salad recipes

This easy homemade Caesar salad comes together so quickly and easily. The dressing is so delicious that I usually make a double batch to use throughout the week on my lunchtime salads!

If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Caesar Salad recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!

This Caesar salad recipe was originally published April 18, 2020 and has recently been updated to use a classic anchovy-based Caesar dressing. This post also includes new photography and step-by-step images to better help make the recipe.

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Caesar Salad

This classic caesar salad is easy to make and vegetarian. Topped with a delicious homemade creamy dressing, it comes together quickly with simple ingredients.
5 from 18 votes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 441
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients
  

Homemade Croutons

Caesar Dressing

For assembly

  • 1 large head romaine lettuce cut into large pieces
  • ¼ cup shaved parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • To make croutons, preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the bread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Drizzle the oil on top and season with salt and pepper. Toss with your hands to combine. Bake until golden brown and crispy, about 7-8 minutes; set aside to cool.
  • To make the dressing, place the garlic cloves on a small cutting board and mince until it forms a paste. Add the anchovy paste on top and continue to mince until well combined. Transfer to a small jar. Add the mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, lemon zest and lemon juice, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and black peppers. Whisk together until smooth and creamy. Taste and add salt or lemon juice, if needed.
  • Place the romaine lettuce in a large serving bowl, top with the shaved parmesan cheese and croutons. Drizzle with the Caesar dressing and toss gently to combine and coat the lettuce with the dressing. Serve cold or at room temperature

Notes

Make Ahead: You can make the dressing up to 7 days in advance and you can prepare the salad up to 1 day in advance. 
For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
  • Instead of Worcester sauce, you can use soy sauce or liquid aminos.
  • Instead of anchovy paste, you can use capers smashed into a paste.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cups, Calories: 441kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 34g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 26mg, Sodium: 966mg, Potassium: 545mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 13784IU, Vitamin C: 21mg, Calcium: 258mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Cuisine American
Course: Salad, Side Dish

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Comments

  1. Hello
    I would like to say that I love your recipes I have tried many of them
    Is there anything I can substitute the mayonnaise with as my husband doesn’t like mayonnaise at all he wouldn’t even try and eat anything that has even a drop of mayonnaise

    1. Thank you so much! I haven’t tried this recipe with a mayonnaise substitute, but maybe he won’t notice if it’s mixed in with the other dressing ingredients?

    2. Hello! This is a late reply but I substituted the mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt and it turned out really great!!!!!

  2. I was going to make this for my husband as he is vegetarian- however he informed me
    That  Worcester sauce is not vegetarian as it has anchovies. Do you have an alternative so I can make this for him?