Do you ever look in your refrigerator and think “Nah, I can’t throw together a salad with what’s in here!” Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret – in that moment, Caesar Salad is there for you! Because all you really need is lettuce and dressing.
Caesar Salad is such an effortless dish to pull together but so tasty! If you’re really strapped for time, the lettuce and salad dressing will be good enough, but if you have an extra five minutes, add in some parmesan (either the canned stuff of pre-trackmeet spaghetti dinners or freshly grated/shaved) and croutons. If you’re really feeling wild and crazy you could even toss in some diced chicken.
INGREDIENTS
- Romaine Lettuce or Green Leaf Lettuce (you want a lettuce that will be able to support
- the other ingredients instead of turning into a pile of mush!)
- Caesar Salad dressing (your choice – I have yet to find a Caesar dressing that I truly
- hate!)
- Parmesan cheese (canned or freshly grated/shaved)
- Croutons (you can get “Caesar Croutons”, and they’re good, but any old type will do)
How to Make Caesar Salad
First, chop the lettuce into small pieces, removing any large ribs, and transfer to a large bowl (see this lettuce chopping tutorial to save yourself time and tears).
Next, add a few good drizzles of Caesar Salad dressing. If you’re using canned parmesan cheese, you want to add it now so that it becomes all buddy-buddy with the dressing and gets mixed in with it. If you’re using freshly grated or shaved parmesan, then go ahead and mix the salad dressing into the lettuce and then add in the parmesan and mix again.
Finally, add in croutons and any other mix-ins, such as diced chicken. Toss again and add more salad dressing as needed.
Getting the Right Amount of Salad Dressing
Do you struggle to know how many times to shake the bottle, give it another squeeze, and potentially drown your lettuce in dressing? Me too! There’s no right answer to the question “How much salad dressing should I use?” because it’s mostly a matter of preference. Do you want more of the flavor of the dressing or less? Do you like the lettuce to feel somewhat dry or more saturated with the texture of the dressing? Only you can answer those questions, but as a general point of reference, I try to add enough dressing so that the lettuce looks more like the upper bowl in this picture and not as drenched as the lettuce in the lower bowl.
Making it Ahead of Time
I’m going to be straight with you here and tell you that Caesar salad really should be eaten fresh. If you want to make it ahead of time, refrigerate it right after making it and don’t put the croutons on until you’re ready to serve it. Or, you could gather all of the ingredients, pre-chop the lettuce and then throw it all together when it’s mealtime. You could probably get away with assembling it and letting it sit in the refrigerator for an hour or two, but after that it gets a little less appetizing!
Variations on Caesar Salad
Do you know Caesar Salad’s origin story? It goes like this (as far as we know): Caesar Salad was invented by an Italian chef working in Mexico by the name of Caesar. Running low on ingredients one night, he threw together something new with what he had on hand, and that distinct salad dressing flavor came to be known as Caesar. So feel free to throw together whatever you have on hand to make this salad even better. You could try diced, grilled chicken or bacon or even some craisins or chopped walnuts. Be inventive like Caesar!
A Note About Caesar Salad Dressings & Allergies
If you or someone who will be eating this salad has a fish allergy, please be aware that most Caesar Salad dressings contain anchovies.
If you want to make this gluten free, omit the croutons and make sure you double check the ingredients on the salad dressing for gluten (many are gluten free). In place of the croutons you could use gluten free tortilla strips (typically found near the salad dressings in a grocery store), which will add a nice crunch without detracting from the overall flavor of the salad.
If you want to make this dairy free, try a dairy free Caesar dressing and either omit the parmesan or use one of the vegan alternative cheeses.
Caesar Salad
Ingredients
- 1 head Romaine or Green Leaf lettuce
- Caesar salad dressing (approx. ½ cup)
- parmesan cheese (¼ cup canned or ½ cup freshly grated)
- 1 cup croutons
Instructions
- Chop the lettuce into small pieces and transfer to a large bowl.
- Add a few good drizzles of Caesar salad dressing.
- Parmesan cheese: If using canned parmesan, add it and toss to combine lettuce and dressing and cheese. If using freshly grated/shaved parmesan, mix the salad dressing into the lettuce and then add in the parmesan.
- Add in croutons and any other optional mix-ins, such as diced chicken or bacon. Toss again and add more salad dressing as needed.
- Serve immediately (see notes for making ahead).
