Skip the store bought salad kit and make this EPIC homemade Caesar salad! This classic Caesar salad features crisp romaine lettuce, Caesar salad dressing, homemade croutons, and grated parmesan. And if you’re like me and love Caesar salad with anchovies on top, you can add a few of those, too! No raw eggs or egg yolks!

Love Caesar Salad?

Me too, so much so that I make it at least once a week. We serve it with everything from pepperoni pizza, and baked ziti to lasagna, garlic knots, and even chili. Of course, you can also easily turn this famous salad into a meal. Simply add grilled chicken, shrimp, or even halloumi cheese on top.

Now, you could easily grab a store bought salad kit and call it a day. But I want to challenge you to go the extra mile and make a homemade Caesar salad! Because it’s so easy and so worth it!

My recipe for homemade Caesar salad will teach you how to make the crunchiest homemade croutons. How to whip up the most mouthwatering Caesar salad dressing. And how to bring it all together. Trust me, once you try this homemade version, you’ll never go back to bottled Caesar salad dressing or store-bought salad kits again!

Not Original Caesar Dressing

Like most recipes created a long time ago, this recipe is NOT an original. The biggest change is that I do not use raw eggs or egg yolks. Personally, I wouldn’t have an issue using eggs in the dressing, especially pasteurized eggs. But after tons of recipe testing, I found I could create a rich, creamy, and flavorful dressing without the use of eggs.

To add richness and depth of flavor, I use mayo and olive oil. Plus, lemon juice, dijon mustard, anchovy paste, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and black pepper. I like BIG flavor, so this recipe is heavy on the garlic and anchovies. But I give you an option to pull it back in the recipe box.

I also chop the romaine lettuce leaves, but I hear that this is not traditional. So feel free to leave the romaine lettuce leaves whole, if desired. Personally, I know me and my guests prefer to have the lettuce roughly chopped. But if you have really small baby romaine lettuce leaves, leaving them whole may be a nice option.

Don’t Skip The Homemade Croutons

• Store-bought croutons are expensive and go stale quickly.
• They can also contain yucky ingredients like seed oils and/or preservatives.
• Also, store-bought croutons often lack flavor and crunch.
• Homemade croutons are cheap and easy to make.
• And you can season them to your taste!
• Plus, you can make them up to 2 weeks before you plan on using them.

A Fun Caesar Salad Party Fact

Almost every time I serve this salad, someone asks me: where was Caesar Salad Invented? Now, you could easily google this and find the same answer I’m about to share with you. But since you’re already here, I’ll fill you in.

• Who? Cesare Cardini (some spell it Caesar Cardini) and and his brother Alex Cardini are credited for creating this recipe.
• Where? At his restaurant Ceasar’s, in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.
• When? In the 1920’s.

You can definitely google this topic for more details. I won’t go down the rabbit hole, but there’s lots of info on these brothers and their famous salad, if you’re interested.

How to Make a Really Good Caesar Salad

1. Romaine Lettuce: Choose fresh and crispy romaine lettuce leaves! I always buy an extra head or two, just in case I need to discard any limp or discolored lettuce. Fresh and crunchy romaine lettuce will yield the tastiest salad!
2. Make the Salad Dressing: You can make this right before making your salad. But I suggest making it anywhere from 1 hour to 48 hours in advance. That way the flavors in the Caesar salad dressing have time to mix and mingle.
3. Make the Homemade Croutons: Similar to the salad dressing, you can make these right before making your salad. Or, make them up to 2 weeks in advance! We also have a bag of these on hand.
4. Make the Salad: Right before you plan on serving your salad, add the ingredients in a bowl to combine. The reason you want to do this right before serving is the longer your lettuce sits in the dressing, the soggier it will get. Even lettuce tossed with olive oil will wilt. So dress your salad right before serving!
5. Make it Your Own: If you love anchovies and texture, I suggest adding some chopped anchovies on top of the salad. I also love adding freshly cracked black pepper and extra cheese and croutons. But you can make this your own! Try adding avocado, hemp seeds, or cherry tomatoes.

I Want to Know… is Caesar Salad Really Healthy?

Personally, I wouldn’t classify this recipe as health food. Sure, it has a base of romaine lettuce, but we also load the dressing with Parmesan cheese, mayo, and oil. So while it’s not junk food, I also wouldn’t say it’s the healthiest recipe in the world.

You could make this salad healthier by adding shredded kale. And/or by adding some additional veggies like avocado, cherry tomatoes, or carrots.

At the end of the day, only you can decide what’s healthy for your body and what’s not. This is just my blanket advise on the topic, and how I would answer the question to a friend.