Description
Caesar salad is packed with flavor and crunch. It is the perfect side dish with many meals, especially with grilled meats and pasta. Make it a one-bowl meal by adding chicken or salmon.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 head (1.5#) Romaine lettuce, chopped
- 8-10 cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup croutons
- 1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (this should be about 1/4 cup grated cheese)
- 3 Tbsp Caesar salad dressing
Instructions
- Remove the bottom stem of the lettuce by cutting it about 3" above the stem. If there are damaged leaves, remove them.
- Cut the lettuce lengthwise, then slice the lettuce into 2-3 inch ribbons.
- Place the cut lettuce into a colander or the basket of a salad spinner. Rinse the lettuce under running water. Shake the basket from side to side to be sure all the lettuce is washed.
- If you are using a salad spinner, spin to remove the water from the lettuce. If you use a colander, place the lettuce on a clean towel or paper towel and blot dry. Place dried lettuce in a salad bowl.
- Wash the cherry tomatoes under running water. Cut the tomatoes in half. I prefer to cut them lengthwise because I think it looks more appetizing. You could also leave them whole. Place the tomatoes on the lettuce.
- Grate the Parmesan cheese. For shredded cheese, use a box grater; for thin strips of cheese, slice the cheese with a vegetable peeler; and for finely grated cheese, use a microplane.
- Toss the salad with 2-3 tablespoons of dressing. Add more if desired.
- Top the salad with croutons and grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- 1 (1.5#) head of Romaine lettuce should yield about 7 cups of sliced lettuce.
- Be sure the lettuce leaves are dry. Otherwise, the dressing will not stick to the leaves. A salad spinner works best. If you do not have a salad spinner, place the lettuce in a colander and rinse the lettuce under running. Shake the colander to remove as much water as possible. Wash the rinsed lettuce, spread it on a clean or paper towel, and pat it dry.
- Be careful not to use too much dressing. Start with 2-3 tablespoons of dressing and add additional dressing 1 tablespoon at a time. Salads drenched in dressing are soggy and do not taste good.
- The ingredients can be prepared early in the day. Store them covered in the refrigerator. Do not cut the lettuce the day before you plan to use it. Otherwise, the cut edges of the lettuce will turn pink, which is not appetizing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 126
- Sugar: 2.5 g
- Sodium: 280.8 mg
- Fat: 8.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 9.1 g
- Protein: 4.2 g
- Cholesterol: 7.7 mg