Caesar Salad with Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing

This Caesar Salad with Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing recipe uses simple ingredients and is made entirely from scratch—the dressing, croutons, and all!

Servings: side salads

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Ingredients

Homemade Caesar Salad Ingredients

▢ 1 cup mayonnaise
▢ 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1 large lemon)
▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
▢ 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
▢ 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
▢ 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
▢ ¼ to ½ teaspoon black pepper
▢ ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
▢ salt to taste (I usually do not add - anchovy paste salty enough)

Homemade Croutons

▢ ½ French baguette (about 12 ounces) cut in half and cubed (¾ inch or preferred sized)
▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil
▢ 2 cloves garlic 1 teaspoon minced garlic
▢ 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Caesar Salad Ingredients

▢ 8 cups Romaine Hearts
▢ ½ cup shredded or shaved parmesan cheese (or to taste)
▢ 2 cups homemade croutons

Instructions

Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing

In a food processor or blender, whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, Anchovy paste, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and parmesan cheese. Pulse until well combined. To thin to your desired consistency, add a little milk or water and pulse.
If you do not have a blender or food processor, this can also be done in a bowl with a whisk and a little elbow grease

Homemade Garlic Croutons

Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Cut the baguette in half lengthwise through the top of the baguette into even cubes or tear the bread into pieces. Keeping them uniform in size. I usually make them about ¾ inches in diameter, but it’s mostly important that they are the same size to cook evenly.
In a small bowl, combine 3 Tbsp of olive oil and 1 - 2 tsp of finely minced garlic. Drizzle the garlic oil over the croutons and sprinkle the top with 2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese.
Spread the bread out in an even layer. Bake for 15-20 minutes until crispy, tossing about halfway through cooking time. (Keep an eye out as cook times vary. The size of bread cubes, how dry the loaf is, and oven temperatures are some things that contribute to varied cooking times).
Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Use immediately, or store in an air-tight container for up to 1 week.

For the 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 or shaved parmesan cheese and cooled croutons. Drizzle with Caesar dressing and toss gently until lettuce is evenly coated