Crave-Worthy Caesar Salad with Easy Homemade Dressing

This Easy Caesar Salad recipe is my version of the classic Caesar salad! It’s a staple on restaurant menus but couldn’t be easier to make at home for a simple side salad or refreshing main course. Plus, you can use the homemade dressing for lots of other delicious recipes!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s easy to recognize a Caesar salad with its distinctive flavors and signature ingredients. It’s no wonder it’s such a popular recipe! Here’s why you’ll love this Easy Caesar Salad recipe for #SaladsThatDontSuck at home:

• If you’re going for satisfaction, you’ll love the contrast of textures. Crisp romaine lettuce and red onions with crunchy croutons…all smothered in a rich and creamy homemade Caesar dressing!
• This salad is basic by design, which lets you easily customize it with different toppings, added protein, or extra veggies.
• It’s a breeze to make at home and uses just a handful of common or easy-to-find ingredients. Prep time is less than 10 minutes!

And did you know the first Caesar salad was served in Mexico in 1924? It’s true! Caesar Cardini was an Italian immigrant and restaurant owner who moved his business to Tijuana to avoid prohibition laws in the United States. He’s credited with inventing the original recipe for Caesar salad that bears his name. 

Caesar salad is often not thought of as a “healthy” salad. But here’s the thing: that’s diet culture talking. The presence of a creamy dressing doesn’t erase the nutrients in vegetables. And a “healthy” salad doesn’t equal a sad bowl of plain iceberg lettuce with a few wilted veggies thrown on top. That’s the whole mission behind #SaladsThatDontSuck. I want to prove that salads that can delicious, satisfying, nourishing, and easy to enjoy.

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring and bland. Diets don’t get to claim the salads!

Ingredients You’ll Need

You only need a few simple ingredients to make a basic Caesar salad. There are multiple variations out there, but I think this makes for a super easy version.

• Romaine lettuce. You can also swap for little gem, iceberg, or butter leaf lettuce. As long as it has some crunchy and structure to hold its own when topped with tangy dressing!
• Sliced red onion
• Crunchy croutons. You can use store-bought or homemade croutons. I’ve tried both and they’re equally good, but since this is a recipe for an easy, simple Caesar salad, I recommend looking for garlic croutons next time you’re shopping.
• Parmesan cheese, grated or shaved. If you’re really going for an authentic Caesar salad, look for parmigiano reggiano. It can be more expensive, but the flavor is more complex 
• Caesar salad dressing. Again, go with store-bought for a super easy option, but if you have a few extra minutes, I recommend my homemade Caesar salad dressing (more on that below)

Of course, there are many other optional ingredients beyond these basic components. The classic Caesar salad recipe includes whole anchovies, which add even more savory flavor to this salad. If you want to use them, open a tin of anchovy fillets (usually packed in oil) and roughly chop them into small pieces to mix into the salad when you toss it with the dressing.

How To Make Caesar Salad Dressing

First of all, I need you to know there is absolutely nothing wrong with buying and using a premade dressing! You’ll find a variety of options at well-stocked grocery stores, ranging from thick and creamy to more vinaigrette like. If you have a favorite, use it!

An authentic Caesar dressing emulsifies yolks from raw eggs with extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice. It’s nice to go full authentic, but it also requires a little more time, skill, and cooking equipment, plus raw eggs can pose a food safety concern, especially for pregnant people, infants, and elderly adults. I’m not saying don’t try it…I’m saying it’s your call and this recipe doesn’t include that.

So if you want to try your hand at making a homemade version without a food processor or immersion blender, I’ve got you covered. This creamy Caesar salad dressing uses just a handful of ingredients and can be made in minutes. The best part (in my opinion) is that there’s no raw egg yolks to worry about!

The ingredients include:

• Kewpie mayo
• Fresh lemon juice
• Dijon mustard
• Anchovy paste, which you can make from anchovy fillets if you don’t want to buy an entire tube
• Minced garlic
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Black pepper

Street Smart Nutrition Tip: Use fresh lemons if possible. Just like with cocktails, the best juice is squeezed on the spot! But if that’s not an option, the bottled stuff works great, too.

You can read the full post for more information, but all you need to do is grab a small bowl and a whisk or fork Add the dijon mustard, lemon juice, anchovy paste, and garlic to the bowl and whisk to combine. Then, fold in the kewpie mayo, parmesan cheese, and black pepper. Whisk until it’s thick and creamy and that’s it! You have an easy Caesar dressing for this salad and anything else you want to use it for. 

A lot of other Caesar dressing recipes call for a base of Greek yogurt or sour cream. Either can be a good option, especially if you’re looking for a little extra protein from Greek yogurt.  They might also call for Worcestershire sauce instead of anchovy paste. But I think using a good quality or homemade mayonnaise is the key to getting the tangy flavor just right. 

How To Make an Easy Caesar Salad

​Grab a large bowl and salad tongs, plus a cutting board and sharpened chefs knife. When you’re ready to get started, just follow these simple steps:

1. Start by tearing or chopping the romaine lettuce into bite-size pieces. Place it all in a large salad bowl.
2. Thinly slice the red onions and add on top. If you’re using any additional veggies, chop or slice them and add them at this point, too. 
3. Drizzle some Caesar dressing on top and use the salad tongs to toss the salad until everything is coated pretty evenly.
4. Transfer to a serving bowl or salad plates, then top with shaved parmesan cheese and garlicky croutons. Add a little extra cracked black pepper if you like.

All that’s left to do is sit down to enjoy a great meal. Whether served on the side or as a main course, this crave-worthy Caesar salad recipe should earn a regular spot in your rotation!

What To Serve With Caesar Salad

I think part of what makes Caesar salad so popular is that it’s so versatile. Get as creative as you’d like, but here are a few quick ideas to inspire you:

• Rotisserie or grilled chicken: This is an obvious one because chicken Caesar salad is so familiar. But you can also use the dressing as a sauce or marinade.
• Add grilled salmon or a skewer of shrimp.
• Instead of homemade croutons, grilled or broil some sliced sourdough bread. This makes it easy to scrape up every last bit and the classic Caesar flavor goes so well with a good-quality sourdough.

If you have leftover dressing, save it for other Caesar recipes, like sandwiches or wraps, toast, or even pasta salad. It should keep in the refrigerator for up to a week in an airtight container. However, if you have leftover salad, leave it undressed to keep the lettuce from getting soggy. Add new croutons each time you serve it.

And don’t forget options like this Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad. Adding your favorite pasta shape and some seasoned chicken instantly takes this from a side dish to an all-in-one main dish with carbs and protein.

I hope you enjoy this crowd-pleasing salad! This Easy Caesar Salad recipe is simple, but sometimes that’s a good thing. The whole idea behind #SaladsThatDontSuck is to make salads as satisfying and delicious as possible. You can do that with basic ingredients and minimal prep time. 

So if you try it out, let me know what you think! Leave a rating or comment, and save and share this homemade Caesar salad recipe with family and friends.

As always, thanks for stopping by the Street Smart Nutrition blog. Cheers to more fearlessly nourishing meals!