Creamy Parmesan Caesar Salad | Recipe
A recipe for an easy homemade, creamy Caesar dressing and the salad to go along with it.
If you want to know one ugly thing about me, I'm ready to divulge: I am a Caesar salad snob. There -- it's officially out in the open. But, in my defense, I think it's completely natural to be a little judgy when it comes to the foods we know and love.
Want to know another not-so-flattering thing about me? I really like to smother my lettuce in that irresistibly delicious dressing. I know it's not the healthiest of choicest, but sometimes a gal's just got to indulge a little. And, I mean...at least it's lettuce I'm loading down. Could be worse. It could be a baked chicken breast on a toasted Ciabatta bun topped with shards of freshly grated Parmesan cheese...but, that's a whole 'nother post, a whole 'nother recipe and I digress. But, if you just can't wait, my recipe for the sandwich is based on Ina Garten's, and hers is pretty darn delicious too. And, if you just can't even wait long enough to make it yourself and you happen to be near a La Madeleine Country French Cafe, you can get a pretty similar version there as well.
For the here and now, you won't have to make too much of an effort to get this salad on the table. All the work is in the dressing and I promise you, it's not going to take much work at all. Homemade dressings are really very simple and the blender/food processor almost always does the brunt of the work. So my dear friends, I do hope you will love this recipe. It is truly one of my favorites. Please, enjoy.
Quick Tip:
If you don't want to mess with cutting, washing and drying Romaine lettuce, you can always just buy a couple bags of the pre-cut stuff 😘
For the Dressing:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
4 teaspoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus extra for finishing salad
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt, plus extra for finishing salad
1/3 cup Extra Virgin olive oil
In a blender or food processor, combine all of the ingredients minus the olive oil. Process until smooth. With the motor running, remove the feed tube and slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Set aside until ready to use.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups of dressing.
For the salad:
4 mini Romaine hearts or 2 heads of Romaine lettuce
2 ounces Parmesan cheese
1 cup croutons
If using mini Romaine hearts, cut in half, leaving the root in tact. Rinse under cool water and set cut-side down on a dish towel to dry.
If using standard-sized Romaine, remove the dark green outer leaves until you reach the heart. Set dark green leaves aside and reserve for another use, if desired. Cut the hearts in half, leaving the root in tact. Place halves cut-side down on the cutting board. Make two lengthwise cuts, starting about a 1/2" above the root and cutting all the way to the tip of the leaves, as to cut each half into thirds. Then, cut into 1" strips and transfer to a salad spinner or colander. Rinse under cool water and dry.
Using a vegetable peeler, shave Parmesan into small strips.
To serve mini Romaine hearts, drizzle each half with desired amount of dressing and sprinkle with an additional pinch of Kosher salt and black pepper. Top with Parmesan shavings and croutons, serve and enjoy.
To serve the standard version, add chopped lettuce to the serving bowl, along with half of the parmesan shavings and croutons. Add the desired amount of dressing, along with an additional pinch of Kosher salt and black pepper. Toss, top with remaining Parmesan and croutons, serve and enjoy.
Serves 4.
Try topping it with:
Would pair well with:
Dry White Wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
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