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It was only a few months after I had met Mr. Big Flavors. I was looking for a second job to bank some extra summer cash. He was leaving his position as a sous chef at a local restaurant, and pretty much handed me the job. Which was weird, because I knew very little about food preparation. Yep, I was a pro at basic knife skills and cooking boxed mac & cheese, but actually combining flavors into a meal that made sense? Elegantly plating dishes? Telling the temperature of meat without actually cutting through it to check how pink the center is? Yep, not so much.
Good thing Mr. Big Flavors is an excellent teacher. He taught me every item on the menu from appetizers to desserts. One of those menu items was Caesar salad dressing. I may not have known too much about cooking back then, but I did know delicious flavor.
And from that very first taste that fateful summer afternoon, I was hooked. You know that little game you play when you’re obsessed with a food? You’re pretty sure no one is watching, so you can feel free to shove as much of it down your throat as possible before they’re looking again? (because obviously if no one sees you, then surely the calories don’t count). All dinner service long, that was the game. I dipped everything in it. Vegetable scraps, croutons, those French fries that I deemed couldn’t be served… you name it, it tasted so much better if it was drowning in Caesar (and maybe with a little Asiago cheese sprinkled right on top).
And then, just as fast as it had started, the summer was over. The restaurant permanently closed, I went back to college (thankfully, Mr. Big Flavors stayed in my life), and had to trade homemade dressing for that sub par bottled stuff. I’m so glad that all these years later, we still make this great dressing at home. And every time, I’m back to my old habits of dipping everything in sight straight into that big, creamy bowl of Caesar.
Better than Restaurant Style Caesar Salad
Print recipe
| Serves | 2 |
| Prep time | 30 minutes |
| Cook time | 5 minutes |
| Total time | 35 minutes |
| Meal type | Lunch, Main Dish, Salad, Side Dish, Starter |
Our caesar salad dressing is better than any restaurant version you have ever tried. This is a quick and easy salad to prepare, especially if you make the dressing and croutons the day before.
Ingredients
Croutons
- 1/2 loaf italian bread (cut into equal bite size pices)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried herbs (combination of rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano)
- 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
Dressing
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- juice from 2 lemons
- 1.25 cups salad oil
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire
- 25 turns of freshly cracked black pepper
- 5 anchovies
Salad
- 1 head romaine lettuce (washed, dried, and torn into salad size pieces)
- 3/4 cups grated asiago cheese
- Anchovies for serving
Directions
| Croutons | |
| 1. | Preheat over to 400 degrees. Spread bread pieces out on a baking sheet. Bake in oven for about 15 minutes, until croutons are crispy and browning around the edges. Remove from oven and transfer to a large bowl. |
| 2. | While croutons are still hot, douse with the olive oil until well coated. Add the herbs, hot pepper flakes, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese. Toss to combine all ingreidents. Store for up 2 weeks in an tightly sealed container. |
| Dressing | |
| 3. | In a food processor combine egg, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice. Place lid on and blend ingredients together. Then, with the food processor still running, slowly stream in the salad oil until mixture thickens, and turns very shiny. Be careful not to add the oil too fast, as you do not want this emulsified dressing base to break. |
| 4. | Then, add the remaining ingredients. Replace lid and blend until dressing is very smooth and creamy. Yields 2 cups. This will also store well in an air-tight container, refridgerated. |
| Salad | |
| 5. | In a large bowl add romaine lettuce and about a 1/2 cup of the caesar dressing. Use tongs to combine; lettuce should be coated but not soggy. Plate the romaine, then top with shredded asiago, croutons, and anchovies (if desired). |
A few tips on this salad:
- To make the dressing, you’ll want to use a food processor. Whisking the ingredients together will not achieve that thick consistency you want.
- Make sure the head of romaine is washed and patted super dry. This is how you ensure that the dressing will coat each and every piece of lettuce.
- Any extra dressing or croutons will store well in an air-tight container (keep the dressing in the fridge). If you make these two components the week before, this salad would come together in mere minutes on the day you actually want to eat it.
- Serve this as a main course, just grill up some chicken or shrimp and call it a meal!
Shared with Addicted to Recipes, Delicious Dishes
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Last Four Big Flavors recipes... Click on a pic!
