Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
There are many popular salads, but one of the most popular has to be the Caesar salad. Go to most restaurants and you will find a Caesar salad on the menu. The typical Caesar salad is quite simple, including torn romaine lettuce leaves, bacon, croutons and grated parmigiano reggiano. Some variations include mushrooms, sliced chicken breast, capers and more.
The most distinctive element of the Caesar salad is the dressing. Flavors of garlic, anchovy, dijon and cheese all blend to make a wonderful dressing that beautifully coats the romaine lettuce leaves. Originally, this dressing was emulsified with raw egg yolks, but with today’s fears of salmonella, it is just as easy to mix in some mayonnaise to get the emulsifying started. This recipe allows you to make Caesar salad dressing that is beyond amazing and way better than anything you will buy in the grocery store!
I have made this dressing using two different techniques.
The first is with a large glass bowl and a wire whisk. This is hard work, especially for your arm as you are whisking the oil into the dressing. This dressing is emulsified in the same way as making mayonnaise from scratch or aioli.
For the dressing, whisk everything except oil together first. Then slowly, while whisking, drizzle the oil in. The whisking emulsifies the oil with the rest of the ingredients to create a smooth and creamy dressing.
The other way that I have made this dressing, and my preference by far, is by using a food processor. I use my 7 cup food processor and I find that a food processor that is any larger (10 or 12 cup models) would be too big and not allow the dressing to mix well. Have the processor going while you slowly drizzle in the oil and it does all the emulsifying for you and saves your arm from a lot of hard work!
Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/4 cup fresh grated parmigiano reggiano (parmesean cheese)
- 1 tsp anchovy paste (more or less depending on taste preference)
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- In a glass bowl whisk together all the ingredients except the olive oil, until smooth and creamy.
- Slowly drizzle the olive oil, while whisking. Do not pour the oil too quickly, but instead make sure that it has emulsified into the rest of the ingredients before pouring in more. Continue to drizzle and whisk until all the oil has been added.
- Store the Caesar salad dressing in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
