Classic Caesar Salad

Classic Caesar Salad

A timeless, restaurant-quality Caesar salad made entirely from scratch — featuring a bold, creamy dressing built on anchovy paste, fresh garlic, lemon, and Worcestershire, tossed with crisp romaine, golden homemade croutons, and a generous snowfall of Parmesan. This approachable, well-tested recipe skips raw egg yolk anxiety by using a simple emulsification technique that's reliable every time.

4 servings · Prep 20 min · Cook 15 min · Total 35 min

Salad

Croutons

  • 4 cup crusty bread cut into 3/4-inch cubes
  • sourdough
  • French bread
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 pinch kosher salt
  • 1 pinch black pepper freshly ground

Dressing

  • 2 cloves garlic finely minced or grated
  • 2 tsp anchovy paste
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice from about 1 large lemon
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 0.33 cup mayonnaise full-fat recommended
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese finely grated
  • 3 tbsp olive oil extra-virgin
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • 1 pinch kosher salt

Main

  • 2 whole romaine lettuce hearts chopped into 1-inch pieces, washed and thoroughly dried

Topping

  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese shaved or coarsely grated, for topping
  • 1 tsp black pepper freshly cracked, for finishing

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Baking Sheet
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Pie Dish
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Platter
  • Measuring Cups
  • Whisk
  • Plates
  • Knife
  • Serving Platters (Large)
  • Jelly Roll (10x15)
  • Tongs
  • Measuring Spoons
  • Cutting Board
  • Mixing Bowl (4 Quarts)
  • Dipping Fork
  • Grater

Instructions

  1. Preheat your #[Oven] to ![375°F]. In a large #[Mixing Bowl], toss the @[Crusty Bread] cubes with the @[Olive Oil], @[Garlic] minced, @[Kosher Salt], and @[Black Pepper] until evenly coated.
  2. Spread the @[Crusty Bread] cubes in a single layer on a #[Baking Sheet]. Bake for ~[12–15 minutes], tossing halfway through, until golden brown and crispy. Remove and let cool completely. They will crisp up further as they cool.
  3. In a small #[Mixing Bowl], combine the @[Garlic] minced and @[Anchovy Paste]. Using the back of a #[Wooden Spoon] or a #[Dipping Fork], mash them together into a smooth paste — this is the flavor base of your dressing.
  4. Add the @[Lemon Juice], @[Dijon Mustard], and @[Worcestershire Sauce] to the #[Mixing Bowl] and #[Whisk] together until combined.
  5. #[Whisk] in the @[Mayonnaise] until smooth and creamy. Then drizzle in the @[Olive Oil] while whisking constantly to emulsify the dressing.
  6. Stir in the @[Parmesan Cheese] finely grated and @[Black Pepper] freshly ground. Taste and adjust seasoning — add a pinch of @[Kosher Salt] if needed (the @[Anchovy Paste] and @[Parmesan Cheese] are already salty, so go easy). If the dressing is too thick, thin it with a teaspoon of water at a time.
  7. Make sure your @[Romaine Lettuce Hearts] is thoroughly dry — wet lettuce will dilute the dressing and make it slide off. Place the chopped @[Romaine Lettuce Hearts] in a large salad #[Mixing Bowl].
  8. Drizzle about two-thirds of the dressing over the @[Romaine Lettuce Hearts] and toss well with #[Tongs] to coat every leaf. Add more dressing to your taste — not every leaf needs to be drenched, but every bite should have flavor.
  9. Add the cooled croutons and half the shaved @[Parmesan Cheese], and toss gently one more time. Transfer to serving plates or a large platter. Top with the remaining @[Parmesan Cheese] and a generous crack of fresh @[Black Pepper]. Serve immediately.