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Healthy dinner of grilled chicken, brown rice and Caesar salad

Classic Homemade Caesar Salad

How to make classic Caesar salad with homemade croutons and made-from-scratch Caesar dressing.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Healthy Food, Soups & Salads
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Caesar Salad Dressing
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 4 fillets anchovy packed in oil
  • 1 teaspoon capers drained
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard smooth or grainy
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 whole egg room temperature
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese shaved or grated
  • 1 head Romaine lettuce
Homemade Croutons
  • 4 cups Day old Italian or French bread cubed
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method
 

Caesar Salad Dressing
  1. Place the garlic and anchovies into a mortar, and grind into a fine paste with a pestle.
    Anchovy fillets
  2. Add the capers, and mustard and continue grinding until a smooth paste is formed.
    Grinding garlic, anchovies and capers in mortar and pestle.
  3. Use a spatula to scrape the paste out of the mortar, and place it in a mixing bowl.
  4. Whisk in the lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce.
  5. Place the egg in a large coffee mug, or other heat proof container.
    Coddling raw egg in cup of hot water
  6. Pour boiling water over the egg, and let sit for 3 minutes.
  7. Drain the hot water off the egg, and cover with cold water.
  8. Crack open the egg, discard the egg white, and whisk the coddled egg yolk into the mixing bowl with the other Caesar dressing ingredients.
  9. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, until well blended. The dressing should have a consistency which is just a bit thicker than heavy cream.
    Homemade Caesar salad dressing
  10. Chop up the head of Romaine lettuce and add it to a large salad bowl.
  11. Toss the lettuce with a bit of the Caesar salad dressing, then garnish with Parmesan cheese, freshly cracked black pepper and a few of the homemade croutons.
    Bowl filled with homemade Caesar salad
  12. The salad should be well coated, but not drowning, with dressing.
  13. Because of the raw egg that is used, any leftover dressing should be discarded.
Homemade Croutons
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Cut the bread into 1 to 2 inch cubes.
  3. Place the cubed bread into a large mixing bowl.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, garlic, oregano and salt.
  5. Toss the bread cubes with the olive oil mixture, until all the bread is well coated.
  6. Place the seasoned bread cubes onto a baking sheet.
  7. Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown, and crisp.
  8. Remove the tray of croutons to a wire rack and let cool until ready to use in the Caesar salad.

Notes

Healthy dinner of grilled chicken, brown rice and Caesar salad

Caesar Salad Recipe Variations

  • Eliminate the sardines for a vegetarian version of Caesar salad dressing
  • Leave out the Parmesan cheese and sardines for a vegan version of Caesar salad dressing
  • Top with a bit of grilled chicken for a protein-packed lunch
  • Serve the salad for dinner along with grilled chicken and steamed brown rice for a healthy meal
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