Easy Caesar Salad
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I love a good Caesar salad. It makes a perfect side or even main dish with some added protein like chicken, salmon or shrimp. This Easy Caesar Salad recipe came about when I taught a kid’s cooking class. Knowing that kids can have egg allergies and typically Caesar salads have raw egg in it, I made sure this recipe did not. Another bonus is that it makes it safer if it’s outside for a while at a picnic or cookout. It’s easy to make and packed full of flavor.
Make the Croutons
Making homemade croutons is a great way to use up hot dog buns and honestly, I think they taste better than using regular bread because they seem to soak up so much more butter.
Using a 7-3/4″ Petite Slicer, cut four hot dog buns into one-inch cubes.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spread the cubed hot dog buns in a single layer on a baking sheet.
In a small bowl, using a Mix-Stir, whisk together melted butter and garlic powder. Drizzle over the bread cubes, sprinkle with Parmesan and toss until they are all evenly coated. Bake the croutons for about 10 minutes or until they are golden brown.
Make the Dressing
Next prepare the ingredients for the dressing. The dressing in this recipe consists of minced garlic, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. All of these ingredients together really create a bold, fresh flavor.
Add all of the ingredients to a small jar, seal and shake vigorously until combined. Shake again before each use. This dressing can be refrigerated for up to five days and it also goes great on pasta salad.
Assemble the Salad
Cut the romaine lettuce into one-inch ribbons using a 7-3/4″ Petite Slicer and then rough chop.
One thing that I enjoy is grilling the romaine. It’s simple and creates a slightly sweet, smoky and nutty taste. To do it, cut the head of lettuce in half lengthwise, brush with extra-virgin olive oil and lay the cut side of the lettuce flat on top of the grill until it gets some grill marks on it. Once grilled, rough chop the lettuce.
For this version, we didn’t grill the romaine and left it simple and fresh. Place the chopped lettuce into a bowl. Add the grated Parmesan and drizzle with the dressing, tossing until evenly coated. Top with some of the croutons and a few grinds of salt and pepper.
This Easy Caesar Salad really is so simple to make and so tasty. Enjoy!
Ingredients
For the croutons:
- 4 hot dog buns, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt)
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
For the dressing:
- 2 small garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Pinch of salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the salad:
- 1 head romaine, washed, dried and rough chopped
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional add on: Sliced cooked meat of choice, for topping
Directions
Make the croutons:
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Spread the cubed hot dog buns in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter and garlic powder. Drizzle over the bread.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan and toss until evenly coated.
- Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and set aside.
Make the dressing:
- Add all dressing ingredients to a small jar. Seal and shake vigorously until emulsified. Shake again before each use. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days. Note: This dressing is also great on pasta salad.
Assemble the salad:
- Place the chopped romaine into a large bowl. Add grated Parmesan. Drizzle with dressing and toss until evenly coated. Top with croutons and a few grinds of black pepper.
- Note: Take this salad to a meal by topping with sliced grilled chicken breast, salmon or shrimp. You can also lightly grill the romaine before assembling for a smoky twist.
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