The Caesar Salad

The Caesar Salad has an interesting history.  According to legend, the popular 1920s restaurateur Caesar Cardini (owner of Caesar’s Restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico) created the dish during Fourth of July weekend in 1924 after running low on other food items.  Instead of closing, he made use of the ingredients he had on hand, and once again: A classic was born!  You can read more about the History of The Caesar Salad where I found it on Bottiglia Cucina & Enoteca’s website.  But in the meantime, here’s one of my favorite Caesar Salad recipes (see recipe below).

Caesar Salad Ingredients (Makes 4 Servings)

The Caesar Salad is broken down into three (3) parts: 1) The salad (obviously), 2) The signature Caesar Salad dressing, and 3) Croutons, an optional, but delicious bonus!

Note:  You don’t have to make croutons or the dressing you can buy from your local grocery store.  Here’s the breakdown on making each:

For the Caesar Salad:

1 large romaine lettuce (or 2 small hearts of romaine)

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded or shaved

For the Caesar Salad Dressing:

2 small garlic cloves, minced (1 tsp)

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste

1/8 tsp black pepper, plus more to serve

How to Make Caesar Salad Dressing:

In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, Dijon, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and red wine vinegar.

Slowly drizzle in extra virgin olive oil while whisking constantly.

Whisk in 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper, or season to taste.

Drizzle with Caesar dressing and toss gently until lettuce is evenly coated.

For the Croutons:

1/2 French Baguette, cut in half and thinly sliced (1/4″ thick)

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp minced garlic, 2 small cloves

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

How to Make Croutons:

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Cut a baguette in half lengthwise through the top, then slice diagonally into 1/4″ thick pieces.

Place the bread pieces onto a baking sheet.

In a small bowl, combine 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil and 1 tsp of finely minced garlic. Drizzle the garlic oil over the croutons and sprinkle the top with 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese.

Toss until evenly coated.

Spread in a single layer over the baking sheet and bake at 350˚F until light golden and crisp (about 10-12 minutes), or to desired crispness.

Caesar Salad Preparation Instructions

1. Rinse, dry, chop, or tear the romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces
2. Place in a large serving bowl and sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese and croutons.
3. Drizzle Caesar dressing over the salad just before serving.

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