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American · Mexican

Caesar salad

Non-vegetarian

Crisp romaine lettuce tossed in a punchy, creamy dressing of anchovy, garlic, lemon and Parmesan, with crunchy garlic croutons.

Caesar salad is an American salad from Mexico, ready in about 23 minutes and made with lettuce, anchovies and parmesan. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Appetizing Caesar salad with grilled chicken, croutons, and Parmesan cheese, perfect for a gourmet meal.
Photo: khezez | خزاز / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
15 min
Cook
8 min
Total
23 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
492

Ingredients

4 servings

For the croutons

For the dressing

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Warm 3 tbsp oil with the crushed garlic (opens in a new tab) in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the bread cubes with a pinch of salt and toss until golden and crisp. Discard the garlic and cool the croutons.

  2. Step 2

    Whisk (opens in a new tab) the mayonnaise (opens in a new tab), mashed anchovies (opens in a new tab), grated garlic (opens in a new tab), lemon juice (opens in a new tab), mustard and worcestershire, then whisk in the remaining 2 tbsp oil and the grated Parmesan (opens in a new tab). Season with pepper (opens in a new tab) and salt; thin with a spoonful of water if very thick.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Wash and thoroughly dry the lettuce (opens in a new tab), tear large leaves, and toss with the dressing until every leaf is coated. Top with croutons and shaved Parmesan (opens in a new tab) and serve immediately.

    • 3 min
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Tijuana, Mexico · Commonly attributedUsually credited to Italian-born restaurateur Caesar Cardini's restaurant in Tijuana, which served many American visitors; it became famous in the United States.Also popular in United States, Canada, United Kingdom, AustraliaMore food from Mexico
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Salads · Side dishes
Cooking method
Toasted, No-cook
Taste
savoury, garlicky, tangy, umami
Diet
Pescatarian · No nut ingredients
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday
Cook more with
Lettuce · Anchovies · Parmesan · Crusty bread / baguette · Garlic · Mayonnaise
Techniques
Toasting · Spice roasting (dry-roasting)

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom parmesan
  • Contains: Eggsfrom mayonnaise
  • Contains: Fishfrom anchovies, worcestershire sauce
  • Contains: Wheatfrom crusty bread / baguette
  • Contains: Glutenfrom crusty bread / baguette, worcestershire sauce
  • May contain: Sesamefrom crusty bread / baguette
  • Contains: Mustardfrom mayonnaise, prepared mustard
  • May contain: Celeryfrom worcestershire sauce
  • May contain: Sulphitesfrom prepared mustard, worcestershire sauce

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

492 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 232 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 11%
  • Carbohydrate 20%
  • Fat 70%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy492 kcal212 kcal
Protein13.1 g5.7 g
Carbohydrate24.7 g10.6 g
Net carbohydrate21.1 g9.1 g
Sugars3.6 g1.6 g
Added sugars——
Fibre3.6 g1.5 g
Fat38.5 g16.6 g
Saturated fat7.7 g3.3 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol24 mg10 mg
Sodium884 mg381 mg
Salt equivalent2.2 g1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
425 mg
Calcium
286 mg
Iron
3.2 mg
Magnesium
42 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
585 µg
Vitamin C
9 mg
Vitamin D
0.2 µg
Vitamin B12
0.3 µg
Folate (DFE)
234 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Dry leaves are essential — water stops the dressing from clinging.

Common mistakes

  • Dressing the salad too early wilts the lettuce and softens the croutons.

Serve with

  • Top with grilled chicken or shrimp to make it a meal.

Food safety

  • Keep the mayonnaise-and-anchovy dressing refrigerated and don't leave the dressed salad out for more than 2 hours.
  • If you use the traditional raw or coddled egg yolk, choose pasteurised eggs for pregnant, elderly or immunocompromised diners.

Storage

  • Keep dressing refrigerated up to 3 days and croutons airtight for 3 days; assemble just before serving.

Variations

  • Classic egg-yolk dressing: Make the dressing with a coddled (briefly boiled) egg yolk instead of mayonnaise; use pasteurised eggs for vulnerable diners.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Lettuce, romaine hearts, leaves separated500 g
  • Parmesan, 50 g finely grated for the dressing, 20 g shaved to finish70 g
Used in steps 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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