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Caesar Salad is made with crisp Romaine lettuce, crunchy croutons, Parmesan cheese, and a simple homemade caesar dressing with no anchovies. Homemade Caesar Salad is easy to make from scratch, and tastes so much more delicious than store bought dressing.

This classic Caesar Salad has been around for decades. It’s the perfect starter to a meal or as a meal on its own topped with baked chicken breast or garlic shrimp.

caesar salads on white plates

Caesar Salad Ingredients

The Salad itself is not a fancy salad – just a bowl of a head of Romaine lettuce, fresh Parmesan cheese and crunchy croutons. The homemade caesar dressing is creamy, salty and garlicky but can also be easily customized; it’s really the star of this recipe!

A quick Google search and you’ll find lots of recipes, and they are all a little different. An authentic caesar dressing is typically made with anchovies or anchovy paste. It’s more of a specialty ingredient so I don’t include it in mine, but there are notes down below in the recipe card if you’d like to in yours.

One taste and you will fall in love with the simple salad dressing – it’s that good.

Caesar Salad Dressing

  • Mayonnaise – the authentic recipes use raw egg yolks, but I prefer mayo since the eggs are pasteurized.
  • Sour cream – add some creaminess and tang, and also tones down the mayo a little.
  • Parmesan – freshly grated parmesan off the block is best.
  • Lemon juice and zest – fresh again is best.
  • Olive oil – Extra virgin.
  • Garlic – fresh, minced
  • Salt and pepper – to taste.
whisked caesar dressing in clear glass bowl

How to Make Caesar Salad

Scroll down to the recipe card for the complete ingredients list and instructions.

Make the dressing. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

Make the salad. Chop lettuce and shred Parmesan cheese.

Assemble and serve. Toss salad and dressing together in a large bowl and top with croutons and freshly ground black pepper.

Expert Tips

  • This salad is best served chilled. I highly recommend to chill salad plates and forks as well.
  • For best results, all of your ingredients should be fresh – fresh Parmesan, fresh garlic, fresh lemons.
  • Try my Homemade Croutons you’ll never go back to store bought! Drizzle stale bread cubes with olive oil and seasoning and bake them in the oven.
  • This recipe makes appetizer-size salads. Or, add some protein like Grilled Chicken Kabobs and make 2 full sized meal salads.
  • For a healthier, heartier variation, try kale in place of romaine or a mix of the two.
  • To make a large batch of the dressing, put ingredients into a blender just until well combined.
salad with croutons, spoon with dressing

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Caesar dressing have raw eggs?

An authentic dressing is made with raw eggs, but I prefer to use mayo instead. Consuming raw eggs can be dangerous.

Why do they put anchovies in Caesar dressing?

Anchovies are used for their salty, briny flavor. I consider this more of a specialty ingredient because it’s not something you’ll use often, which is why I chose to leave them out.

Storage

Store leftover dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last about a week.

Store the other ingredients separately. Wrap washed lettuce in a paper, then store in a storage bag.

caesar salad in a white bowl

More Salad Recipes to Try

Recipe

Caesar Salad

5 from 2 votes
A classic Caesar Salad recipe with homemade caesar salad dressing (and no anchovies!).
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

DRESSING

  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup grated parmesan
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper

SALAD

  • 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • ¼ cup fresh shredded parmesan cheese
  • Fresh black pepper
  • 2 cups croutons
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Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients and whisk until fully incorporated.
  • Place salad ingredients in a large bowl and drizzle dressing over the salad.
  • Serve chilled.

Notes

For classic version you can add 1 teaspoon anchovy paste to the dressing.
If making this salad in advance, keep dressing in a separate container and only add before serving.
This recipe makes a nice thick, classic caesar salad dressing, for a thinner option you can add more oil.
Keyword caesar salad, caesar salad recipe

Nutrition

Calories: 497kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 11gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 14gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 895mgPotassium: 329mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 8543IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 292mgIron: 2mg

Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.

Kristin Maxwell

Kristin Maxwell is the creator and main recipe developer, writer, and photographer of Yellow Bliss Road. A self-taught cook and self-appointed foodie, she specializes in easy, flavorful and approachable recipes for any home cook.

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5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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Comments

  1. Lynn says:

    Wow! This recipe is outstanding! The dressing was far better than any store bought Caesar dressing. This will my go to recipe from now on. Delicious!

    1. Kristin says:

      Nice! Thank you for your feedback Lynn.