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Home » Side Dishes » Caesar Salad Recipe

Caesar Salad Recipe

September 4, 2019 by Joanie Simon 11 Comments

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.

Overhead image of a bowl of Caesar Salad

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.

overhead view of Caesar Salad ingredients including romaine lettuce, garlic, lemon, and parmesan cheese

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.

Components for homemade Caesar Salad seen overhead on a grey background

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.

Overhead view of assembled Caesar Salad with tongs and two types of parmesan cheese

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.

Overhead image of two plates of Caesar Salad on plates with forks and a napkin

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.

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Closeup image of Caesar Salad recipe with croutons, parmesan cheese, romaine lettuce and garlic lemon dressing
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overhead view of a bowl of Caesar salad with tongs and dressing on the side

Caesar Salad Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Joanie Simon
  • Prep Time: 25
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: salad
  • Method: salad
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

A classic Caesar Salad Recipe with fresh romaine, crunchy croutons, parmesan cheese and a tangy light homemade Caesar dressing.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup neutral flavored oil (I like avocado oil or olive oil)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 whole egg
  • 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 (+) cloves of garlic (to taste)
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (half grated, half shredded)
  • 1 – 2 cups croutons (homemade or store bought)
  • 1 large head of romaine, chopped (or 2 romaine hearts)
  • Cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Wash and dry lettuce and tear into bite-sized pieces or chop with a knife
  • Combine the 1/2 cup of oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 whole egg, 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, and two cloves of garlic into a jar or dressing container and blend with a blender until smooth. Or, if you mince or press the garlic, simply shake the container until thoroughly mixed.
  • Toss the lettuce with the dressing to desired amount of dressing, parmesan cheese, and croutons and season with fresh cracked black pepper to taste.

Keywords: Caesar salad, dressing, lemon, garlic, homemade, oil, parmesan

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Filed Under: Side Dishes

Joanie Simon is a food photographer and stylist and family recipe keeper. In addition to The Dinner Bell, Joanie shares photography education at TheBiteShot.com.

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Previous Post: « Fruit Cocktail Cake
Next Post: Bacon Apple Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Barney Lund

    September 6, 2019 at 5:01 am

    I love the layout, pictures, etc. for your new blog, but I HAVE to ask, how did you create your recipe multiplier/nutrition facts widget thing at the bottom? That is amazing! Thanks for your awesome work. Keep it it up!

    I’m making your salad ASAP!

    Reply
    • Joanie Simon

      September 6, 2019 at 5:51 am

      Thank you so much! The recipe card with the multiplier is the Tasty Recipes plugin by WP Tasty and the nutrition facts are thanks to Nutrifox. Pretty nifty plugins! https://www.wptasty.com/

      Reply
  2. Gb

    September 19, 2019 at 3:09 pm

    Hi Joanie,

    I lbeen watching your videos for a very long time now! Your photography is beautiful, clean, crips, moody! I LOVE IT!
    Question, the material for the backdrops in Ink and Elm are for food photography or studio material?

    Thank you,

    Reply
    • Joanie Simon

      September 20, 2019 at 11:06 pm

      Thank you so much! The Ink and Elm are great for the price. They are the background in all of the shots here on the blog.

      Reply
  3. vurtil opmer

    December 23, 2019 at 12:00 pm

    When I initially commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get three emails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove people from that service? Bless you!

    Reply
  4. Amanda

    January 11, 2020 at 10:20 am

    I watched this video last night and my husband said that looks amazing. So guess I gotta make it now. Love a good Caesar salad.

    Reply
    • Joanie Simon

      January 11, 2020 at 7:34 pm

      It’s a fave! Hope you enjoy <3

      Reply
  5. Amanda Reiter

    January 11, 2020 at 10:53 am

    Last night I watched the Good Place where someone on the show sings “You can ring my be-ee-ee-l, ring my bell”. When I went to sleep, I was trying to remember the song and couldn’t think of it. Now this morning I came to your site to pick up the ingredients as I make the instacart order, I see the name The Dinner Bell and suddenly the song comes back to me. Love when worlds collide.

    Reply
    • Joanie Simon

      January 11, 2020 at 7:34 pm

      Ha ha ha! I love it! And that’s such a great show. Happy weekend Amanda!

      Reply
  6. Yummypair

    May 15, 2020 at 7:47 pm

    I found you on youtube. That’s really amazing. I learn lots of things from you. I am also food blogger love to explore new fusion food throughout the world. All your tips helps us a lot. Please keep sharing all recipes and tips.😊🙂😍

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Joanie Simon

      May 15, 2020 at 10:57 pm

      So glad to hear! Cheers!

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Joanie! This website is where I catalogue my "greatest hits" recipes and ideas for entertaining. I am my happiest when my table is full. Read More…

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