Caesar Salad is one of those creations that sounds elegant and complicated, yet is incredibly basic and easy to make. I have always shied away from making my own Caesar dressing because of two things – raw eggs and anchovies.
While I stand patently firm on not eating raw eggs because of potential salmonella issues, reluctance to eat anchovies was a learned behavior. They used to be extremely popular on pizza, but it would take a manly man to agree to eat anchovies – everyone else would go into shivering convulsions over the thought of eating those little canned fish darlings. Although I had actually never tasted anchovies, I was certain that something vile would happen to me if I did eat them. Maybe a large blinking sign with an arrow pointing at me would appear over my head, “WARNING: This girl eats ANCHOVIES.”
It took many years for me to agree to eat a Caesar salad, because of the anchovies and the raw eggs. Then, Lighthouse Salad Dressing appeared on the scene and I finally felt comfortable eating Caesar salad, knowing that the eggs were safe and I couldn’t actually ‘see’ the anchovies. It was delicious and I couldn’t get enough of it. Basic Caesar Salad = A, Caesar Salad with Chicken = A+, Caesar Salad with tempura battered Grouper = A++++++! (I had the latter every single day on a cruise that I took a few years ago!)
The recipe presented here is ‘safe’ – no raw eggs. To get around having to actually open a can of anchovies, I have used anchovy paste. I do have a can of anchovies in my pantry, waiting for me to get over my ridiculous ancient reluctance. I mean, afterall, I have no problem with Worcestershire sauce which contains anchovies. And I now have no problem with a processed Caesar salad dressing (but, I am relentlessly picky about the brand), so what is my deal with opening up a can of anchovies?
The salad itself, only contains three ingredients – romaine lettuce, Parmesan cheese, and croutons. The dressing is the star of the show and is decidedly super easy to make.
Caesar Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1-2 heads of romaine lettuce, chopped or torn into bite sized pieces
- grated fresh Parmesan cheese--amount per personal preference
- croutons - amount per personal preference
For the Caesar Salad Dressing:
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise (I used lite mayo)
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- pinch of sugar (to cut the acidity)
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Put romaine into a large salad bowl. Sprinkle with desired amount of Parmesan cheese. I tend to like more rather than less, but everyone is different. Sprinkle a handful or two of croutons over the lettuce and cheese. Set aside.
For the salad dressing:
- Put the mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, anchovy paste, black pepper, and Parmesan cheese into a blender. Blitz for a few seconds.
- With the blender running (keep the lid on!) slowly drizzle in the olive oil to create an emulsion.
- Pour desired amount of dressing over salad. Toss. Serve immediately. Note: Depending on personal taste, the salad may not require the full amount of salad dressing. Serve any extra dressing on the side.
Notes
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This looks very, very good!
We have the same problem with salmonella in Denmark but I use pasturised eggs whenever I need to make something that requires raw eggs, don’t you have something like that in the states? And also, if you’re in IKEA, see if they have swedish Anchovies, they are sooo different from regular ones and fantastic in a “Janson’s temptation”(Swedish potato gratin).
Spring has arrived over here!
Have a great day!
Anna, we went to IKEA today! Although we did find a new book case and have started the process of ordering new kitchen cabinets (YES!), we did not find any anchovies. The only fish products they had were various types of herring. š To answer your question about pasteurized eggs or egg products in the US, but I have just never used them. I ought to give them a try. Thanks for the suggestion. We are actually having an early Spring here in Utah, too. I noticed today that I have some daffodils blooming. They usually don’t bloom for another couple of weeks, but they are a welcome sight nonetheless.
I use a very similar recipe with mayo for my Caesar dressing but with about 5 more ingredients. It’s the best and I’m so glad for this version without egg. I feel so much safer eating Caesar salad now – which I love!
Ohhhhh Susan, I want your recipe! Will you share it?
I’ve always used the Barefoot Contessa’s recipe for Caesar dressing, and it’s fabulous! (I think there’s a raw egg in it, FYI) She does roasted cherry tomatoes and bacon in the salad too, so it’s kind of like a BLT Caesar salad. All that to say that anchovies in dressing are amazing, even if they’re scary in the can!
Jenna, you can never go wrong with using a Barefoot Contessa recipe. She is the queen. I looked at her recipe when I was studying about Caesar dressing and she does use a generous amount of anchovies in her dressing. I will have to buy a pasteurized egg product and give her recipe a try.
Beautiful salad! Perfect for this beautiful weather. This is my daughter’s favorite – may have to put one together for her. Thanks! Have a lovely weekend.
Tricia, thank you! Do you have a special recipe for the dressing?
Hi Terri,
I have been looking for a good Caesar salad and dressing forever! Thanks for sharing.
I also wanted to tell you that I’m awarding you the Versatile Blogger Award over on my blog today. Have a great week.
Hugs,
Michelle