Caesar Salad with Homemade Caesar Dressing

How to Make This Homemade Caesar Salad Recipe 

✱ Below are step-by-step photos and instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.

Step 1 | Combine the dressing ingredients

Let’s start with a food processor or blender. Measure in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, Anchovy paste, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and parmesan cheese. Give it a quick whisk, and pulse until the ingredients are well combined.

Then, add a bit of milk or water to make the dressing thinner if you like it better that way. 

If you don’t have a blender or food processor, no problem! You can whisk the ingredients in a bowl with just a little elbow grease!

Step 2 | Slice the bread

Next, get ready for baking by preheating the oven to 375˚F and cut the baguette in half lengthwise through the top. Continue slicing the bread into cubes, even in size. You can also tear the bread into pieces. 

So you have a reference, I usually make them about ¾ inches in diameter. But what’s most important is that they are the same size, so they cook nice and evenly.

Step 3 | Prep croutons

Now, set out a small bowl and mix together some olive oil and just 1 or 2 teaspoons of finely minced garlic. Drizzle the garlic oil over the croutons and sprinkle the tops with 2 tablespoons of delicious grated parmesan cheese.

Step 4 | Bake croutons

Then, spread the bread cubes out in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until perfectly crispy and golden brown, tossing about halfway through the cooking time. 

Step 5 | Let them cool

Remove the yummy croutons from the oven and let them cool completely. Then, scatter them over your homemade salad just before plating your salad.

Step 6 | Assemble salad and serve

Assembling the salad is the easiest part of this super-easy recipe! Rinse, dry, and chop or tear the crisp romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Then, toss it into a large serving bowl and sprinkle the shredded or shaved fresh parmesan cheese on top with your cooled croutons. The last step is to drizzle your salad with homemade Caesar dressing and toss it gently until lettuce is evenly coated. All that’s left to do is serve it up and enjoy!

Variations and Substitutions

• Switch the Mustard: Stone-ground mustard is milder than Dijon mustard, but it is an excellent substitute if you prefer it over the other or when you’re in a pinch. However, omitting the mustard can negatively affect the texture of the dressing overall, so be sure to use one or the other.
• Kind of Bread: French and Italian Bread have a dense crumb and a chewy texture, which makes them ideal for croutons. But you can substitute it with another crusty bread, like sourdough bread, ciabatta, baguette, multigrain, or whole wheat bread.
• Salad Greens: Romaine is a classic for Caesar salad, but you can swap it out for kale, spinach, or arugula if you’d like.
• Add Protein: Add chicken, tender bites of steak, shrimp, or salmon pieces to the Caesar salad for protein.
• Make it Even Easier: If you’re in a pinch, you can swap out some of the fresh ingredients for more convenient alternatives. For example, replace the fresh garlic clove with garlic powder and coat the croutons in vegetable oil instead of olive oil. And if you’re short on time, just use the best croutons from the grocery store and your favorite store-bought dressing. You can also replace the mayo with sour cream if necessary.
• Season the Croutons: Toss the cubed bread with Italian seasoning or another combination of herbs for a garlic herb croutons recipe.