Description
A classic Caesar salad featuring crispy homemade sourdough croutons and a rich, creamy dressing made from fresh ingredients. This recipe combines crunchy toasted bread cubes with a tangy, savory dressing and fresh romaine lettuce for a perfect balance of textures and flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Croutons
- 3 cups day-old sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Dressing
- 1 large egg yolk or 2 tablespoons mayonnaise for egg-free option
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 anchovy fillets, minced (optional)
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Salad
- 2 large heads romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1/3 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare Oven and Crouton Mix: Preheat your oven to 375°F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sourdough bread cubes with olive oil, minced garlic, sea salt, and black pepper. Toss everything together until the bread cubes are evenly coated with the olive oil mixture.
- Toast Croutons: Spread the coated sourdough cubes out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake them for 12 to 15 minutes, making sure to turn them once halfway through baking to ensure they toast evenly. The croutons should be golden and crisp when done. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool completely before using.
- Create Dressing Base: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the egg yolk (or mayonnaise for an egg-free option), Dijon mustard, fresh lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, minced anchovies if using, and finely minced garlic. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Emulsify Dressing: Slowly drizzle the extra-virgin olive oil into the dressing mixture while whisking continuously to create a smooth and creamy emulsified dressing. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and then season the dressing with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Assemble Salad: In a large salad bowl, toss the chopped romaine lettuce with half of the dressing to start. Add more dressing gradually to achieve your desired level of coating on the greens. Then, top the salad with the shaved Parmesan cheese and the cooled sourdough croutons.
- Finish and Serve: Grind fresh black pepper over the top of the salad for added flavor. Serve immediately so that the croutons maintain their crisp texture.
Notes
- For an egg-free dressing option, mayonnaise is used instead of the raw egg yolk for safety and texture.
- Anchovies are optional but add a traditional and authentic Caesar flavor; omit if preferred.
- Ensure croutons are cooled completely before adding to the salad to keep them crispy.
- You can adjust the amount of dressing according to taste; start with less and add more as desired.
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese gives the best flavor; avoid pre-grated varieties for this recipe.
