Caesar Salad

Fresh, crisp, and bright.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Restaurant-quality Caesar in 30 minutes.
• Anchovy haters won't even know they're there.
• Real dressing crushes bottled versions.
• Easy crowd-pleaser.
• Naturally vegetarian-adaptable.

Ingredient Notes

• Romaine HEARTS (not full heads) are crispest and most flavorful.
• Oil-packed anchovies (not salt-packed) are easiest to work with.
• Parmigiano-Reggiano is worth it; Grana Padano is acceptable.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Mayo instead of raw egg yolk (uses pasteurized eggs).
• Skip anchovies + add 1 tsp soy sauce for vegetarian (loses authenticity).
• Kale instead of romaine — massage with dressing 5 minutes.

Equipment Needed

• Sheet pan
• Whisk or mortar and pestle
• Large salad bowl

Prep Tips

• Chill romaine before tossing — wilts less.
• Make dressing first, then croutons cool while you assemble.

Instructions

1. 1

   Gather and prep: 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce, 1 cup parmesan cheese, 1 caesar dressing, 4 slices bread, 1 tbsp olive oil, 3 cloves garlic, minced. mince the garlic, and grate the parmesan before you start cooking.

2. 2

   Toast bread cubes in oil with garlic.

3. 3

   Toss romaine with dressing.

4. 4

   Top with parmesan and croutons.

Artsi Pro Tips

• Anchovies are NOT optional — they melt into the dressing and provide umami, not fishiness.
• Use a microplane to grate the garlic — it disappears into the dressing.
• Always grate Parm fresh from a wedge; pre-grated tastes like cardboard.

Common Mistakes

• Skipping anchovies — dressing tastes flat.
• Dressing too early — leaves wilt.
• Using soft bread — croutons turn to stale toast, not crunch.
• Pre-grated Parmesan — bland and waxy.

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