Caesar Salad with Rustic Sourdough Croutons
Who doesn’t like a Caesar salad? And can I tell you a secret? Caesar salad is even better when you make the dressing and croutons from scratch. I know, that sounds like a lot of work, but trust me, it’s as simple as separating a couple of eggs and whipping out your immersion blender. My Caesar Salad with Rustic Sourdough Croutons uses stale sourdough bread as the base for delicious, rustic croutons that are way better than any you could get at the store.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients to Make Caesar Salad with Rustic Sourdough Croutons
- Equipment
- Step One—Prepare the Rustic Sourdough Croutons
- Step Two—Prepare the Caesar Dressing
- Step Three—Chop the Romaine
- Step Four—Assemble & Toss the Salad
- Step Five—Serve the Caesar Salad with Rustic Sourdough Croutons
- More Delicious Salad Recipes
- Caesar Salad with Rustic Sourdough Croutons Recipe
Ingredients to Make Caesar Salad with Rustic Sourdough Croutons
To make this salad, you will need the following ingredients:
Rustic Sourdough Croutons
- 165 grams (roughly 3 cups) cubed stale sourdough bread
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Sea salt
- Fresh black pepper
Caesar Dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 20 grams parmesan cheese, chopped into small pieces
- 1 anchovy fillet
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Fresh black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons water
Caesar Salad
- 1 large head of romaine lettuce
- Caesar dressing
- Rustic Sourdough Croutons
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scale
- Immersion blender
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Baking sheet
- Salad spinner
- Cutting board
- Chef’s knife
Step One—Prepare the Rustic Sourdough Croutons
Preheat the oven to 400℉. Spread the cubes of stale sourdough bread on an unlined baking sheet. Drizzle over the olive oil, sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and toss well to coat.
Bake the croutons for 20 minutes, rotating the pan and flipping the croutons halfway through the baking time. Remove the croutons from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet while you prepare the rest of the salad components.
Step Two—Prepare the Caesar Dressing
I love using an immersion blender to make emulsified dressings like Caesar because it makes everything so much easier. When using a food processor to make emulsified dressings and sauces, you have to slowly drizzle the oil into the rest of the ingredients while the machine is running to avoid the sauce separating. This step can be a bit cumbersome and doesn’t always result in a nicely emulsified sauce. I’ve found using an immersion blender fixes this problem completely.
To make the Caesar dressing, add the olive oil, chopped Parmesan cheese, anchovy fillet, egg yolks, garlic, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon, salt, and pepper to a wide-mouthed jar. Use an immersion blender to blend the dressing until smooth and creamy. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of water, or more, to thin the dressing out to your desired consistency.
Step Three—Chop the Romaine
Chop the romaine into bite-sized pieces and wash thoroughly. Use a salad spinner to spin out any excess moisture from the lettuce. Transfer the washed and dried lettuce to a large salad bowl.
To make sure my lettuce is really clean, I like to soak it in cold water, swishing it around with clean hands to dislodge any stuck-on dirt, then drain the leaves and spin them dry. Lettuce can hold lots of dirt and sometimes little critters within all its layers, so be sure you take the time to properly wash it.
Step Four—Assemble & Toss the Salad
Add the croutons to the bowl with the romaine, drizzle over the Caesar dressing, and toss the salad until the dressing is evenly distributed. Grate as much fresh parmesan cheese as your heart desires over the salad.
Step Five—Serve the Caesar Salad with Rustic Sourdough Croutons
Serve the salad immediately. Romaine is a tender lettuce and does not hold up well if it is stored with dressing on it, so this salad is best when enjoyed the day it is made. This recipe will serve 4 people as a side dish.
More Delicious Salad Recipes
If you loved this recipe for Caesar Salad with Rustic Sourdough Croutons, be sure to check out these other delicious salad recipes:
Corn Salad with Fresh Mozzarella & Peaches
Fennel & Apple Slaw with Tangy Dijon Dressing
If you make this recipe, please tag me on Pinterest, TikTok, or Instagram so I can see! I love to see what you all are making.
Feel free to leave any questions, comments, or reviews below. I love to hear from you!
Caesar Salad with Rustic Sourdough Croutons
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scale
- Immersion blender
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Baking sheet
- Salad spinner
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
Ingredients
- 1 large head romaine lettuce
- Rustic sourdough croutons (recipe follows)
- Caesar dressing (recipe follows)
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Rustic Sourdough Croutons
- 165 grams cubed stale sourdough bread (3 cups)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Sea salt & fresh black pepper
Caesar Dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 20 grams parmesan cheese, chopped into small pieces
- 1 anchovy fillet
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- Fresh black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Spread the cubes of stale sourdough bread on an unlined baking sheet. Drizzle over the olive oil, sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and toss well to coat.
- Bake the croutons for 20 minutes, rotating the pan and flipping the croutons halfway through the baking time. Remove the croutons from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet while you prepare the rest of the salad components.
- To make the Caesar dressing, add the olive oil, chopped Parmesan cheese, anchovy fillet, egg yolks, garlic, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon, salt, and pepper to a wide-mouthed jar. Use an immersion blender to blend the dressing until smooth and creamy. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of water, or more, to thin the dressing out to your desired consistency.
- Chop the romaine into bite-sized pieces and wash thoroughly. Use a salad spinner to spin out any excess moisture from the lettuce. Transfer the washed and dried lettuce to a large salad bowl.
- Add the croutons to the bowl with the romaine, drizzle over the Caesar dressing, and toss the salad until the dressing is evenly distributed. Grate as much fresh parmesan cheese as your heart desires over the salad and serve.
