This Caesar salad with garlicky sourdough croutons and an ultra creamy eggless Caesar dressing makes an easy main meal or favorite side salad for a crowd.
This Is My Favorite Side Salad for Any Meal!
Here on the blog, I’m not shy about my love of the Caesar salad.
I’ve shared my go-to Caesar salad dressing that can be made without raw eggs, plus I’ve made my daughter’s favorite chicken Caesar salad, tossed everything with pasta to create a Caesar pasta salad that’s perfect for potlucks, and I’ve even thrown it all into a tortilla to create crispy chicken Caesar wraps.
What can you NOT make with this creamy, umami-rich salad dressing?
But today I’m finally sharing a classic Caesar salad. Coupled with crunchy romaine, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and the easiest homemade garlicky sourdough croutons, this salad is simplicity at its finest. So brace your tastebuds and let me show you how to make a killer Caesar salad.
Enjoy!
What’s in a Caesar Salad?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Mayonnaise — Helps thicken the dressing and lend creaminess without the need for raw egg yolks.
- Sour cream — Gives our dressing a nice tang.
- Red wine vinegar — Adds some bright acidity.
- Worcestershire sauce — For savory, umami flavor. (Heads up! Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies. If you need to keep your Caesar salad vegetarian, look for a fish-free bottle of Worcestershire sauce.)
- Anchovies — A staple ingredient in our dressing and what gives Caesar dressing its signature flavor.
- Garlic — Adds big flavor to the dressing, and when mingled with hot oil it’s perfect for seasoning the croutons, too.
- Parmesan cheese— I love using both finely grated Parm (which melts into all of the nooks and crannies of the romaine) as well as big chunks of Parm (for a salty burst of flavor).
- Tabasco sauce — For a bit of zip.
- Bread cubes — I like using sourdough bread, but a baguette or another sturdy bread will do.
- Olive oil — Gets infused with garlic and tossed with the bread cubes to moisten them and get them golden brown and toasty in the oven.
- Italian parsley — Adds color and freshness to the croutons.
- Romaine Lettuce — I use tender romaine hearts rather than the whole head. I find these center leaves to be more tender and sweet (FYI, you can transform this into a grilled Caesar salad by grilling the Romaine hearts first!)
How to Make a Homemade Caesar Salad
- Prep your lettuce. Chop the leaves in big chunks or go ahead and dig in and tear the leaves with your fingers. Whole leaves make a killer presentation, too.
Heidi’s Tip: If you don’t have a salad spinner, now is the time to get one.
- Make the sourdough croutons. Nobody’s going to side-eye you if you grab a bag of grocery store croutons, but the homemade variety is so easy to make, they’re totally worth the extra few minutes to do so. Instead of tossing the bread cubes with oil and pressed garlic, I prefer getting the oil nice and hot in a large skillet and then adding the thinly sliced garlic to create a garlic-infused olive oil. This way your croutons will have a strong garlicky flavor without anything burning as the croutons bake. After baking the bread cubes, toss them with a little salt, pepper, and parsley and they’re done!
- Make the creamy Caesar dressing. Add all of the ingredients to a small glass canning jar with a fitted lid and shake well to combine. Or, add to a medium-sized bowl and whisk to combine.
- Shave your Parmesan. Make the Parmesan shavings (that will go in the salad) by skimming a block of cheese with a vegetable peeler.
- Assemble and serve. Toss in half of the croutons and half of the cheese with the lettuce. Use tongs or get right in there and toss with your hands. Add the rest of the croutons and cheese to the top of the salad so they don’t fall to the bottom when serving.
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Use a blender and add oil for a thicker dressing. If you prefer a super thick Caesar salad dressing that won’t drip from a spoon, make it in a blender or food processor instead of shaking it in a jar or whisking. Blend all of the ingredients then slowly drizzle in ¼ cup of olive oil while the blades are going strong. This method will emulsify and thicken the dressing.
Dress JUST before serving. Romaine lettuce leaves are one of the sturdiest lettuces out there, but they will still wilt if left dressed for too long. Avoid a wilted salad situation and dress the lettuce just before serving.
Top with protein. I kept this Caesar salad ultra simple and topped it just with garlic croutons. But you’re welcome to add your protein of choice, like chicken, crispy shrimp, or salmon.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Easy Caesar Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Caesar Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup sour cream
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon mashed anchovies , (or anchovy paste)
- 1 clove garlic , pressed
- ¼ tablespoons Parmesan cheese , grated
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2-3 dashes Tabasco sauce
Garlic Croutons
- 4 cups bread cubes , cut into ¾ inch squares (from a sturdy bread like sourdough)
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic , thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons Italian flat leaf parsley , minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salad
- 8 cups romaine lettuce hearts , rinsed and patted dry
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese , cut into ribbons
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Make the dressing. Add all of the ingredients to a small glass canning jar with a fitted lid and shake well to combine. Or, add to a medium-sized bowl and whisk to combine.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Make the garlic-infused oil for the croutons. Heat the olive oil and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat until the garlic begins to turn golden and becomes fragrant, about 4-5 minutes. (Be careful the garlic doesn’t burn or it will taste bitter!) Strain or pick the garlic cloves out of the oil and discard or save for another use.
- Bake the croutons. Place the bread cubes in a large bowl. Drizzle the garlic-infused oil over the bread cubes and toss to coat. Scatter onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until the bread cubes are golden, flipping the cubes occasionally.
- Season the croutons. Remove from the oven and add back to the bowl. Toss with the parsley and salt and pepper and set aside to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
- Assemble the salad. Chop or tear the romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces and place in a large serving bowl. Drizzle with ⅓ cup of the Caesar dressing and toss to coat. Sprinkle with HALF of the grated Parmesan cheese and 1 cup of the croutons and toss again. Top with the rest of the grated Parmesan, Parmesan ribbons, and more croutons as desired. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Mains to Make This a Meal
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María
gracias por tus recetas Muy Buenas
¡Gracias! Me alegra mucho que las hayas disfrutado.
Candy Young
Thank you for a great looking caesar salad dressing for those of us who don’t want to eat raw eggs!
Hayley
Sure thing, Candy! We hope you enjoy!
Carol
I made this dressing and felt it was missing something. I did your exact measurements but added 1 tsp. sugar and a healthy squeeze of a lemon. Worked perfectly.
Heidi
Good to know Carol, glad you made it work for you.
Elaine
You do know that Worcestershire has anchovies in it? My daughter informed me of this fact
I have made this Dressing several times never disappointing!
Also if out out fresh garlic the bottle version works, add to taste.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Yess! So interesting! Thanks Elaine
Tarik Smith
I like this recipe but for my dressing i combined basil pesto, sour cream, Ripe avocados and Fresh squeezed lemon juice and blended it in a blender.
Lisa Moschetti
It may be a good dressing but it is not caesar dressing!
Sara
Looks Delicious. What to add if someone doesn’t like garlic.? Thanks for sharing.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
You could omit it completely! Great question.
Gayle
Looks delicious. And directions are great. Once in a while, I have grilled the romaine if I really feel ambitious. Photos are beautiful.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Sounds fantastic!
Cindy Cimetta
How much oil is in the dressing?