Caesar Salad
No need to visit a fancy steak house for a classic Caesar salad. This family style salad with homemade croutons, dressing and freshly shaved parmesan cheese makes an authentic tasty Caesar that you will love.
Ingredients
Croutons
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 (14-15oz) loaf Italian or French bread, crusts removed, cut into 1 inch cubes
cayenne pepper
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Salad
4-5 heads romaine lettuce, outer leaves removed, coarsely chopped then refrigerated until ready to use
1 1/2 cups freshly shaved parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
Caesar Dressing
2 cloves garlic
4 anchovies in olive oil, drained
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ teaspoons dijon mustard
1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup mayonnaise
1 ½ cups extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
To make the croutons: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine olive oil and bread cubes on a prepared foiled baking sheet. Lightly sprinkle with salt, pepper and cayenne. Mix until evenly coated then spread in a single layer. Bake in the center rack until golden, about 8-10 minutes. (halfway thru cooking time, give the pan a shake to be sure croutons toast evenly) Remove from oven and keep in an airtight container.
To make the Caesar Dressing: Place garlic and anchovies in a food processor and pulse until chopped. Add salt, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire, lemon juice, and mayonnaise and blend. Slowly pour in olive oil and blend until smooth.
To make salad: Combine lettuce, parmesan cheese and croutons in a large bowl. Add desired amount of dressing and toss. Serve immediately.
*Dressing may be prepared 2 days ahead, covered and chilled.
*Croutons are best served as close as possible to serving time.
Serves 6-8
Download Recipe (PDF)
