DIY Caesar Dressing

I hate most bottled dressings. For the past five years or so I’ve been dressing my salad with my self-proclaimed “Best-Dressed Salad” Dressing. It’s light, flavorful and I know exactly what is in it. (P.S. Anyone here know what calcium disodium edta is? If you’ve got trouble pronouncing it, or red squiggly lines show up underneath it in a word document, you probably shouldn’t put it in your body.)

One dressing that I almost never tire of is Caesar dressing. I’ve had my fair share of bad Caesar dressings (an awful “lite” one during a family diabetic cleanse, one that was deemed “too fishy” at Sammy’s Wood Fired Pizza, etc) but there’s also plenty out there that are awesome (I’m looking at you, Flemings!).

This past week I scheduled Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad for dinner (and grilled some extra chicken for the next night for chicken loaded nachos.) I marinated the boneless skinless chicken breasts in the same marinade I made for some grilled salmon way back yonder. Then sliced it and loaded it up on top of freshly torn romaine leaves with sliced hard-boiled eggs and Texas toast croutons. The only problem? We had no Caesar dressing.

So I made my own. Very simple to make and convenient because most people will have all ingredients on hand. If I had some anchovy paste, I certainly would’ve added some, so feel free to add some paste to your taste.

Homemade Caesar Dressing

• 1-2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 cup EVOO
• 1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (I added more in the end, though. So tweak as you find necessary. This also helps give it a little bit of “fish” flavor for those not using anchovy paste.)
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard (use dry mustard if you’re out of Dijon)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• Salt and pepper to taste

Shake it up

1. In a food processor (or blender), blend the garlic cloves and olive oil.
2. Add remaining ingredients and blend until well-combined.
3. Pour in a thin line over salad bowl and toss, adding more if necessary.

Tips to Remember:

• *Please note that consuming raw eggs may result in salmonella contamination. Always use fresh eggs.
• It’s ok to cheat and use Kraft parmesan in this recipe—in fact, I recommend it!
• If the idea of consuming a raw egg doesn’t sit well with you, simply omit it. Just make the dressing in the morning and let it sit in the fridge to thicken up a little.
• If you’re not a garlicky person, I’d recommend using 1/2-1 clove.
• Can keep in the fridge for a day or two.
• Between this and my best-dressed salad, you will never buy bottled dressing again.

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