Shabby chic is one of my favorite styles.
Rustic elegance.
I love little twists and oxymorons that doen’t seem to go together, but in the end, go together seamlessly. They help keep classics not only alive, but fresh and exciting. Take Caesar dressing.
There’s nothing new about it, and I don’t think there needs to be. It is absolute perfection in its classic form. Creamy, salty, garlicky, umami. Wonderful.
But I also think it’s fun to use a classic Caesar dressing in a more non-orthodox salad with things like turkey bacon and crushed breadsticks instead of croutons. Like so many of my meals these days, this was a meal that came together in minutes…it was a busy day and I had a friend coming over for lunch and I needed something fabulous in no time flat. And this fit the bill perfectly!
She had no idea that lunch was so quick to whip up and I wasn’t volunteering the information, lol. I even had time to make my favorite Chocolate Avocado Pudding for dessert! I’d call that a good day.
If you’ve never had homemade Caesar dressing before, you should give it a try…it really couldn’t be easier! And if you’re put off by the anchovies, don’t worry, the end result doesn’t taste fishy (but I do give a tip below on what to do if you want to omit them). I know I will be making this dressing over and over, especially during the hot summer months when a light, refreshing meal is all I’m in the mood for.
- 2 large cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 small-medium anchovy fillets (see Note below)
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Pulse the garlic and anchovies together in a food processor.
- Add the egg yolk and process until smooth.
- Drizzle in the olive oil a bit at a time until completely incorporated, then with the motor still running, drizzle in the lemon juice.
- Add the Worcestershire, Dijon, and black pepper, and pulse to combine.
- Taste and add additional salt and pepper as desired.
- Store in a sealed jar in the fridge up to 5 days.
A New Spin on Caesar Salad: Line a large bowl with 3 large handfuls of mixed salad greens. Add 1-2 crushed store-bought breadsticks, 2 slices of crisped turkey bacon, 2 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and about 2 tablespoons of homemade Caesar dressing. Serve immediately.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
Erica says
June 12, 2013 at 5:39 amLooks totally amazing. I’ll take mine without the fishies please ;)
Rosa says
June 12, 2013 at 5:49 amDelicious and much healthier than the original recipe.
Cheers,
Rosa
Kelsey @aslolife says
June 12, 2013 at 8:18 amLove the idea of adding a little turkey bacon to caesar salad–looks delish!
dixya| food, pleasure, and health says
June 12, 2013 at 9:36 ami have been wanting to make my own salad dressing and this sounds just perfect.
Nancy@acommunaltable says
June 12, 2013 at 10:14 amLove the substitution of the mixed greens for the romaine and adding the bacon! Haven’t made Caesar dressing in a while – thanks for the beautiful inspiration!!!
Alyssa (Everyday Maven) says
June 12, 2013 at 11:50 amLove this and that serving bowl – it’s gorgeous!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
June 13, 2013 at 1:09 amI love your homemade dressing and fresh salad, so tasty!
deana says
June 13, 2013 at 5:10 amHalf of the joy of caesar is a crunchy bread addition and you have that covered with bacon or breadsticks.
My favorite caesar (from a great old restaurant in LA) has celery seed in it… I can’t imagine using bottled dressing!
ashley - baker by nature says
June 13, 2013 at 5:57 amI love homemade Caesar salads! This post remind me I am waaaaaay overdue for one! xo
Nancy-SpicieFoodie says
June 13, 2013 at 4:06 pmCeaser salad and dressing are a classic that I could never tire of. But I can’t believe I’ve never made the dressing from scratch. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe and yummy salad!
Kim - Liv Life says
June 15, 2013 at 5:53 pmMy daughter positively adores a good Ceasar, but I actually haven’t made it at home for her. I’m going to teach her how to make this one!!
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
June 17, 2013 at 3:51 pmLove this healthier version of caesar dressing, packed with yummy flavors :)
Chrissy says
September 30, 2013 at 8:16 amI have to say, this dressing actually did turn out a little fishy. I think next time I may only use half the amount of anchovies called for and see if that helps. Other than that, it was perfect. Thanks so much!