The best caesar salad recipe

Caesar salad is a café classic that can be found on the menu of both fancy and semi-fancy sidewalk cafes. It's the kind of recipe that can be made in the most delicious, most luxurious way. And with cheap ingredients and chicken meat that's almost even drier than the croutons. Your relationship with Caesar salad probably depends on which of the above versions you've been served. Caesar salad can really be the most delicious serving, and this recipe is a really good example of just that.

ALSO TRY: Pasta salad with pesto and baked carrots or quinoa salad with chicken and strawberries or lunch salad with egg and avocado

Why is it called Caesar salad?

Unfortunately, the answer to the name is a bit boring: It's called Caesar salad because the salad was created by a man named "Caesar Cardini." He was an Italian immigrant to the United States during World War I, and the salad can therefore be said to be an Italian/American fusion.   

Caesar salad dressing

The secret behind a good Caesar salad is the dressing! It may scare many away because it contains raw egg yolk and anchovies. These are not ingredients you would normally use in a dressing - but it tastes so delicious! And it doesn't contain raw eggs or fish at all. The egg yolk is used a bit like when making homemade mayonnaise or aioli. It makes the dressing rich and creamy and helps the oil emulsify. The anchovies add a unique umami flavor to the dressing. Umami is the taste of "savory." The same mmmmhm-taste, which occurs when things are grilled or caramelized, and which we know from sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms and parmesan. And yes, there is actually parmesan in the dressing, so this is really a real umami dressing! If anchovies are a no-go in your kitchen, they can be omitted. 

ALSO TRY: Chickpea salad with eggplant and sun-dried tomatoes or autumn salad with pumpkin

How do you make Caesar salad?

Caesar salad is made on a base of romaine lettuce or the slightly smaller heart lettuce. The size of the romaine lettuce can vary greatly, but just adjust the amount to how hungry you are for salad and fill the salad plate accordingly. The salad should be topped with the creamy Caesar dressing. The dressing is easily made by blending the ingredients together with a hand blender. That way you don't have to worry about the dressing separating. In the classic version of the salad, there is actually no chicken on the ingredient list. But it fits so well and transforms the salad into a meal salad, so it can be cheated as a meal in itself. The chicken is cooked in the oven because it is easiest. But you can also fry it in a pan or on the grill - and you can also use leftover chicken from the day before. You can also poach the chicken, as is done in this recipe for stuffed sweet potatoes. Croutons are also an important ingredient, and it is highly recommended that you make your own homemade croutons. It's so easy and a great way to avoid food waste. Finally, sprinkle a good amount of parmesan over the salad. You can either make parmesan flakes or grate the parmesan cheese over it. Both taste great, so just do what you prefer or are in the mood for. 

ALSO TRY: Salad with hot smoked salmon and avocado