Petes Total Food

Forget the bottled dressing—this homemade Caesar salad is fresh, rich, and packed with flavor. Crisp romaine and butter lettuce are tossed in a creamy, authentic Caesar dressing, then finished with buttery garlic croutons and plenty of shaved Parmigiano Reggiano for a restaurant-quality salad that’s perfect as a side or a meal.

Prep Time: 30 Minutes | Cook Time: 15 Minutes | Serves: 4 | See Full Video Below

Ingredients:

Caesar Dressing:

• 6 Garlic Cloves
• Kosher Salt (to taste)
• 3 Anchovy Filets in Oil
• 2 Large Egg Yolks
• 1 Large Lemon Juiced 
• 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 1/4 Cups Vegetable Oil
• 3/4 Cup Finely Grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Garlic Croutons:

• 1 Loaf Ciabatta 
• 1 Cup Unsalted Butter (softened)
• 4-6 Garlic Cloves (finely chopped)
• 1/4 Cup Parsley (finely chopped)
• 1/4 Cup Parmigiano Reggiano (grated)
• Flakey Sea Salt (to taste) 
• Pepper (Optional)

Salad:

• 1 Head Romaine Lettuce (washed and dried)  
• 1 Head Boston or Bibb Lettuce (washed and dried)  
• Kosher Salt (to taste) 
• Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano

Directions:

• Start by salting the garlic cloves for the dressing, then mince them to a paste
• Once it’s to a paste, mince the anchovy fillets, then mix the garlic and anchovies together into a paste
• Add that to a medium bowl along with the egg yolks, lemon juice and dijon mustard
• Add a little more salt to the bowl then very slowly, pour in the vegetable oil while whisking constantly until combined
• Finally add in the parmesan, mix again and set in the fridge until ready to serve
• Next to make the croutons we first need to make the compound butter
• Add 1 cup or 2 sticks of unsalted and softened butter to a bowl
• Mash that down, then add the finely chopped garlic and parsley along with the grated parmesan
• Mix the compound butter together and add flaky sea salt and pepper
• Cut the ciabatta loaf like a sandwich so you have a top half and bottom half
• Then cut the loaf in 1 inch batons and spread the compound butter generously on each piece
• Place on an oven tray, and bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit 
• Remove the bread and cut eat baton into 1 inch squares
• Set the croutons aside for now
• For the salad, rinse and dry a head of romaine and a head of butterhead lettuce
• It’s important that the leaves are dried well, otherwise the dressing will have a hard time sticking to them
• Add the leaves to a large bowl then lightly salt the leaves
• Pour the dressing in a ring on the bowl, not the leaves themselves, and mix all the leaves until they are well coated
• To serve, add a large handful of leaves to a plate or bowl, add your desired amount of croutons
• Top with shaved parmesan and more dressing and enjoy!