Fresh romaine leaves are tossed in creamy, tangy dressing, homemade croutons and fresh Parmesan in this easy version of a classic Caesar Salad! Serve it with slices of cooked chicken and make it a meal.
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Ingredients
For the dressing:
1cupmayonnaiseHellman's or Best Foods recommended
2clovesgarlicpeeled
2teaspoonscapers
1 teaspoonkosher salt
2tablespoonsgrated Parmesan cheese
2tablespoonslemon juicejuice from about one lemon
2teaspoonsWorcestershire sauce
1teaspoonDijon mustard
4anchovy filetsoil reserved
For the croutons:
½baguette loafcut into 1-inch cubes
2teaspoonsanchovy oilreserved from the tinned anchovies
4tablespoonsolive oildivided
For serving
1headromaine lettucewashed and dried
¼cupgrated Parmesan cheese
fresh cracked pepper
1poundcooked chicken breast, dicedcan also use a rotisserie chicken
Instructions
Croutons Instructions
In a large bowl, toss cubes of bread with the 2 teaspoons of anchovy oil and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
In a heavy bottomed skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil on low-medium heat. Add the bread. Fry on low until nicely browned on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside.
Dressing Instructions
In the bowl of a food processor, combine mayonnaise, garlic, capers, salt, 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon, and anchovy fillets. Pulse until smooth in texture and transfer to a jar. Keep chilled until ready to use.
Salad Assembly
Tear or cut romaine lettuce into bite sized pieces. Place in a large salad bowl.
To the salad bowl, add half the dressing, the croutons and the remaining Parmesan cheese. Add freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve immediately with cooked chicken, if desired.
Notes
A fun alternative is to shave your parmesan cheese with a cheese slicer to get nice curls of cheese for a pretty presentation.
For optimal crunch, the croutons are best consumed within half an hour of tossing salad. Once the dressing comes into contact with them, they get soggy.
It’s best to keep salad leaves refrigerated until ready to use, as a nice cold leaf provides a great texture with the dressing.