Caesar Salad Recipe

This classic Caesar Salad Recipe has been perfected over four generations and is the only green salad my kids regularly request. This recipe includes a zesty homemade salad dressing that’s easy to make with lemon and garlic.

I received this recipe from my husband’s family. His grandma made it, his Mom & aunties make it, my sisters make it, and I make it at least once (sometimes twice) a week.

Garlic Lovers

It is a dangerous dish because it’s pretty heavy-handed with the garlic. If you’re in mixed company, maybe scale back on the garlic cloves. But, if you want to keep the vampires away, this recipe will rock your world.

The Lettuce for Caesar Salad

Romaine is the traditional lettuce for Caesar salad. I always go for fresh lettuce and cut it myself. The bagged stuff isn’t really “my bag.”

I personally chop lettuce with a regular chef’s knife, but my mother-in-law is a die-hard tear-it-by-hand type. Other people swear by using a special lettuce knife because it doesn’t bruise the lettuce.

The Easy Way to Make Caesar Salad Dressing

The dressing is easy to make. I drop all of the ingredients into a mason jar and use my immersion blender to blend it all up. This saves time instead of mincing the garlic. Of course, if you prefer your dressings shaken, not blended, you can mince the garlic, add the other ingredients into a salad dressing container and shake to mix.

Be sure to use fresh lemon juice because it’s such a significant percentage of the dressing. I’ve had people report back negative results after using the bottled lemon juice, because, well, that stuff ain’t fresh.

The dressing is also wonderful on other things. I use it as a dipping sauce, drizzle it on veggies, and use it as a sauce for other entrees.

Raw Eggs in Caesar Salad Dressing

This recipe contains raw egg. If you’re concerned about egg safety, you can buy pasteurized eggs at the store. I use the regular ones and our family has been enjoying this recipe for decades without incident.

What kind of cheese is is in Caesar Salad?

This is important. The original family recipe for Caesar salad simply calls for grated parmesan. But, my mother-in-law has developed the two-parm method using shredded parmesan AND grated.

It’s a texture bonus to have the larger shreds while also having the granular texture of the grated. I highly recommend it. You can buy it shredded and grated, or, like I do, get a wedge of parmesan and use the two different sides of a box grater to get the two different textures.

What goes well with Caesar salad?

Traditionally, the family serves Caesar salad along with grilled steaks. Mmmmmm…I could go for a ribeye right now. At my house, I’ll pair it with pretty much any main dish. I also love adding chicken for a main dish salad.

• Spinach Fandango Casserole
• Skirt Steak with Chimicurri
• Meat Crust Pie
• Instant Pot Corned Beef

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