Original Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe
Discover the original bold, creamy Caesar salad dressing recipe inspired by Caesar Cardini. With Parmesan, egg yolk, garlic, anchovies, lemon, and olive oil, this classic whips up in 5 minutes in a food processor!
Servings 6 servings
Calories 141kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large egg yolk see Notes
- 2 large cloves garlic peeled
- 3 anchovies or more if desired; see Notes
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ounce parmesan cheese freshly-grated (about 1/2 cup)
Instructions
- Add the egg yolk, garlic cloves, anchovies, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper to a food processor, and pulse until the mixture is creamy and well-combined, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary.
- With the motor running, very slowly drizzle in the olive oil, starting with just a drop at a time until you’ve drizzled in at least 2 tablespoons of it, and then drizzle it in a thin stream.
- Once all the oil is added, add the parmesan and pulse a couple times to incorporate it into the dressing. Transfer the dressing to a glass jar with a lid and chill until serving. TIP: If you have the time, let it chill for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving so the flavors can blend and the dressing can thicken.
Notes
- Raw Egg Yolk: For food safety reasons, the FDA recommends using pasteurized egg yolks if they'll be eaten raw.
- Anchovies: If you're hesitant about anchovies, don’t worry! They don’t make the dressing taste “fishy.” They just add salty, umami depth of flavor. However, if you prefer, you can skip the anchovies and add an extra splash of Worcestershire (about 1/2 teaspoon).
- Texture: In this recipe, we use an easy trick to make the dressing a bit more textured (similar to how it would be if made by hand using traditional methods). Simply pulse the freshly-grated cheese in at the end, instead of adding it at the beginning along with the egg yolk, garlic, and anchovies. On the other hand, if you want the end result smoother, you can add the cheese at the beginning instead.
- Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This makes about 3/4 cup of dressing, which is 6 (2-tablespoon) servings.
- Storage: Store this salad dressing in a covered glass jar in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 199mg | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 83IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 0.3mg