This classic Caesar salad features crisp romaine lettuce, crunchy baked garlic Parmesan croutons, plenty of shredded Parmesan cheese, and a light and creamy homemade dressing that brings the whole salad together!
If you love this Caesar salad then I think you’ll also enjoy my Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad and Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad.
Why You’ll Love This Caesar Salad
Easy to make – Thanks to the minimal amount of ingredients, Caesar salad is very easy to make.
Great for dinner parties – Classic Caesar salad is a crowd favorite and perfect for dinner parties or the holidays. Everyone loves the crunchy croutons, creamy dressing, and generous amount of parmesan cheese on it.
The best croutons – Sure you could just buy a bag of croutons, but the flavor and texture don’t even come close to these homemade parmesan garlic croutons. They’re crunchy, cheese, and perfectly seasoned with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Make ahead – Both the homemade Caesar dressing and croutons can be made a day or two in advance.
Ingredients Notes
Romaine lettuce – I like to use romaine hearts because they’re extra crisp. Sometimes the outer leaves on romaine can be limp and don’t have that nice texture.
Baguette – A crusty baguette makes excellent croutons! If it’s a little old and dried out, even better. Cut it into slices and then quarter or halve the slices depending on how large you want the croutons to be.
Olive oil – Olive oil coats the croutons while they bake so they get nice and crunchy.
Garlic powder – I like to use garlic powder for the croutons because it sticks to the bread better and you don’t have the risk of it burning and tasting bitter.
Salt and pepper – Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper are a must to help bring out the flavor in the croutons.
Parmesan cheese – Parmesan is a key ingredient in a Caesar salad, so be sure to use a good quality Parmesan cheese and grate it yourself for the best flavor. I recommend buying a wedge of parmigiano reggiano.
Caesar dressing – My recipe for homemade Caesar dressing tastes better and is lighter than any of the bottled versions you’ll find at the grocery store. It also doesn’t contain raw eggs or anchovies.
How to Make Caesar Salad
Cut the baguette into slices, then halve or quarter the slices. Place them in a bowl. Combine the olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper and drizzle it and the Parmesan cheese on top of the bread.
Toss until they’re coated then spread them out on a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and crisp. Let the croutons cool before adding them to the salad.
While the croutons bake, combine all of the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl or jar and whisk until smooth.
Wash and dry the lettuce and chop it into bite-size pieces. Shred the Parmesan cheese.
Add the romaine lettuce to a serving bowl. Toss it with half of the dressing and Parmesan. Top it with the croutons and additional dressing. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese and serve.
Recipe Tip
Use a salad spinner to dry the rinsed romaine lettuce quickly. I chop mine before adding it to the spinner so it fits better.
Substitutions and Variations
- A baguette can be replaced with sourdough, French bread, or a crusty artisan style bread.
- Swap romaine lettuce with kale or use a combination of romaine and kale.
- Add halved cherry tomatoes for a pop of sweetness.
- Add a protein such as fish or poultry to make it a complete meal.
What to Serve with Caesar Salad
Caesar salad is perfect to serve with Sunday family dinner, dinner parties, or the holidays. I like to pair this classic salad with pasta, especially this Parmesan Chicken and Orzo and Tomato Basil Pasta with Balsamic Chicken.
Other great options to serve with the salad are, Garlic Butter Steak Bites, Pesto Baked Chicken with Tomatoes, or Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Salmon.
Is Caesar Salad Vegetarian?
This Caesar salad is vegetarian as long as you use a worcestershire sauce that doesn’t contain anchovies and a vegetarian Parmesan cheese.
I like the 365 Brand for worcestershire sauce. If you’re a strict vegetarian, most Parmesan cheese is not vegetarian and is made with animal rennet. However, Belgioioso is a good vegetarian option.
Storage
The Caesar dressing will keep for up to a week in an airtight container. I recommend storing the dressing separately from the salad so that the lettuce stays crisp.
The croutons will keep in a freezer bag for 3-4 days. You can also freeze them for up to a month. They can quickly be defrosted on the countertop.
More Salad Recipes
You can never had too many delicious salad recipes and I’ve got a lot of them!
If you love Cobb salads, try my California Cobb Salad or this Fall Cobb Salad.
A couple of my favorite main dish, hearty salads are this Chicken BLT Salad and Cheeseburger Salad.
Fruit is a great way to add a sweet element to a savory salad. Try this Pear Blue Cheese Salad and Apple Kale Salad to see what I’m talking about.
Did you make this Caesar salad? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
Croutons
Preheat oven to 350° F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Slice the baguette and cut it into cubes. Place the bread cubes into a mixing bowl. Combine the olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Pour the olive oil mixture onto the bread cubes and sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese. Toss together until the bread is coated.
Dump the bread onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread the cubes into a single layer and place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 6 minutes then remove it from the oven and toss the bread cubes around. Bake for another 4-8 minutes or until they’re golden and crisp.
Let them cool while you prepare the salad.
Caesar Salad Dressing
Combine all of the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl and whisk them together. Taste for seasoning. If the dressing is too thick, add a teaspoon of water at a time until your desired consistency is reached.
Store the dressing in a jar with a lid or other covered container in the refrigerator.
Assembling the Salad
Add the lettuce to a large salad bowl. Add in half of the dressing and Parmesan cheese and toss together.
Top the salad with the croutons, remaining Parmesan cheese, and additional dressing.
Calories: 206kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 8gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 383mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
