Caesar salad
Whole romaine leaves tossed in a garlicky egg-yolk, lemon and Parmesan dressing with Worcestershire and anchovy, finished with olive oil croutons.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 37 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
A Caesar is romaine, croutons, Parmesan and a thick dressing made like a loose mayonnaise: garlic and anchovy mashed to a paste, then egg yolks, lemon juice, Dijon and Worcestershire, with olive oil whisked in slowly until it emulsifies. The leaves stay whole or are torn large, and get turned in the dressing until every one is coated. The croutons, baked in garlic oil, go on at the last moment so they stay crisp. Use the pale inner leaves of the romaine; the dark outer ones are tough and bitter. Salt the dressing carefully. Anchovy, Parmesan and Worcestershire are all salty already.
What you'll need
16 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
- Croutons
- Dressing
- Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- Garlic1 clove
- Anchovy fillet, in oil, drained4
- Salt1 pinch
- Egg yolks, from very fresh or pasteurised eggs2
- Lemon juice30 ml
- Dijon mustard4.9 ml
- Worcestershire sauce4.9 ml
- Olive oil, mild, or half neutral oil120 ml
- Parmesan cheese, finely grated30 g
- Black pepper2½ ml
Salad
- Lettuce, romaine hearts, leaves separated, washed and dried2
- Parmesan cheese, shaved or grated, to finish30 g
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Heat the oven to 190°C. Toss the bread cubes with the olive oil, crushed garlic and salt on a baking tray and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp right through. Pick out the garlic.
12 min190°C
Step 2
Pound the dressing garlic, the anchovies and the salt to a paste in a mortar, or mash them with the flat of a knife. Scrape into a bowl and whisk in the egg yolks, lemon juice, mustard and Worcestershire.
5 min
Step 3
Whisking all the time, add the olive oil in a thin stream until the dressing is thick and glossy. Stir in the grated Parmesan and pepper, taste, and thin with a teaspoon of water if it is too stiff to coat a leaf.
5 min
Watch: The yolks are raw. Use pasteurised eggs for anyone pregnant, very young, elderly or unwell.
Step 4
Make sure the romaine leaves are completely dry, since water thins the dressing and stops it clinging. Put them in a large bowl, add the dressing and turn them with your hands until every leaf is coated.
3 min
Step 5
Add the croutons, toss once more, and finish with the shaved Parmesan and another grind of pepper. Serve at once.
2 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 9.1 g
- Carbs
- 10.2 g
- Fat
- 45.1 g
- Saturated fat
- 8.8 g
- Fibre
- 2.7 g
- Sugar
- 2.3 g
- Sodium
- 361 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Eggs
- Milk
- Wheat
- Fish
- Pescatarian
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.
Substitutions
Anchovy fillets → Leave them out and double the Worcestershire
Closer to the reported original. Still not vegetarian, because Worcestershire sauce contains anchovy.
Raw egg yolks → 2 tbsp good mayonnaise
A shortcut many restaurants take. Thicker and less bright, but safe for everyone.
Tips
- To coddle the yolks, the way the Tijuana original is said to have been made, lower whole eggs into boiling water for 60 seconds, cool them in cold water, then separate.
- The dressing keeps three days in a jar in the fridge.
- Sliced grilled chicken on top makes it the standard American lunch main.
History & culture
Caesar salad is on nearly every American restaurant menu, from steakhouses that still toss it at the table to chains that top it with grilled chicken for lunch. In Tijuana, the restaurant on Avenida Revolución that carries Caesar's name still makes it tableside from a wooden bowl, and visitors cross the border partly to eat it there.
The salad comes from Tijuana, Mexico, not Italy or California. Caesar Cardini, an Italian immigrant, ran a restaurant there in the 1920s, when Prohibition sent Americans south to drink. The story goes that on a Fourth of July in 1924 the kitchen ran low and he improvised the salad at the table. His version reportedly used Worcestershire, not anchovies; his brother Alex is said to have added those later.
Traditional — Cardini's salad is described as whole leaves meant to be eaten with the fingers, dressed at the table with coddled eggs, lemon and Worcestershire but no anchovy fillets. Anchovies are now standard and this recipe uses them; leave them out for the older version.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Caesar salad take?
37 min all in — 25 min prep, 12 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 people. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Eggs, Milk, Wheat, Fish. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Pescatarian, Nut-free.
7 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Mortar and pestle, Mixing bowl, Baking tray, Oven, Chef's knife.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 pinch.
What can I use instead?
Anchovy fillets → Leave them out and double the Worcestershire. Closer to the reported original. Still not vegetarian, because Worcestershire sauce contains anchovy. Raw egg yolks → 2 tbsp good mayonnaise. A shortcut many restaurants take. Thicker and less bright, but safe for everyone.
What should I watch for?
The yolks are raw. Use pasteurised eggs for anyone pregnant, very young, elderly or unwell.
Any tips from this recipe?
To coddle the yolks, the way the Tijuana original is said to have been made, lower whole eggs into boiling water for 60 seconds, cool them in cold water, then separate. The dressing keeps three days in a jar in the fridge. Sliced grilled chicken on top makes it the standard American lunch main.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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