Classic Caesar Salad
Crisp romaine tossed in a garlicky, anchovy-rich homemade Caesar dressing with golden garlic croutons and plenty of parmesan.
By Priya Hollis, Head of Shop & Product
Published November 12, 2025
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Easy
A real Caesar salad is bold, savory and nothing like the bottled version. The dressing starts with anchovies and garlic mashed into a paste, then gets emulsified with egg yolk, lemon and oil until creamy and clinging. Do not be shy with the anchovies; they melt into the background and give the salad its deep, savory backbone.
Homemade croutons make a big difference too. Tear day-old bread into rough pieces, toss with olive oil and a little parmesan, and bake until crunchy outside and slightly chewy inside.
Serve it as a starter, or top it with grilled chicken or shrimp to make it dinner. Use the coldest, crispest romaine you can find.
- Real anchovy garlic dressing
- Crunchy homemade croutons
- Dressing keeps for days
Ingredients
Directions
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Toss the bread with 3 tbsp olive oil, the grated garlic, 2 tbsp of the grated parmesan and a pinch of salt and pepper, and spread on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake, tossing once, until the croutons are golden and crisp outside but still slightly chewy inside, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool.
On a cutting board, chop the anchovies and minced garlic together with a pinch of salt, then mash with the flat side of the knife into a smooth paste.
Scrape the paste into a medium bowl and whisk in the egg yolk, lemon juice, Dijon and Worcestershire until blended.
Whisking constantly, add the neutral oil a few drops at a time, then in a thin stream once the dressing starts to thicken. Whisk in the 1/4 cup olive oil the same way until creamy.
Whisk in 1/2 cup of the grated parmesan and plenty of black pepper. Thin with 1 to 2 tsp water if it is very thick, then taste and adjust with lemon and salt.
Tear any large romaine leaves into pieces, leaving the small inner leaves whole, and chill until ready to serve.
In a large, wide bowl, toss the romaine with about two-thirds of the dressing until every leaf is coated, adding more dressing as needed.
Add the croutons and the remaining grated parmesan and toss once more.
Pile onto plates, top with shaved parmesan and more black pepper, and serve right away.
Test-kitchen tips
- The dressing keeps for up to 3 days in the refrigerator; the croutons keep for 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Dry the romaine thoroughly in a salad spinner. Wet leaves dilute the dressing and keep it from clinging.
- To skip the raw yolk, replace it with 2 tbsp mayonnaise and whisk in the oils more quickly.
