This Healthy Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe is a classic creamy dressing made with simple, fresh ingredients that can be whipped together in under 5 minutes.
This recipe is inspired by Dustin Johnston's Master's Champion dinner menu at Augusta National. If you want to create Dustin's 2021 champions dinner menu in your home, you will want to get Champion Dinner Menu 2021 (coming soon) You will get recipes to make your own dinner and tips for hosting your own Masters champion dinner in your home.
Be sure and try some foods inspired by the Masters tournament and August, Georgia, the city where it always takes place. My favorites are this Green Jacket Salad, Masters Pimento Cheese, and The Masters Peach Ice Cream Sandwich. Or get more ideas in this collection of all my Favorite Masters Golf Recipes. They are all perfect recipes to serve when hosting a golf party!
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😊 Why this recipe works
- This healthy caesar dressing does not use raw eggs or processed oils. There is no worry about the risk of salmonella from raw eggs.
- The dressing is made with simple ingredients that are easy to keep on hand.
- Even though this is a healthier version, it still has the classic creamy texture with a tangy, salty flavor.
- Most classic caesar dressings are made with highly refined oils, and they are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids. When you make this classic caesar salad dressing, you can choose a healthier oil to use, such as avocado oil.
🛒 Ingredient notes
A great Cesar salad is all about rich, creamy dressing, some fresh Romain, and a good quality parmesan cheese.
- Garlic: Be sure and use a fresh clove of garlic, not the already minced kind you can buy in a jar.
- Anchovy paste: Don't be afraid of having an anchovy flavor. The anchovies are the secret key ingredient to an authentically flavored caesar dressing. The paste gives it a rich, salty classic caesar taste. It can be found in the grocery next to the canned tuna area. The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon anchovy paste; however, add two teaspoons if you like your foods a bit saltier.
- Lemon juice. Be sure only to use fresh lemon juice, not the kind in a bottle.
- Worcestershire sauce: Just a dash, it gives it a bit of rich earthy flavor.
- Parmesan: Parmigiano Reggiano is an excellent choice for aged parmesan.
- Black pepper: It is best to coarsely grind your pepper just before tossing.
- Avocado mayonnaise: Avocado oil is a smart, healthy choice to make mayo with instead of oils that are highly refined and high in polyunsaturated fatty acids.
See the recipe card for a complete list of ingredients and quantities.
🔪 Step by step instructions
This traditional caesar dressing is best made just before you are ready to serve.
- In a small-size bowl, add garlic, anchovies, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.
2. Whisk for 30 seconds, being sure the anchovy is broken into tiny pieces if you had to use whole anchovies instead of paste.
3. Next, add the mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, and cracked black pepper. Whisk together until creamy and smooth.
📝 Store any remaining dressing in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. This homemade caesar dressing recipe will keep for up to 3 days in your refrigerator.
💭 Tips for making the recipe
The best way to blend this dressing is to whisk it in a bowl. The cheese will emulsify into the dressing if you mix it in a food processor or high-speed blender. You want bits of cheese in your dressing for a classic caesar flavor.
✔️ Substitutions
If you know how to make the recipe fit a certain diet, let the reader know here. Don't fake it - only provide guidance on topics you have actual experience with.
- If you prefer, you could use a good olive oil based mayonnaise. It's a simple swap that is still a healthier choice.
- If you can not find a tube of anchovy paste, use a whole anchovy fillet. Just be sure to whisk it well, so it becomes a paste. I like to use 3 or 4 fillets to give the dressing a more salty flavor.
🍽 How to serve caesar salad
Fill a large salad bowl with romaine lettuce that has been torn into bite-size pieces. Next, add some crusty homemade croutons and drizzle the homemade dressing over the bowl of lettuce. Addy the fresh cracked pepper, kosher salt, a good quality shredded parmesan cheese. Toss gently with salad tongs.
🔀 Caesar salad with a twist
Traditional caesar salad dressing is the base for a delicious salad. However, a great way to create a hearty, flavorful dinner salad is to toss in some of these add-in ideas.
- Toss in a hand full of Crispy Air Fryer Chickpeas for a healthy crunch in your salad.
- Add grilled chicken breast sliced into strips for a healthy chicken caesar salad.
- Capers
- Grilled shrimp
- Add some shaved brussel sprouts with the Romain lettuce
- Tomatoes
How to make homemade croutons
- If you would like to make your own croutons homemade, start by choosing a good crusty bread that is a few days old. ⭐️ Use a serated knife when cutting the bread. This will help keep the cube shape for your croutons.
Cut the bread into one-inch cubes. Place the cubes in a large bowl. Using an olive oil spritz bottle spray the cubes, toss and spray again. Toss until the cubes are completely coated.
Sprinkle salt and pepper over the bread cubes and toss a few more times.
2. Spread the bread cubes onto a baking sheet. Place them in a preheated 300-degree oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until the croutons are dry and crusty.
📝 If you make the croutons before you need to serve them, be sure and store them in an airtight container, so they remain crisp and crunchy.
❓ FAQ
It does not matter if you cut or tear lettuce when preparing it for a salad. Oxygen will turn the edges brown at the same rate if it has been cut or torn. It's best to prepare your lettuce just before serving to avoid brown edges.
For a cheese to be classified as Parmigiano-Reggiano, it must come from particular regions of Italy and contain only certain approved ingredients. Parmigiano-Reggiano is also aged at least one year and up to three years. Other Parmesan is not regulated and may be aged as little as 10 months.
More Salads and salad dressing recipes
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Recipe
Healthy Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe; Easy Homemade
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 clove Garlic Use one large or two smaller sizes. You want about a teaspoon of fresh garlic. Don't use the already diced garlic in a jar.
- 1 teaspoon Anchovy paste If you can not find anchovy paste in your grocery then use whole anchovies in oil. Be sure the mash them into a paste with the back of a spoon.
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice Only use fresh squeezed, not the kind from a bottle.
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup Avocado mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspooon Pepper It's best to grind it fresh on the large grind setting
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Instructions
- In a small-size bowl, add garlic, anchovies, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Whisk for 30 seconds, being sure the anchovy is broken into tiny pieces if you had to use whole anchovies instead of paste.
- Next, add the mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, and pepper. Whisk together until creamy and smooth.
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Notes
- Toss in a hand full of Crispy Air Fryer Chickpeas for a healthy crunch in your salad.
- Add grilled chicken breast sliced into strips for a healthy chicken caesar salad.
- Capers
- Grilled shrimp
- Add some shaved brussel sprouts with the Romain lettuce
- Tomatoes
- If you prefer, you could use a good olive oil based mayonnaise. It's a simple swap that is still a healthier choice.
- If you can not find a tube of anchovy paste, use a whole anchovy fillet. Just be sure to whisk it well, so it becomes a paste. I like to use 3 or 4 fillets to give the dressing a more salty flavor.
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