Caesar salad dressing is one of those rare treats. That’s because every store bought bottle contains nasty ingredients — everything from genetically-modified soybean oil to strange, unpronounceable chemical cocktails.
Thankfully, you can make a homemade Caesar Salad dressing almost as easily as you can make an oil & vinegar one. Better yet, you get to control the quality of ingredients. With raw eggs from pastured hens (see: Why I’m Not Afraid of Salmonella) and a tasty anchovy-rich Worcestershire Sauce, a homemade caesar salad packs a nutrient-dense punch.
Ever wonder how a dish got its name?
The myth of the caesar salad supposedly started in Tijuana, Mexico where restaurateur Caesar Cardini invented the salad on Fourth of July weekend because he was running low on food in his kitchen.
His original recipe included romaine, garlic, croutons, and Parmesan cheese, boiled eggs, olive oil and Worcestershire sauce. The original salad was prepared at tableside.
Whatever the reason, I’m glad that we have this savory, creamy caesar salad dressing to enjoy today! It’s easy to make and you can get the ingredients year round.
You can also transform caesar salad from a side dish to a meal by just adding grilled or roasted chicken.
And don’t be intimidated! A few flicks of my whisk and I have a delicious salad to enjoy. If you want to add a little flair, you can make your own sourdough croutons too.
Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe
This recipe is taken from my book, Simply Salads by Season and makes about 2 cups.
Caesar Salad Dressing: The Players
- 1 1/3 cup olive oil (where to buy real olive oil)
- 1 egg yolk (from pastured hens)
- ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce (homemade Worcestershire Sauce recipe)
- 3 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. minced garlic
- ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
- ½ tbsp. mustard
- 2 anchovy fillets, mashed (where to buy BPA-free wild-caught anchovy fillets)
- salt & pepper to taste
Caesar Salad Dressing: The How-To
In a bowl, whisk egg yolk, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, garlic, pepper, mustard, and anchovies.
Slowly whisk in olive oil until mixture is emulsified.
Add salt & pepper to taste.
To serve, simply drizzle the caesar salad dressing over chopped romaine and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese. For some added flair, you can add chopped hard-boiled eggs or sourdough croutons.
ENJOY!
Want even more homemade, wholesome salads to enjoy year round?
In my book, Simply Salads by Season, you’ll get dozens of new recipes for dressings, condiments, and salads — all organized by season.
Tired of picking up bottles of salad dressing with ingredients labels that read like chemistry texts? Saddened by how even so-called organic dressings still contain unhealthy refined oils like canola and soy?
Want to know how to take advantage of all the in-season, local, beautiful fruits and vegetables available from your local farmers?
(Click here to buy Simply Salads by Season.)
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My husbands a chef…havent had to by Caesar dressing for many years… the garlic ratio will burn your face off! 🙂
The guy who made it was named Caesar. Somewhere in Mexico. I think.
Yes, it’s a fun story Tricia. It’s also in the post!
This sounds great! I’ve missed Caesar dressing since I can’t find one at the grocery with an acceptable ingredients list!
How long will this last in the fridge? Thank you so much for sharing!
I’ve never kept mine for more than 4 days before gobbling it all up. I don’t know how much longer than that it will last, sorry. 🙂
Haha. Silly me. The question was rhetorical…
yum, caesar salads are one of my favorite things but I stopped buying store bought salad dressing a while ago so I can’t remember the last time I had one. I make lots of simple vinaigrettes but that gets boring after a while. I can’t wait to try this!
Let me know how it turns out!
This is SO much nicer than what I’ve seen on the shelf in supermarkets. I make something similar, minus the anchovy fillets but now you’ve persuaded me to give it a go! Thanks for the recipe, I can’t wait to try it.
It’s addictive! (At least *I* think so.)
My husband will be so happy about this!
Made this tonight: it was me, husband and 10 year old approved! Thanks for the inspiration. 🙂
YAY, Kelly. So glad you enjoyed it!
I will try this when the weather warms up – not big on salads in the winter. I make a to-die-for tiramisu with raw eggs – from my own hens. I never think twice, but you couldn’t pay me to eat a store-bought egg, raw or not. FYI to your readers (don’t know if you’ve mentioned this before): organic eggs from the store are just as bad as regular – the hens are still raised in CAFOs. And “free run” is also a joke. By from your local farmer or fight city hall and keep three or four hens in your back yard. Much quieter and less messy than a dog and they leave great garden fertilizer.
I look forward to trying this. What kind of mustard should be used? Also, would it still work ok w/o the worstershire sauce?
Thought a salad was about the ingredients not the dressing.
Caesar salad is my fave. And homemade dressing is a must. I think we’ll have Caesar salads tomorrow.