Trim Healthy Mama Cross Over / Family Favorite
I have been making this Caesar salad for years, it has definitely become our favorite. Any time we get invited over to our family gatherings I am always asked to bring this salad. At this point it has turned into an ongoing joke in our family ‘guys, I do know how to make other things!’ Regardless what else I get asked to bring, Caesar salad is always on the list!
Adding smoked chicken to the salad is another great addition to enhance the flavor.
Croutons
The secret to this amazing salad is homemade croutons. It amazes me how a few simple ingredients can change something as plain as bread into something so delicious you can’t stop eating, they truly elevate the flavor of the salad to a whole new level – store bought croutons simply do not compare.
During this years shelter in place to ‘honor’ covid19 we have all been trying our hand at sourdough bread, sometimes the bread turns out fabulous and other times not so much, this recipe is the perfect recipe to use up that bread that doesn’t look as beautiful as the one in pictures but still tastes great.
You will get a lot more croutons than you need from this recipe but they are really great to have on hand.
Dressing
Hands down, this is the best Caesar dressing I have ever had – EVER! The balance of flavors is phenomenal, if you try this dressing just once you will never buy Caesar dressing again – yes, it’s that good! This dressing holds up really well in the refrigerator, it can easy be made a few days before your party. I’ve had the dressing last close to a month in the fringe in an airtight container but believe me, it’s so delicious it will be gone way before than.
Changes You Can Make
This recipe can easily be adapted to your dietary needs/life style.
If you are trying to eat low carb skip the croutons all together, the salad will still be delicious.
If you do not have sourdough bread a French baguette can be used.
A homemade Worcestershire sauce can be substituted for store-bought sauce (homemade recipe coming soon).
Vegan – use vegan Worcestershire sauce, Parmesan cheese and Vegenaise as substitutes in the original recipe.
This recipe makes enough dressing to dress 8-10 heads of romaine lettuce.
Croutons
Ingredients for Croutons
- 8 cups cubed sourdough bread
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions for Croutons
1. Turn your oven on to broil – on high, line a large pan with parchment paper and have your bread ready.
2. In a bowl combine oil, onion powder, garlic powered, parsley and salt.
3. Add cubed bread and start mixing immediately. Mix until all the bread is coated in oil, spread the bread in a single layer on the pan.
4. Place the pan in the oven and watch it closely. Every 1-2 minutes mix the croutons using a large spatula. DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM THE OVEN. Croutons should be a deep golden color with the corners a little chard. Once completely cooled store in a zip-lock bag.
These croutons are not only delicious on salad but they are also a great addition to soup or a quick snack.
Dressing
Ingredients for Caesar Dressing
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 5 large garlic cloves, crushed
- 4 tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/3 tsp salt
Instructions for Caesar Dressing
1. Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix until well combined. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
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Classic Caesar Salad
Ingredients
Croutons
- 8 cups cubed sourdough bread
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Caesar Dressing
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 5 large garlic cloves, crushed
- 4 tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/3 tsp salt
Instructions
Croutons
- Turn your oven on to broil – on high, line a large pan with parchment paper and have your bread ready.
- In a bowl combine oil, onion powder, garlic powered, parsley and salt.
- Add cubed bread and start mixing immediately. Mix until all the bread is coated in oil, spread the bread in a single layer on the pan.
- Place the pan in the oven and watch it closely. Every 1-2 minutes mix the croutons using a large spatula. DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM THE OVEN. Croutons should be a deep golden color with the corners a little chard. Once completely cooled store in a zip-lock bag.
Caesar Dressing
- Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix until well combined. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Just finished this salad made by Luda for me, and it’s delicious!
I’m so glad you were able to stop by and enjoy it. It’s always fun having you over.
This dressing by far is the best dressing I’ve ever made!! I’ve been on the search, and couldn’t find a store bought brand that was the best! THIS RECIPE IS THE BEST! And my kids loved it!! I will never buy Caesar dressing again!! Thank you so much for the recipe!!
I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed it!
Did I miss how you prep the garlic? Do you mince or crush it?
Thank you! Super excited to try it soon.
It’s crushed garlic
About how long do you think that this dressing will keep in the fridge?
As I mentioned in the post, I’ve had it last for over a month in my fridge and it was still good. But I can almost guarantee that it will be gone much sooner than that!
I want to make this so bad, but I can’t have dairy. Any suggestions for me to try when replacing the Greek yogurt?
Skip it all together and replace it with mayo. It will still be phenomenal!
Ok! I will give it a go. I’m so excited to try this.
You’re going to absolutely love it!