It was about time I dusted off the ol’ blog here and got to posting a new recipe! WOW, it’s been almost a year since my last post. Well, 2020 was a little crazy, am I right?! While 2021 is looking pretty similar to 2020, I’m happy to say that I’m doing much better health-wise than I was last year. That’s definitely a topic for another blog post, that I will share sometime soon. In the meantime, I hope you’re ready for the best Caesar Salad recipe EVER!
Ok, let’s talk Caesar salad!! When I finally started to avoid dairy there were a lot of things that immediately had to be cut out. Most restaurant and store bought salad dressings were one big thing I learned pretty much ALL contain dairy. Not to mention, I was also going gluten free, so this narrowed my choices even more. This was back in 2012, which doesn’t seem like that long ago, but the world of dairy free, gluten free, paleo, etc products has GREATLY expanded since then. I always loved a good Caesar salad when going out to eat, the creamy thick dressing, crunchy croutons and bit of cheese on top was hard to beat. It’s one of those things that you don’t go to the bother of making at home unless you REALLY have to. A note on the cheese here too, since it seems counterintuitive to say this recipe is dairy free. First, the cheese is optional! Second, although I can’t tolerate cow milk, I have learned through experimenting that I do great with sheep milk and goat milk cheese and the same can be said for people who have lactose intolerance for cow’s milk, it doesn’t always pertain to every animal’s milk. Pecorino Romano is a sheep milk cheese, that is hard, salty, and a lot like parmesan! It pairs perfectly with this salad for that reason.
I spent months working on this dressing recipe, and perfecting (and burning) a lot of croutons. I’m not lying when I say you really need to keep an eye on them, they go from beautifully brown to charred very quickly if you are not paying attention. I think that once you get the hang of this recipe, and aren’t afraid of a little anchovy paste then you will be making it all the time, we sure do! Both my husband and a couple lucky friends I’ve shared this recipe with request it all the time, and they are all able to eat gluten & dairy still! Speaking of anchovy paste – you can usually find it in the grocery aisle next to the tuna, just to save you some time wandering around the store…
The croutons take the most time and can be made in batches and stored in a container, mason jar or zip top bag for at least a couple weeks, if they last that long.
I wanted to share this recipe just in time for Valentine’s day, since a lot of us are still not going out and planning to cook dinner at home this year. It is the perfect side salad to a juicy steak, chicken, salmon, really any kind of protein. As I type this we just ate some for dinner with smoked pork belly and sweet potato fries. Also, the day I photographed it I ate it as a snack in the middle of the afternoon! I have come to believe that there is no wrong time or wrong pairing for this Caesar Salad.
I hope that you find this a great addition to any special meal, Valentine’s day and beyond. I look forward to sharing more with you this year and let me know if you make this salad in the comments or tag me on Instagram @freshorbust.
Restaurant Style Caesar Salad
Thick and creamy Caesar Salad is not just something that you can only enjoy at a restaurant any more! This recipe has it all, creamy dressing (dairy free), crunchy croutons, crisp lettuce and the perfect amount of cheese on top. I use pecorino romano, which is sheep milk cheese and can sometimes be tolerated by people who can't have cow milk. You can also use parmesan, which is more traditional. This is a great side salad to eat with Steak, Chicken, Salmon, etc. You can also add grilled chicken to it for a chicken Caesar Salad!
Ingredients
Caesar Dressing
- 2 TBSP Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp Garlic, minced *Or 2 cloves, minced
- ½ tsp Sea Salt
- 2 tsp Anchovy Paste
- ⅛ tsp Black Pepper
- 1 Cup Avocado Oil
- 1 Egg
Salad
- 4 Heads of Romaine Lettuce, chopped into 1 inch squares *Depending on the size of the lettuce heads, you may want to use 3 instead of 4.
- Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Cheese, grated *Optional, for topping
Croutons
- 3-4 slices Gluten free bread (or not if you don't need to) *My favorite brand is Canyon Bakehouse
- 1 TBSP Avocado or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 pinches Sea Salt
Instructions
Croutons in Oven or Air Fryer
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Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees. If you are using an air fryer, there is no need to pre-heat, just set to 325 and add the bread tossed in oil and salted.
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Cut bread into 1 inch cubes, toss in avocado or olive oil and lightly salt.
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Cooking time depends greatly on your oven/air fryer. You will have to keep a close eye on the croutons so they don't burn!
In the air fryer: 325 for 7 minutes, flip once after 3 minutes. Once they start to brown, lower the temperature to 200 for about 8-10 minutes until they are crunchy and no longer soft on the inside.
In the oven: spread bread cubes out on a baking sheet in one layer. Bake at 325 for 20 minutes, or until they start to get brown. Reduce the heat to 200 for another 5-10 minutes until they are crunchy and no longer soft on the inside.
Caesar Dressing
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Making dressing is a sensitive process, DO NOT wing it, you have to measure everything and you can't half the recipe. Using an immersion blender: measure all ingredients into a large measuring cup or mason jar, adding the egg last. Blend by moving the blender up and down until the dressing is emulsified and completely mixed together. Set aside.
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Using a normal blender or food processor: measure all ingredients except for the avocado oil into the blender. While blending, slowly drizzle the oil into the blender, until it is completely emulsified and mixed together.
Salad
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Remove any wilted leaves from the romaine. Chop off the core and slice in half. Cut into 1 inch pieces.
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Toss salad with dressing.
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Grate pecorino romano cheese or parmesan on top. Add some fresh ground pepper too if you like! Top with croutons, serve and enjoy! If you only make half at once the salad dressing can be kept in the fridge for up to a week.