Caesar Salad

A classic Caesar Salad recipe with crisp romaine lettuce, crunchy homemade croutons, fresh parmesan cheese, and a light Caesar dressing – for when you want to impress your dinner guests.

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This homemade Caesar Salad was inspired by my son David. When he was 9 years old, he took cooking classes at Sur La Table, where he learned and fell in love with this Caesar salad recipe, so we re-created it at home together.

Since then, both of my kids have adored Caesar salad – it’s the salad they always request. As long as they’re eating their greens, I’ll happily crank out this salad for them. It’s my go-to green salad with hearty dinners like Chicken Tetrazzini, Lasagna, or Manicotti – it pairs well with almost anything!

Caesar Salad Recipe Ingredients

Caesar salad is easy, classic, and the ingredients are simple. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

• Romaine Lettuce – 1 large or 2 small heads of romaine lettuce. You can also use hearts of romaine. It’s best to buy the whole heads of lettuce and avoid pre-chopped, which has a shorter shelf life and won’t stay as crisp as freshly cut lettuce.
• Parmesan cheese – freshly grated, shredded, or shaved parmesan will have better flavor and texture than pre-shredded (and there are no additives or preservatives).
• Crisp croutons – sliced baguette baked with parmesan; these are irresistible and you’ll have enough for 2 salads, so you can stash some for the next Caesar salad. You can also use Sourdough bread to make Sourdough Croutons.
• Homemade Caesar Dressing – this is a light homemade dressing and just takes a few minutes to whisk together and you don’t need eggs or anchovies. If you prefer a creamy dressing, our Creamy Caesar Salad works wonderfully for this salad (which is a favorite with all of the kids in my family).

How to Keep Lettuce Crisp

Over the years, I’ve learned some great tips to keep romaine crisp, and these tips make all the difference in the texture of the salad.

• Rinse in Cold Water – keeping the lettuce cold will keep it crisp.
• Start with Dry Leaves – my salad spinner is my best friend. Chop, rinse and spin dry the leaves to remove as much water as possible. It’s a major time-saver, and it does a better job of drying.
• Chill Lettuce Before Using – Once the romaine is rinsed and dried, store it in an airtight container or a zip-top bag with a paper towel to absorb moisture.

How to Make Croutons for Caesar Salad

The crunchy homemade garlic croutons really elevate this salad. The cheese crusted onto each little toast will have you snacking on these croutons!

• Cut the baguette in half lengthwise and slice into 1/4″ thick pieces and place on a baking sheet.
• Combine 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil with minced garlic. Toss the croutons with garlic-infused oil and 2 Tbsp finely grated Parmesan.

3. Spread them evenly onto the baking sheet and bake until crisp and golden at the edges. If you want to store these for later, bake until they are fully dried out.

How to Make Caesar Salad Dressing

This classic Caesar salad dressing comes together so fast, and all you need is a bowl and a whisk. This Caesar dressing is light, healthy, and packs so much fresh flavor.

• Whisk together minced garlic, Dijon, Worcestershire, lemon juice, and red wine vinegar.
• Whisk constantly while adding oil to emulsify the dressing for a smooth and creamy (not oily) consistency.
• Season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste.

How to Make Caesar Salad

Once you have your croutons and dressing ready, it’s just a matter of assembling and serving.

• In a large mixing bowl, add your prepared romaine lettuce, top with croutons and parmesan.
• Just before serving, drizzle with your dressing, and toss gently to coat the lettuce and croutons.

Make-Ahead Tips

You can easily use this Caesar salad recipe for meal prep or make it ahead of time for a dinner party then assemble and add the dressing when ready to serve.

• Lettuce Prep – Chop, rinse, and spin dry the lettuce, transfer to a zip-top bag or airtight container with a paper towel, and refrigerate. It will stay crisp for 3-4 days.
• Storing Croutons – Bake 1-2 days ahead, cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature to keep them crisp.
• Dressing can be made 3-4 days in advance. Store in a jar in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature if it has solidified and whisk to recombine before serving.

Once you try a homemade Caesar salad, the store-bought bagged versions will never satisfy you. It’s better in every way – fresh, crunchy, creamy, and tastes like a Caesar salad you’d order in a nice steakhouse. You can even make it a meal by adding strips of Baked Chicken Breast, Pan-Seared Steak, or Grilled Shrimp. Enjoy this, friends. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a Caesar Salad to make…

Caesar Salad Recipe

4.99 from 570 votes

Author: Natasha Kravchuk

A classic Caesar Salad with crisp bites of romaine lettuce, fresh parmesan cheese and crunchy croutons – all coated in a light Caesar salad dressing. You can use a creamy Caesar Dressing if you prefer.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

Servings: 4 servings as a side salad

For the Croutons:

• 1/2 French Baguette, cut in half and thinly sliced (1/4″ thick)
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic, 2 small cloves
• 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Caesar Salad Dressing:

• 2 small garlic cloves, minced (1 tsp)
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste
• 1/8 tsp black pepper, plus more to serve

For the Caesar Salad:

• 1 large romaine lettuce, (or 2 small heads romaine)
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, shredded or shaved

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Instructions

How to Make Croutons:

• Preheat oven to 350˚F. Cut the baguette in half lengthwise through the top of the baguette then slice diagonally into 1/4″ thick pieces. Place the breads onto a baking sheet.
• In a small bowl, combine 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil and 1 tsp of finely minced garlic. Drizzle the garlic oil over the croutons and sprinkle the top with 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese.
• Toss until evenly coated. Spread in a single layer over the baking sheet and bake at 350˚F until light golden and crisp (10-12 minutes), or to desired crispness.

How to Make Caesar Salad Dressing:

• In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, dijon, Worcestershire, lemon juice and red wine vinegar.
• Slowly drizzle in extra virgin olive oil while whisking constantly.
• Whisk in 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper, or season to taste.

How to Make Caesar Salad:

• Rinse, dry* and chop or tear the romaine into bite-sized pieces. Place in a large serving bowl and sprinkle generously with shredded parmesan cheese and cooled croutons. Drizzle with caesar dressing and toss gently until lettuce is evenly coated.

Notes

*I Recommend Using a Salad Spinner – chop your romaine, transfer to a salad spinner to rinse, then spin dry. It’s faster and more effective than patting dry. 
*Note on Nutrition Label – the croutons recipe makes enough for 2 full salads or 8 servings which is reflected in the “per serving” nutrition label. 

Nutrition Per Serving

289kcal Calories9g Carbs4g Protein26g Fat4g Saturated Fat9mg Cholesterol596mg Sodium56mg Potassium680IU Vitamin A1.9mg Vitamin C135mg Calcium0.8mg Iron

• Full Nutrition Label
• Nutrition Disclosure

Nutrition Facts

Caesar Salad Recipe

Amount per Serving

Calories

289

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

26

g

40

%

Saturated Fat

 

4

g

25

%

Cholesterol

 

9

mg

3

%

Sodium

 

596

mg

26

%

Potassium

 

56

mg

2

%

Carbohydrates

 

9

g

3

%

Protein

 

4

g

8

%

Vitamin A

 

680

IU

14

%

Vitamin C

 

1.9

mg

2

%

Calcium

 

135

mg

14

%

Iron

 

0.8

mg

4

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Caesar Salad, Caesar Salad Recipe

Skill Level: Easy

Cost to Make: $

Calories: 289

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