I imagine there is no salad recipe more universally loved than a Caesar salad. The crunchy lettuce, the Parmesan-spiked creamy flavorful dressing, the crisp, chewy croutons. It’s one of the salads we all order out all the time, but it is truly easy to make at home. I will say that this is one of the best Caesar salad dressings I have ever had, rivaling the ones you might love at a favorite restaurant.

Romaine lettuce is usually the base of Caesar salad. Often, crunchy croutons are added, as well as generous amounts of Parmesan cheese. The dressing usually contains oil, egg yolk, more Parmesan, anchovies, garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon or lime juice (apparently lime in Mexico, but usually lemon in the U.S.). Other ingredients, like capers, might also be added. In U.S. restaurants, you will often see the salad offered with optional toppings, like grilled sliced chicken, cooked shrimp, bacon, or steak.

My older son Jack is a full-fledged salad fanatic, which he gets from me! When he was in nursery school, they took a poll in his class to see what everyone’s favorite food was and charted the results. Amongst all the ballots cast for pizza, chicken nuggets, ice cream and so on, there was little Jack’s lone vote: salad. Kind of dorky, but adorable. And while he can put away platefuls of salad with a simple vinaigrette, a Caesar salad is what really gets his blood pumping.

A classic Caesar Salad goes with almost any dinner menu. Try it with Crispy Baked Eggplant Parmesan, grilled Balsamic Skirt Steak, or Pan-Fried Pork Chops.

This is the perfect Caesar salad recipe: cheesy, crunchy, with a creamy dressing, just like the one you would order in a restaurant, but so easy to make.

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Caesar Salad Origin

I was surprised to find out that Caesar salad originated in Mexico. The story goes that restaurateur Caesar Cardini invented the recipe in Tijuana in 1924. Apparently during a busy service rush, while they were running low on ingredients, Cardini started combining things like Parmesan, egg yolks, and other ingredients to create a dressing for some lettuce. And so one of the most popular salads was born. And ultimately destined to become a permanent staple on the menus of a gazillion restaurants in the U.S., from high-end places, to fast food joints.

The salad is still served at Caesar’s in Mexico, prepared to order tableside. And the family has a trademark on their “authentic recipe” bottled dressing, which is actually quite good. But nothing beats homemade, and every time I make Caesar dressing from scratch, I realize just how uniquely great it is.

(And, of course, there are different versions of how the salad came to be, one involving Caesar’s brother Alex, another involving an employee named Livio Santini. Like many famous recipes with not quite-clear origins, we may never settle on a definitive origin story.)

But the idea that Caesar salad was probably invented by an Italian immigrant in an Italian restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico, then became one of the best-loved salads in North America and beyond, is a pretty cool tale.

Anchovies in Caesar Salad Dressing

It’s hard to talk about a Caesar salad without embarking upon a conversation about anchovies. Some people hate them, but what’s more relevant is that many people THINK they hate them. Sure, sucking down an entire tiny and slightly hairy fish is an acquired taste for most. But when an anchovy is very finely chopped and becomes part of a sauce or a dressing all it’s doing at that point is adding a slightly salty, slightly briny note, a richness of sorts, a depth. Usually no one would know it was there until you leaned over and said, “Hey, how about those anchovies? Delicious, right?” (At which point they would decide they no longer liked what they were eating.)

Having said that, if you are at all worried that the mere presence of an anchovy in your kitchen might ruin everything, just leave it out in this recipe.

A Genius Raw Egg Substitution

The other hot button is raw eggs. They are not an issue in this Caesar salad recipe, which takes its lead from an ingenious Caesar dressing created by Brooklyn restaurateur Frank Falcinelli. It relies on mayonnaise, which has cooked eggs built right in. Brilliant.

You can top this Caesar salad with some sliced chicken, a piece of grilled salmon or tuna steak, or some poached or grilled shrimp for a restaurant-ey entrée.

Caesar Salad Ingredients

For the Croutons

• Day-old bread – Slightly stale bread is best for making croutons.
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Garlic – Very finely minced.

Caesar Dressing

• Mayonnaise – Adds the creaminess and eliminates the need for a raw egg in the dressing.
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Lemon juice – Using fresh makes a huge difference.
• Anchovy – Don’t skip this unless there are allergies or true aversions.
• Garlic – Mince it as finely as possible so it blends right into the dressing.

Salad

• Romaine lettuce – Caesar salad almost always has romaine lettuce as its base, and I usually use hearts of romaine for extra crunch.
• Parmesan cheese – If you can grate it yourself all the better – I also love using a vegetable peeler to shave off little thin shards to toss with the salad.

How to Make Caesar Salad

1. Make the croutons: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread somewhat dry bread cubes on rimmed sheet pan. Mix together olive oil, garlic and salt in a small bowl, then drizzle over the bread cubes, and toss to coat the bread. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the bread is golden and toasted.

2. Make the dressing: In a blender or food processor, combine mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, anchovies (if using), salt, pepper, garlic, and water and process until blended (or just shake everything up in a tightly sealed jar).
3. Build the salad: Tear or thinly slice the romaine hearts and place in a large serving bowl. Drizzle over about 2/3 of the dressing and toss to combine. Sprinkle over the cheese and toss again. Add more dressing as needed, but don’t drown it. Top the salad with croutons, if using, before serving.

What to Serve With Caesar Salad

One-Skillet Cheesy Beef and Macaroni

Mustard and Maple Pork Kebabs

Polenta with Sautéed Mushrooms

Storage

Extra dressing may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I will also eat leftover salad the next day, but that’s not for everyone.

More Salad Recipes

• Green Salad with Chickpeas and Spicy Honey Tahini Dressing
• Romaine Salad with Queso Fresco
• Chopped Salad with Chicken and Blue Cheese Dressing