Classic Caesar Salad
Updated Jun 14, 2025
This Caesar salad recipe is as traditional as it gets: homemade croutons, romaine lettuce, shaved parmesan, and a Caesar dressing made with anchovy paste.
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Classic Caesar salad!
I love a good Caesar salad. It’s one of those things that feels a little elevated but really doesn’t take much. The most complicated part is the homemade Caesar dressing, and even that’s not really bad. I did keep this a Classic Caesar salad with the use of anchovy paste in the dressing, but I get that not everyone keeps anchovy paste in the fridge (or wants to buy it just to make a salad dressing). So if you don’t have them (or just don’t want them), I’ve got a workaround using capers instead. You can find that version of the Caesar dressing ← here.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Caesar Salad Ingredients
- Romaine lettuce: You can use Romaine hearts or the entire head.
- Parmesan cheese: Shaved parmesan is my favorite, but if you prefer grated, that’s fine, too!
- Salt and pepper: Use freshly cracked pepper and flaky salt to taste.
For the croutons
- Baguette: I like to buy my bread about two days before I plan to make croutons and open it a tiny bit to get it stale (stale bread works best for making croutons).
- Olive oil, salt, and pepper: I like to keep homemade croutons simple, but you can add other seasonings like onion powder or garlic powder. (Lemon pepper seasoning would be great too!)
Caesar dressing
- Mayonnaise: I like classic mayo but feel free to swap in a vegan version! And if you’re not into mayo, try Greek yogurt, instead.
- Lemon juice: I think fresh lemon juice tastes best, but bottled will work too!
- Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce: If you’re not a Dijon fan, swap in a different mustard, and substitute the Worcestershire sauce with soy sauce to make it vegetarian.
- Anchovy paste: Anchovy paste is usually in the canned fish section, right near the tuna and sardines. If your store doesn’t carry it there, check the Italian or condiment aisle near the tomato paste and capers. It’s often sold in a small box or tube.
- Garlic: I always recommend fresh garlic.
- Parmesan cheese: Grated is best for mixing in the dressing.
How to Make Caesar Salad
Classic Caesar Salad Recipe
This Caesar salad recipe is as traditional as it gets: homemade croutons, romaine lettuce, shaved parmesan, and a Caesar dressing made with anchovy paste.
Video
Ingredients
Homemade Croutons
- ½ French baguette cubed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Caesar Dressing
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For assembly
- 1 large head romaine lettuce cut into large pieces
- ¼ cup shaved parmesan cheese
Instructions
- To make croutons, preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the bread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Drizzle the oil on top and season with salt and pepper. Toss with your hands to combine. Bake until golden brown and crispy, about 7-8 minutes; set aside to cool.
- To make the dressing, place the garlic cloves on a small cutting board and mince until it forms a paste. Add the anchovy paste on top and continue to mince until well combined. Transfer to a small jar. Add the mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, lemon zest and lemon juice, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and black peppers. Whisk together until smooth and creamy. Taste and add salt or lemon juice, if needed.
- Place the romaine lettuce in a large serving bowl, top with the shaved parmesan cheese and croutons. Drizzle with the Caesar dressing and toss gently to combine and coat the lettuce with the dressing. Serve cold or at room temperature
Notes
Make Ahead: You can make the dressing up to 7 days in advance, and you can prepare the salad up to 1 day in advance.
Caesar Dressing without Anchovy Paste: If you don’t want to buy or use the anchovy paste, use this Caesar Dressing with Capers recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cups, Calories: 441kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 34g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 26mg, Sodium: 966mg, Potassium: 545mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 13784IU, Vitamin C: 21mg, Calcium: 258mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Recipe Tips
- Use cold, crisp romaine: Wash and dry it really well. Wet lettuce makes the dressing slide off. I like to cut or tear it into big chunks so it holds the dressing better.
- Homemade croutons make a difference: If you’ve got day-old bread, use it. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and bake until golden brown. Don’t skip the bake time—soggy croutons are a no.
- Make the dressing ahead of time: The flavor gets better if it sits in the fridge for 30 minutes or so before serving.
- Toss gently, but thoroughly: I like to use my hands or tongs to really get everything evenly coated. Just don’t crush the lettuce.
Serving Ideas
- Grill your lettuce. For a more textured salad, instead of chopping my lettuce, try grilling the romaine lettuce! I like to split romaine heads in half and grill them. Then, I’ll drizzle the lettuce with the dressing and top with the croutons and cheese.
- Make a Caesar wrap. Use your leftover salad to fill a wrap for a perfect weekday lunch! I love to add grilled chicken tenders as well, if I have them on hand.
Comments
Hello, I’m not a big fan of anchovy paste, can I skip it or replace it with something else? Thanks!
Absolutely! Worcestershire sauce is the most common substitute; olives or capers can also help you get that briney flavor without any fish.
Hello
I would like to say that I love your recipes I have tried many of them
Is there anything I can substitute the mayonnaise with as my husband doesn’t like mayonnaise at all he wouldn’t even try and eat anything that has even a drop of mayonnaise
Thank you so much! I haven’t tried this recipe with a mayonnaise substitute, but maybe he won’t notice if it’s mixed in with the other dressing ingredients?
Hello! This is a late reply but I substituted the mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt and it turned out really great!!!!!
I love that!
I wanted to know which are best company avocado mayonaise and Dijon mustard are good.
I really liked Primal Kitchen for those items!
Came out AMAZING! I have been using this dressing on any salad I make. So easy and so quick!
So glad to hear it!!
I was going to make this for my husband as he is vegetarian- however he informed me
That Worcester sauce is not vegetarian as it has anchovies. Do you have an alternative so I can make this for him?
Sure, you can use soy sauce instead!
Have never been a fan of Caesar salad. Caught me at Homemade creamy dressing. Made it and yes
I did enjoy it.