This is an easy Caesar Salad Dressing that is non-creamy and delicious on a Caesar Salad. It is light and refreshing and pairs great with crisp romaine lettuce. And, what's more, it is made without raw eggs or anchovies.
One of my family's favorite salads is a Caesar Salad however. that has not always been the case.
The first time I made a Caesar salad, I used a creamy dressing, and my husband and sons did not eat it because they do not like creamy dressings. They also do not like anchovies which are traditionally in Caesar dressings.
Therefore, I created this dressing for them which is more like a vinaigrette and is made without anchovies.
Another bonus is that it does not contain raw eggs often used in Caesar dressings.
Caesar salad is now on our rotation of weekly salads. Try it, and let me know how you like it!
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Ingredients for Caesar Dressing
Only a few ingredients are needed to make this dressing.
- Lemon juice- Be sure to use juice from fresh lemons. Bottled lemon juice has an off-flavor; therefore, I prefer squeezing juice from fresh lemons. It is not hard to squeeze juice from a fresh lemon, especially if you have the right tools. It is quickly done using a lemon squeezer or wooden citrus reamer.
- Oil- I prefer using olive oil in the dressing. However, a non-flavored oil like canola oil or vegetable oil works well.
- Dijon mustard- This mustard adds flavor and works as an emulsifier. Do not use a different style of mustard.
- Parmesan cheese- I recommend grating fresh parmesan cheese. Costco was out of the Parmesan wedges I usually buy, so I purchased the Kirkland brand pre-grated cheese, and it worked well.
- Garlic cloves- Fresh garlic is best in this recipe. If you are out of fresh garlic, you can use ¼ teaspoon of granulated garlic or garlic powder.
- Kosher salt- This recipe calls for Kosher salt. If you use fine-grained table salt, use ½ teaspoon salt.
- Coarse ground pepper- If you use a fine-grained pepper, use ⅛ teaspoon.
How to make Caesar Dressing
Crush the garlic with a garlic press.
The garlic should look like the picture above.
Combine mustard, lemon juice, crushed garlic, and Parmesan cheese in a measuring cup or bowl.
Whisk the ingredients together.
Slowly whisk in the olive oil.
Add salt and pepper and whisk to combine ingredients.
Serve the Caesar dressing on Romaine lettuce with cherry tomatoes, croutons, and grated parmesan cheese.
Don't Miss These Tips.
- Fresh lemon juice is best for this recipe.
- It is essential to use Dijon mustard and not any other type of mustard.
- If possible, use fresh parmesan cheese.
- Make double the amount of dressing and store it in the refrigerator to use later in the week.
Serving Options
There are many ways to customize the salad.
Add grilled chicken breast or oven-baked salmon to the salad for a complete meal.
Add a handful of cooked chickpeas to the salad for a vegetarian option.
This dressing on Romain lettuce is also delicious with a cut-up hard-boiled egg, halved cherry tomatoes, and diced avocado.
Use the dressing as a chicken marinade and grill, pan-fry, or roast the chicken.
Dress thawed peas with the dressing and serve it as a side with grilled chicken.
Storage
Store dressing covered in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
I hope you try this recipe! Please rate it and comment below. I love hearing from you! ❤️
Print📋 Recipe
Easy Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 Cup 1x
- Category: Salads
- Cuisine: American
Description
Vinaigrette-style Caesar dressing that is made without raw egg and anchovies. Delicious to dress a salad of Romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and croutons.
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed (1 tsp crushed)
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Instructions
- Crush garlic with a garlic press or mince finely with a chef's knife.
- In a 2-cup measuring cup, jar or small bowl, add crushed garlic, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and Parmesan cheese. Stir or whisk to combine.
- Whisk in olive oil until well combined.
- Add salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until you are ready to serve it.
Notes
- Fresh lemon juice is best for this recipe.
- It is important to use Dijon mustard and not any other type of mustard.
- If possible, use fresh parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 Tbsp
- Calories: 132
- Sugar: 0.2 g
- Sodium: 219.8 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Protein: 0.8 g
- Cholesterol: 1.4 mg
P
Wait are we saying crushed garlic is the same as minced? What about grated?
Gitta Grether-Sweeney
Thanks for your question. Crushed, minced, and grated are different methods to make the garlic more straightforward to disperse in the dressing. You use a garlic press to crush garlic, a knife to mince it, and a microplane to grate it. In this recipe, any method will work. I hope this helps!
George
Simple ingredients we all have at home, easy recipe with a very tasty result. Just a minor observation : for my liking it needed less salt and lemmon. I think 1/2 tsb of salt and 2 tbls of lemon would have been enough.
Nicole
I love it! Just what I was looking for!
Gitta Grether-Sweeney
I am so happy to hear this recipe worked out for you! Thx for letting me know!
Gitta
Margot List
Recipe looks fantastic, and just what I ami looking for, However, I am very confused- just below the six pictures, where you you are giving “how to make” instructions, you say “Add the Vinegar?” This I am presuming is a typo, and you mean “add the lemon juice.”
Could you please clarify- thanks.
Gitta
Hi Margot!
Thank you for reaching out to me for clarification. You are correct; it is a typo. The recipe only uses lemon juice, no vinegar. I will correct the instructions!
I apologize for the confusion. Let me know how you like the salad!
Kind regards,
Gitta
Sari Mathes
Nice to find a recipe for Caesar dressing WITHOUT anchovies and eggs that tastes great! This will be a staple! Thanks, Gitta!
Gitta
Sari-I am happy to hear this recipe will work for you! Please let me know how you like it. Is there anything I need to change? I appreciate the feedback.