Caesar Salad is one of my favorite salads. The combination of crunchy lettuce and even crunchier croutons tossed with the smooth creamy dressing is just the way I like my salads. There are many varieties of this salad available the most common being Chicken Caesar salad where grilled and succulent chicken strips are topped over the regular Caesar salad.
There are also variations of the Caesar salad dressing available. The authentic Caesar salad dressing calls for eggs, Worcestershire sauce and anchovy paste. But I wanted to make it purely vegetarian version so I have altered the dressing accordingly. Instead of Worcestershire sauce and anchovy paste I've used capers ( these are small pea sized green buds often sold pickled in salt and vinegar). Capers are good alternative since they provide a strong salty umami flavor that is usually imparted by anchovy otherwise.
Overall, this eggless dressing comes out nice and creamy and perfectly tasty. In-fact I super liked the way this dressing tasted so used it with couple of different salad combinations. I had no homemade croutons left at hand so opted for the ready made croutons (available at grocery stores) for this recipe.
Overall, this eggless dressing comes out nice and creamy and perfectly tasty. In-fact I super liked the way this dressing tasted so used it with couple of different salad combinations. I had no homemade croutons left at hand so opted for the ready made croutons (available at grocery stores) for this recipe.
Ingredients:
1 head romaine lettuce, broken into pieces (see notes for details)
Few croutons (as much as you like, have used the garlic flavor)
some grated Parmesan cheese
For dressing:
4 tablespoon of mayonnaise (have used the egg-less one) or Greek Yogurt (for a lighter version)
2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
2-3 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove of garlic minced
juice of ½ lemon
2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of capers (washed and drained) (you can adjust the quantity to your taste)
1 tablespoon of capers (washed and drained) (you can adjust the quantity to your taste)
salt and pepper to taste
couple of tablespoon water (as required to adjust the consistency)
couple of tablespoon water (as required to adjust the consistency)
Method:
For making Caesar Salad dressing:
In a bowl combine mayonnaise/greek yogurt olive oil, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, capers, salt and pepper. Add a tablespoon of water at a time to adjust the consistency. Mix well to get a smooth and creamy dressing. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For making Caesar Salad:
In a large mixing bowl, add some of the torn lettuce followed by some Parmesan cheese and few croutons. Drizzle the dressing over and mix well so that each lettuce is well coated with the dressing. refrigerate the rest of dressing and use later. While serving I like to top it with some more Parmesan cheese and croutons.
Notes:
- There are ready made torn lettuce packets available in market but I prefer using the the Lettuce head. So if u are using the Lettuce head like me then throw away the outermost layer of lettuce which usually is bit spoiled and spotted. Then tear the remaining lettuce into small to medium size pieces. Wash them thoroughly and dry them completely on paper-towel before using for salad.
- Make sure your lettuce leaves are completely dry else your dressing would become running.
- For this recipe, I've used the egg-less mayonnaise but you could also use the normal one with eggs. Greek yogurt makes a great option for the lighter and healthier salad dressing
- Mix the lettuce with dressing just before serving to avoid the lettuce from wilting
- You can make the dressing ahead of time and use it later when you want to serve the salad.
- The dressing can stay good in refrigerator up to a week.
That's it, our creamy Eggless Caesar Salad is ready, Serve it as a side with soup, pizza, pasta or Just on its own. Enjoy!!
Happy Eating!!
Shweta
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Delicious salad,love with chicken..this looks equally tempting,Shwetha!!
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Simply love this salad, fantastic.
Yum salad, can see the crunchiness in the lettuce.
Delicious salad..
Shabbu's Tasty Kitchen