Classic Caesar Salad

There’s nothing like a fresh classic Caesar salad made at home with crisp romaine, shaved Parmesan, and crunchy homemade croutons. I can toss it together in 5 minutes, and it always tastes better than anything I’ve ordered out.

I try to get a couple of solid salads in each week just to keep some greens in my routine. A few of my absolute favorites are my Nicoise, a loaded spring salad with tons of protein, and my chopped chicken salad.

Caesar Salad

Caesar salad originated in Tijuana, Mexico, by an Italian named Caesar Cardini. Cardini moved to California in the early 20th century, and, like many others, during prohibition, he would often head to Tijuana for a drink. He quickly opened a restaurant and, a few years later, created the Caesar Salad. Who got that story right?

This simple salad is a classic for a reason and loved all over the world, from home kitchens to restaurant menus. It’s easy to make, and when you do it yourself, it tastes way better than anything you’ll find out.

In my version, I keep it classic with all the essentials, romaine lettuce, Parmigiano Reggiano, fresh homemade Caesar dressing, and crispy croutons I make myself. The dressing really brings it to life when it’s made fresh. I love serving this salad next to pasta or anything off the grill, which is probably why I keep making it so often.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Lettuce – Romain lettuce is the classic lettuce to use. If there is a romaine lettuce shortage, green or red leaf lettuce as a substitute will work. Kale is also sometimes used as a substitute or as the main green in this recipe
• Cheese – Large shaved Parmigiano Reggiano pieces are traditionally used when making this. You can do it yourself or buy it pre-shaved. Pecorino Romano would be a good substitute.
• Dressing – Fresh caesar dressing is the classic dressing to use. It is a 6-ingredient recipe consisting of anchovies, lemon juice, eggs, parmesan, and olive oil. It will take you no more than 5 minutes to make and hands down makes the best Caesar salad.
• Croutons – I prefer my homemade croutons recipe, but you can use premade store-bought.

How to Make a Caesar Salad

Prep the lettuce: I cut the fresh romaine lettuce into roughly 1 ½” pieces.

Rinse: After cutting the romaine, I rinse it well under cold water to remove any dirt or bits stuck to the leaves. Then I dry it thoroughly so the dressing sticks properly and doesn’t get watered down.

Assemble the salad: I add the romaine, Parmesan cheese, croutons, a pinch of salt, and some black pepper to a large bowl. Then I pour the dressing around the inside of the bowl so it coats everything evenly as I toss.

Toss the salad: I mix everything thoroughly, making sure each leaf gets brushed with the dressing and nicely coated. Once it’s all evenly dressed, I serve it right away while it’s still crisp and fresh.

chef tip + notes

It might seem like a small thing, but I’ve found that if the romaine is even a little wet, the dressing just slides right off and the salad loses that creamy coating. When the leaves are dry and crisp, the dressing sticks perfectly and every bite tastes the way it should.

• Use fresh romaine: I go for crisp, cold romaine and avoid any wilted or soggy leaves. It gives the salad that signature crunch.
• Shave real Parmigiano Reggiano: I skip the pre-grated stuff and use a block of real Parmigiano, shaved thin.
• Make homemade croutons: I use leftover bread, toss it with olive oil, and bake until golden. They hold up better in the salad and taste so much fresher.
• Toss gently but thoroughly: I pour the dressing around the inside of the bowl and then toss with tongs, making sure every leaf is coated without crushing the lettuce.

Serving Suggestions

If I’m looking to make this Caesar salad more filling, I’ll throw on some grilled chicken, shrimp, or a couple of hard-boiled eggs. It’s also great next to my steak fajitas but my favorite combo is serving it with a plate of pasta alla Genovese. Honestly, with all those options, it never gets boring.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: This recipe is meant to be eaten as soon as it is mixed with the dressing. However, it can be made the day before if the lettuce, dressing, cheese, and croutons are kept separate and covered in the refrigerator.

How to Store: Place each ingredient in its own plastic container or bag and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This recipe will not freeze.

More Salad Recipes

• Mandarin Orange Salad
• Shaved Brussels Sprouts
• Watermelon and Feta
• Caprese
• Taco Salad

Video

SaveSaved

Classic Caesar Salad

Share

Print

5 from 32 votes

There’s nothing like a fresh classic Caesar salad made at home with crisp romaine, shaved Parmesan, and crunchy homemade croutons. I can toss it together in 5 minutes, and it always tastes better than anything I’ve ordered out.

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• 2 heads of cored romaine lettuce cut into 1 ½” pieces
• ½ cup shaved parmesan cheese
• 1 croutons recipe
• 1 Caesar dressing recipe, there will be some leftover
• coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a large bowl, add the lettuce, cheese, croutons salt, and pepper.
• Using a spoon add the desired amount of dressing to the inside of the bowl around the lettuce touching the bowl (see video).
• Thoroughly toss the greens using tongs until the lettuce, cheese, and croutons are coated in the dressing and serve.

Notes

It might seem like a small thing, but I’ve found that if the romaine is even a little wet, the dressing just slides right off and the salad loses that creamy coating. When the leaves are dry and crisp, the dressing sticks perfectly and every bite tastes the way it should.

Use fresh romaine: I go for crisp, cold romaine and avoid any wilted or soggy leaves. It gives the salad that signature crunch.

Shave real Parmigiano Reggiano: I skip the pre-grated stuff and use a block of real Parmigiano, shaved thin.

Make homemade croutons: I use leftover bread, toss it with olive oil, and bake until golden. They hold up better in the salad and taste so much fresher.

Toss gently but thoroughly: I pour the dressing around the inside of the bowl and then toss with tongs, making sure every leaf is coated without crushing the lettuce.

Make-Ahead: This recipe is meant to be eaten as soon as it is mixed with the dressing. However, it can be made the day before if the lettuce, dressing, cheese, and croutons are kept separate and covered in the refrigerator.

How to Store: Place each ingredient in its own plastic container or bag and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This recipe will not freeze.

Nutrition

Calories: 390kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 5gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 889mgPotassium: 54mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 678IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 113mgIron: 1mg

Course: Main, Salad

Cuisine: American, Italian

Author: Chef Billy Parisi