Caesar Salad Recipe: The Real One, Made From Scratch
To make a caesar salad, whisk together anchovy paste, garlic, egg yolk, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and olive oil to create a creamy dressing, then toss with romaine lettuce and top with parmesan and homemade croutons. The entire salad comes together in about 20 minutes and serves 4.
I worked briefly at a restaurant in my early twenties that did a tableside caesar salad. The guy who made it — a server named Glenn — never measured anything. He'd crack the egg yolk into the wooden bowl with one hand, drop in the garlic and anchovies, and build the dressing entirely by feel. People watched like it was a performance, which it sort of was.
I watched Glenn make it at least thirty times during the four months I worked there. Never asked him to write it down. Figured I'd absorbed it. When I tried to recreate it at home the first time, the dressing broke — it went thin and greasy instead of creamy — and I couldn't figure out why.
The issue was that I wasn't whisking long enough at each stage. Building an emulsified dressing means adding the oil slowly while whisking constantly, giving the egg yolk time to bind everything. Dump the oil in fast and the whole thing splits. Glenn made it look effortless because he'd done it so many times the motion was automatic. I had to slow the whole thing down to actually understand what he was doing.
The homemade croutons are not optional. They're made from actual bread, tossed in garlic butter, toasted until genuinely crunchy — not the foam packing peanuts that come out of a bag. Everything else in the bowl earns its place, but the crouton is what makes it a meal rather than a side dish.
Ingredients
- FOR THE DRESSING:
- 1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
- 2 teaspoons anchovy paste (or 4 oil-packed anchovy fillets, mashed into a paste)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup good-quality extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- FOR THE CROUTONS:
- 3 cups day-old bread, torn into roughly 1-inch pieces (sourdough or a sturdy Italian loaf works best)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- FOR THE SALAD:
- 2 large heads romaine lettuce, outer leaves removed, inner leaves torn or roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup freshly grated or shaved Parmesan cheese
- Freshly cracked black pepper to finish
Instructions
- 1Make the croutons first: Preheat your oven to 375°F. Toss the torn bread pieces with 3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt until every piece is coated. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, flipping once at the halfway point, until deep golden and crispy. Set aside to cool. They will firm up more as they cool.
- 2Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, combine the minced garlic and anchovy paste. Using the back of a fork, press and smear them together against the bowl until they form a rough paste —? about 30 seconds of actual effort.
- 3Add the egg yolk, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce to the bowl. Whisk together vigorously until combined and slightly pale in color, about 1 minute.
- 4Drizzle in the olive oil very slowly —? start with just a few drops while whisking constantly, then increase to a thin, steady stream. This slow addition emulsifies the dressing and gives it the creamy consistency you want. If you dump the oil in all at once, the dressing will not emulsify and you will have to start over. Ask me how I know.
- 5Once all the oil is incorporated and the dressing looks creamy and cohesive, stir in the 1/3 cup of grated Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust —? more lemon for brightness, more anchovy paste for depth, more salt if needed. The dressing should taste bold and a little aggressive on its own; it mellows significantly when it hits the lettuce.
- 6Assemble the salad: Place the romaine in a large bowl. Add roughly half the dressing and toss well, making sure every leaf gets coated. Add more dressing as needed —? you may not use all of it, depending on how much lettuce you have.
- 7Add the croutons and the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Toss once more, lightly, so the croutons don't get crushed.
- 8Serve immediately, topped with a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper. Caesar salad does not wait for anyone.
Pro Tips
- Use the inner romaine leaves —? the pale, crunchy hearts —? as much as possible. They hold up to the dressing better than the floppy outer leaves and give you the textural contrast that makes this salad worth eating.
- Day-old bread makes noticeably better croutons than fresh. Fresh bread has too much moisture and steams in the oven instead of crisping. If all you have is fresh bread, tear it up and let it sit uncovered on the counter for an hour before you bake it.
- The dressing keeps covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and it gets better on day two. I am not saying make it the night before specifically so you can eat spoonfuls of it directly from a jar while standing in front of the open refrigerator, but I am not not saying that either.
Substitutions
Storage Instructions
Store the dressing separately from the dressed salad. Dressing keeps refrigerated in a sealed jar or container for up to 3 days. Once the salad is dressed and assembled, it should be eaten within 30 minutes —? dressed romaine does not hold overnight without becoming sad and limp. Undressed romaine can be washed, dried, and stored in the refrigerator wrapped in a paper towel inside a bag for up to 3 days.
Make Ahead
The dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. The croutons can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored at room temperature in an airtight container or zip-top bag. Assemble the salad only when you're ready to serve it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really have to use anchovies in a caesar salad?
You don't have to do anything, but anchovies are what makes the dressing taste like caesar dressing instead of just a lemony vinaigrette. They dissolve completely into the dressing —? you won't find a fish chunk anywhere —? and what they add is a deep, savory, salty backbone that is genuinely irreplaceable. If you skip them entirely, substitute a teaspoon of mashed capers to get some of that briny quality back.
Is it safe to use a raw egg yolk in homemade caesar dressing?
Raw egg yolk carries a small risk of salmonella, which is real but statistically low in commercially produced eggs. If you're pregnant, immunocompromised, or serving someone who is, substitute one tablespoon of good-quality mayonnaise —? it's made from emulsified eggs anyway and gives you the same creamy texture without the raw egg concern. Pasteurized eggs are also an option if you can find them.
Why did my caesar dressing break and turn oily?
You added the oil too fast. Emulsification requires a slow drizzle —? especially at the beginning —? so the egg yolk has time to bind with the fat. If your dressing breaks, don't throw it out. Start with a fresh egg yolk in a clean bowl, then slowly whisk your broken dressing into it, drop by drop at first. It will almost always come back together.
Can I make caesar salad ahead of time for a party?
Make everything ahead except the final assembly. The dressing keeps up to 3 days refrigerated. The croutons keep 2 days at room temperature. Wash and dry your romaine the day before and keep it in the fridge. Toss everything together no more than 20-30 minutes before serving —? dressed romaine wilts fast and will not survive sitting at a party for an hour.
How do I store leftover caesar salad?
If the salad is already dressed and assembled, it does not store well —? eat it within 30 minutes or the romaine will wilt and the croutons will go soft. If you have leftover components, store them separately: dressing in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, croutons in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, and washed undressed romaine wrapped in paper towels in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
How do I make a vegan or dairy-free caesar salad?
Replace the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise made from plant-based oils (Vegenaise works well). Replace the anchovy paste with 1 teaspoon of mashed capers or a dash of soy sauce for umami depth. Replace the Parmesan with 2-3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast, which gives a similar savory, cheesy note. The dressing won't be identical, but it will be genuinely good.
What kind of lettuce works best for caesar salad?
Romaine is non-negotiable for a classic caesar. The inner hearts —? the pale yellow-green leaves toward the center —? are ideal because they're crisp, sturdy enough to hold the dressing, and have a slightly sweet flavor that balances the bold anchovy-parmesan dressing. Iceberg is too watery and bland. Butter lettuce is too delicate. Romaine is doing the right thing and it knows it.
Can I use pre-grated Parmesan from a container?
You can, but freshly grated Parmesan from a block melts into the dressing and onto the salad in a way that pre-grated powder simply does not. Pre-shredded parmesan often contains anti-caking agents that affect how it melts and incorporates. For a salad this simple, where Parmesan is doing serious structural work in the flavor, buying a small wedge and grating it yourself is worth the two extra minutes.