Caesar Salad with Homemade Dressing
This homemade Caesar salad features creamy from-scratch dressing, crispy baguette croutons, and crisp romaine. It’s a classic side dish for your favorite pasta dinners, surf and turf, and chicken dishes.
Is there anything better than a big Caesar salad with creamy parmesan Caesar dressing, crunchy croutons, and crisp romaine lettuce? In the salad world, this one is at the top of my list.
I literally made this exact salad recipe last night for dinner. That’s how much I love it. It’s on the weekly rotation at my house.
A lot of people are skittish about making Caesar salad at home because of raw eggs and anchovies in the dressing. If you’re one of those people, you’re in luck!
My version is made without eggs (yay!), and I use a tiny bit of anchovy paste in place of real anchovies. I even have an air fryer shortcut for the croutons.
Kim’s Salad Making Tips
- Make the Caesar dressing without salt, taste it, and only add salt if needed.
- Use a sturdy, rustic bread for the croutons. I really like sourdough, Italian, or a loaf of artisan bread.
- Dress the salad with as much or as little dressing as you like. I tend to use quite a bit of dressing on my Caesar salad.
- Use fresh lemon juice if possible. Bottled lemon juice is fine to use in a pinch.
- Shred the parmesan cheese off the block. The shaker variety makes the dressing super thick.
What you’ll need
How to Make Homemade Caesar Salad
Assuming you want to the bake the croutons, which is what I show here, you’ll want to start with those. If you make them in the air fryer, I’d make the dressing first and the croutons second.
Make the croutons
Preheat the oven to 400°F, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Tear or cut the bread into 1-inch or bite-sized pieces, and place them into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with a ½ teaspoon of salt and a pinch of black pepper.
*Optional but delicious: I like to add a little bit of garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning to my croutons before baking. It’s not something I do every time, but it does give them extra flavor.
Toss really well so all the bread pieces get evenly coated with oil. Transfer them to the baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, tossing halfway through.
Bake until the edges are golden brown and crunchy and the centers are still a little soft. Unless you like really crunchy croutons, then cook them a few minutes longer. Remove them from the oven and let them cool.
For the air fryer version: You’ll prep the croutons the exact same way but instead of preheating the oven, turn on your air fryer. Preheat it to 350°F.
Add a parchment paper liner or spray the basket lightly with non-stick spray. Pour in the croutons, and cook for 4 to 6 minutes depending on the desired doneness.
Make sure to give the basket a good shake about halfway through. If you fill up the basket, it will take longer for them to cook.
Make the Caesar Dressing
In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, anchovy paste, lemon juice, garlic, pepper, Dijon mustard, Parmesan cheese, and Worcestershire sauce. Taste it, then add the salt only if the dressing needs it.
Pop the dressing in the fridge until you’re ready for it.
Prep the Lettuce and Assemble the Salad
I don’t do fancy things with the romaine like remove the dark green parts of the leaves, only use the crunchy parts, cut it horizontally or any of those trendy things you see in online videos. Most of that stuff is so wasteful.
Just cut or tear the lettuce into your preferred size (I like small, bite-sized pieces), wash it really well, and dry it. A salad spinner works beautifully if you have one! You’ll have it done in about 3 minutes total.
Transfer the lettuce to a large bowl, and add the dressing. Start with ¼ cup of dressing, then add more 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed.
You’ll have dressing leftover for another salad later. If you don’t think you’ll want another salad, consider only making a half batch of dressing.
Use some tongs to gently combine the romaine with the Caesar dressing. Once it’s all mixed, add the croutons and give it another toss.
Serve in individual portions with extra shredded parmesan cheese and some cracked black pepper. Plate it up next to a perfectly cooked sirloin steak, a slice of homemade meatloaf, or a scoop of cheesy baked ziti.
Ingredients
Croutons
- 10 ounce baguette, cut or torn into bite-sized pieces
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pinch of black pepper
Caesar Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed
- 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons anchovy paste
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Pinch of black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt, if needed
Salad Assembly
- 1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped
- Homemade croutons
- Caesar dressing, to taste
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the bread pieces in a large bowl. Drizzle them with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss until the bread is evenly coated.10 ounce baguette¼ cup olive oil½ teaspoon saltPinch of black pepper
- Spread the bread pieces onto the prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, tossing halfway through, until the edges are golden and crisp. Remove the croutons from the oven, and let them cool.
- While the croutons cool, make the dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, garlic, anchovy paste, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper. Taste the dressing, then add salt only if needed. Refrigerate until ready to use.1 cup mayonnaise½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice2 garlic cloves1 to 1 ½ teaspoons anchovy paste1 teaspoon Dijon mustard1 teaspoon Worcestershire saucePinch of black pepper¼ teaspoon salt
- Place the chopped romaine in a large bowl. Add about ¼ cup of dressing, and toss gently to coat. Add more dressing, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the salad is dressed to your liking.1 large head romaine lettuce
- Add the cooled croutons, and toss again. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
