This "Extreme" Caesar Salad Recipe is quick & easy to make. The dressing smells terrible, burns to eat, & is one of the best you'll ever try!
Originally posted August 29, 2018. Updated 2/16/2021.
About a year or so ago, I happened across a post - maybe it was a tweet? - where someone mentioned using mayo as a base for Caesar dressing.
I hadn’t considered it before - it’s easy enough to make an emulsion with a stick blender or food processor after all - but it was actually kind of brilliant.
Not only did it make things a lot easier, it gets rid of the worries associated with the use of raw eggs.
I decided to mess around with making a mayo based Caesar dressing to our tastes, and came up with this... monstrosity.
This dressing smells TERRIBLE. It burns to eat. The lemon in it makes my tongue feel like it’s ripped to shreds halfway through.
... and it is - far and away - the BEST Caesar salad I’ve ever had in my life.
Extreme Caesar Salad
The weird thing about this recipe is that almost every rave I have about it sounds completely negative! This isn’t about “burst of flavour”, it’s more like “punch you in the face with flavour”.
This recipe is definitely geared towards garlic lovers, so keep that in mind!
If you’ve never worked with anchovies before, you may have a weird idea of what to expect.
Though this recipe has a lot of anchovy in it, it doesn’t taste fishy at all. Anchovy doesn’t really taste like fish, it just has a rich, salty, complex flavour that adds a ton of character to whatever you put it in.
You buy them in little jars, either by the canned meats, or in the fresh fish aisle, depending on your grocery store.
This dressing whips up in just minutes, and makes a SUPER potent dressing. A little goes a long way, so use less dressing than you think you’ll need - you can always mix more in if you want to kick it up a notch or ten!
Anyway...
Homemade Caesar Salad Croutons
Making homemade croutons is a good way to accent this dressing, because who wants crappy store bought croutons when you’re serving a special dressing?
Not I!
So, here’s my non-recipe recipe for my croutons. They take only about 3 minutes to prepare, and 15 or so minutes to bake - totally worth the effort!
Crouton Ingredients
Bread of choice*
Butter or oil**
Garlic powder
Dried parsley
Salt
Pepper
Homemade Caesar Crouton Technique
Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or don't. It's not really needed, but makes clean up easier!)
First, cut your bread into cubes of whatever size you like, and place in a bowl that's big enough to stir them around easily.
I like to cut fairly big pieces, so that they can get toasty and crisp on the outside, and stay tender inside. Your mileage may vary!
Next, melt your butter (if using). Drizzle some butter or oil over the bread pieces, tossing well to coat.
You want them lightly coated, not drowning in butter. Eyeball it - you can always add more if you feel it needs it!
Once you have the bread lightly coated, sprinkle on the remaining ingredients, to suit your tastes. Taste as you go!
Once you're happy with the flavour, spread the bread pieces out on your baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes, stirring a few times during the baking.
If you're happy with the colour of them at 15 minutes, remove and let cool slightly before adding to your salad.
If not, let them bake a little while longer, keeping an eye on them.
Homemade Caesar Crouton Tips
* While many people use stale bread, I don't. I like soft interiors to my croutons, so I just chill a few slices for a bit to make them easier to cut nicely.
If you like very crunchy croutons, use stale bread. In terms of type, I like bread with a little character - this was a flax seed bread. You can use whatever bread you like, however - even gluten-free!
** If you want to be *Extra* about it, you can use melted bacon drippings in place of butter or oil!
More Salads!
Looking for more salad recipes - whether as a side, main, or dessert (LOL!)? I’ve got you!
Antipasto Salad
Best Coleslaw Recipe Ever!
Canadian Candy Bar Salad
Cold Smoked Potato Salad
"Extreme" Caesar Salad Recipe
Gramma's Potato Salad
Grilled Halloumi Salad with Peaches & Figs
Harvest Chicken Salad
Hazelnut Crusted Chicken Salad
Mango Salad
Marie's Pasta Salad
No Tomato Quinoa Tabbouleh
Rainbow Salad with Carrot Dressing
Roasted Corn & Potato Salad
Roasted Radish Salad
Wild Rice & Edamame Salad
Share the Love!
Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you instagram it, be sure to tag me - @CelebrationGenerationCA - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!
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Well, the published nonsense, anyway!
“Extreme” Caesar Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 Anchovy Fillets
- 5-6 Garlic Cloves
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worchestershire Sauce
- ¾ Cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese
- Salt
- Pepper
To Serve
- Romaine Lettuce
- Parmesan Cheese
- Croutons
Instructions
- In a small food processor or blender, combine anchovies, pressed garlic, and lemon juice, blitzing to create a smooth paste.
- Add zest, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce, once again blitzing until combined and smooth.
- Add mayo and cheese, blitz once more to combine.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
To Serve
- Chop romaine lettuce, toss with a bit of the dressing - to taste.Top with croutons and parmesan cheese, serve immediately.
Nutrition
Kristen
This looks like something my fiancé would like - he loves caesar salad