Yahoo Lifestyle 20 Creamy, Dreamy Caesar Salad Recipes
From classic to reimagined, there are so many ways to prepare and appreciate the flavors and textures of Caesar salad.
Food & Wine / Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell
A classic Caesar salad may not look like much, but this dish is definitely greater than the sum of its parts. Sure, it's a simple bowl of dressed lettuce studded with croutons and shards of cheese, but all it takes is one bite to realize the salad is more than meets the eye. "Like any good vinaigrette, it's based on the collision of acid (lemon juice) and fat (olive oil), plus earthiness from the garlic, creaminess from the egg, and an extra dose of umami (from the anchovies, Worcestershire, and Parmesan)," says food writer Adina Steiman.
Indeed, it's the dressing that really defines a Caesar salad — and that's what each of the recipes in this collection centers on. From there, the possibilities are endless. Add your choice of protein to propel it from side to main dish status; swap out the standard croutons for potato chips, chickpeas, or pork rinds; mix up or even warm the lettuce; use miso or smoked trout in place of anchovies to achieve the umami factor. Find your perfect Caesar salad here.
Caesar Salad
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Ali Domrongchai
Robust and well-balanced, this quintessential Caesar is complete with crunchy romaine leaves, toasty croutons, shaved Parmesan, and a savory dressing made from anchovies, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice.
Baja-Style Caesar Salad
San Diego chef Claudette Zepeda forgoes the usual Parmesan in her Caesar salad iteration, opting instead to use aged Cotija both as an ingredient in the dressing and as a garnish. For even more Baja flair, Zepeda replaces croutons with crunchy chicharrones.
Caesar Salad with Shrimp
Food & Wine / Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell
Sweet broiled shrimp, crunchy romaine lettuce, homemade croutons, and a tangy Caesar dressing come together in just 15 minutes for this main-course summer salad. Break out your best-quality Parmesan and olive oil to make it — both ingredients really shine here.
Charred Broccolini Caesar with Kale and Chickpeas
This Caesar gets extra heft and hardiness from smoky charred Broccolini, lacinato kale, chickpeas, and a shower of toasted almonds. The easy mayonnaise-based dressing can be made separately up to three days ahead of time.
Potato Chip Chopped Caesar Salad
Food & Wine / Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Renu Dhar / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
For this fun take on a classic Caesar, we swap out the croutons with sour cream and onion potato chips, which are both mixed into the salad and scattered on top for extra crunch and flavor. We love using homemade dressing, but store-bought works to keep things easy.
Chicken Caesar Wrap
Food & Wine
We turned all of the best parts of a classic Caesar salad into this tasty chicken wrap. Pita rounds are stuffed with grilled chicken, crunchy romaine lettuce, homemade croutons, shards of crispy Parmesan, and an umami-packed Caesar dressing that’s punched up with anchovies, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice.
Any-Season Caesar Salad
The beauty of chef Julia Sullivan's grilled Caesar is that it's made with whatever variety of mature (or bolted!) lettuce is available: romaine, Little Gem, radicchio, and/or escarole. For added interest, she caramelizes spring onions, radishes, fennel bulbs, and oyster mushrooms on the grill alongside the lettuce for a flavor-packed salad that's ready in just half an hour.
Caesar Salad with Greek-Style Yogurt Dressing
Julia Hartbeck
Chef Jamie Oliver lightens his Caesar dressing by replacing the traditional oil and egg yolk with tangy Greek yogurt. Add broiled, flaked salmon or grilled chicken breast for a more substantial salad.
Vegan Caesar Salad with Chicories and Walnuts
"There's absolutely no reason why the things that make Caesar salad so delicious can't come from vegan ingredients," says food writer and Caesar salad enthusiast Adina Steiman — and we couldn't agree more. Chef Mariela Alvarez flavors her creamy vegan Caesar dressing with mellow chickpea miso, sweet-tart lemon juice, and maple syrup. Here, we toss jewel-toned chicories in the umami-laden dressing, and toasted walnuts in it, too, for a salty-sweet crunch.
"Caesared" Salmon Salad
In this creative salmon Caesar salad, Caesar dressing gets spread on the salmon before grilling, creating a rich crust that keeps the fish succulent while picking up delicious smoky flavor from the grill.
Roast Chicken and Warm Escarole Caesar
This comforting roast chicken dish leans on the briny flavors of Caesar salad for a cozy meal. Escarole is quickly wilted on the stove, then tossed with tender thyme-scented potatoes and a homemade dressing enlivened by both raw and slow-roasted garlic.
Vietnamese-Style Caesar Salad with Anchovy Croutons
For extra unami and texture, 2012 F&W Best New Chef Bryant Ng brings his Caesar dressing together with some inspired additions: fish sauce, two kinds of anchovies (salt-packed and marinated), and plenty of fresh herbs like cilantro and red shiso. Piled high on the plate, with craggy croutons seasoned with anchovy paste; plenty of extra-virgin olive oil; chewy, sweet dried figs; and shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano, each salad is a summer centerpiece.
Caesar Steak Tartare
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Jillian Knox
We incorporated the best elements of a classic Caesar salad into steak tartare for this recipe featuring tender cubes of raw steak, crunchy Parmesan-coated croutons, crisp endive leaves, and a creamy, garlicky Caesar dressing,
Smoky Caesar Salad
Not an anchovy fan? No problem. This Caesar variation relies on canned smoked trout instead, which is pleasantly salty and less fishy in the dressing. Along with freshly toasted sourdough croutons and a mix of romaine and radicchio, the salad retains its familiarity while delivering a slightly altered flavor profile.
Caesar Brussels Salad
If you're looking for a make-ahead Caesar, this recipe with hearty shaved brussels sprouts is the one for you. It's got all the flavor of the original version, but won't wilt or get soggy when dressed in advance.
Kale Caesar with Fried Chickpeas
For this enticing take on Caesar salad, former F&W culinary director at large Justin Chapple swaps out the romaine for curly kale and pan-fries chickpeas to stand in for croutons, lending the dish a light, airy crunch.
Caesar Salad with Anchovy Fritters
Instead of croutons, chefs and brothers Bryan and Michael Voltaggio serve this Caesar salad with crunchy hush puppy–like fritters. Each bite reveals pops of briny anchovy, a Caesar salad's match made in heaven.
Caesar Salad with Crispy Tofu Croutons
This Caesar salad speaks to the versatility of tofu. Here, firm tofu is cubed and pan-fried to provide the crunch usually reserved for croutons. Additionally, soft tofu is blended with olive oil, lemon juice, and anchovy to make a terrific Caesar dressing without the standard raw egg yolks.
Creamy Caesar Salad with Torn Croutons
Chef April Bloomfield's Caesar salad requires no chopping. She uses whole Little Gem lettuce leaves, fresh croutons made from rustic Italian bread torn into bite-size pieces, and a creamy dressing that comes together entirely in the food processor.
Caesar Salad Spears
These party-ready salad spears are easy to enjoy while standing up, no fork required. Former F&W editor Grace Parisi tosses chopped endives with a lemony dressing, then spoons the mixture inside elegant endive spears, topping it with cheese and crunchy mini croutons.
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