Lightened-Up Balsamic Caesar Salad with ‘Everything’ Croutons
This salad—or some variation of it—is my “go-to” for an easy greens fix Monday through Friday. The dressing is light, bright, and guilt-free (a.k.a. no yolk like traditional Caesar dressing). It goes with nearly any crisp green and fresh salad topper. So whether your fridge runneth-over with produce or you’re down to your last head of lettuce and a block of Parm (as called-for below), you’ve got yourself an amazing salad.
P.S. The croutons are not essential…but they’re not called ‘Everything’ for no reason.
- 1 demi baguette (whole wheat or sourdough preferred), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1.5-2 tbsp. "everything bagel" seasoning blend (see TIP A for where to find and easy alternatives)
- 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp. mild Dijon or yellow mustard (see TIP B)
- 2 tsp. honey
- 1/2 tsp. anchovy paste (optional, see TIP C)
- 1 small garlic clove, grated (or 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic)
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
- 8-10 c. chopped hearts of romaine or other crunchy green leaf lettuce
- 3/4 c. shaved Parmesan cheese
- 1 c. halved mini heirloom, grape or cherry tomatoes (optional)
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Put the pieces of cubed bread in a mound at the center of a large baking sheet. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over the bread and toss to fully coat. Then sprinkle the bread with the "everything bagel" seasoning and toss again. Evenly distribute the bread cubes in a single layer across the baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated 425° oven for 8-10 minutes or until crisp and toasted.
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Combine all 10 dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk vigorously until fully emulsified. You'll know that the dressing is fully emulsified if it does not separate after a few minutes at rest.
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Put the chopped lettuce and Parmesan shavings together in a large bowl. Then drizzle the dressing over top and give the ingredients a gentle toss. Distribute some or all of the halved tomatoes, croutons, and any of the toasted "everything bagel" seasoning that may have fallen to the bottom of the baking sheet over the top of the salad. Serve with remaining tomatoes and croutons on the side.
TIP A: "Everything bagel" seasoning has become the "it" blend of this decade—a hit among avocado toast lovers. It is pretty widely available these days (Trader Joe's has it's own version that is delicious!), but if you can't find it in your local store then it can be easily replicated at home with a mix of sesame seeds, kosher salt or coarse sea salt, dried minced onion and/or dried minced garlic, and poppy seeds. I recommend a 3:2:1 ratio of 3-times sesame seeds, 2-times salt and dried minced onion and/or garlic, and 1-time poppy seeds.
TIP B: Caesar dressing originated in a California restaurant by a chef named Caesar who found his kitchen depleted after a busy holiday rush. He whipped-up this dressing with the bare-bones ingredients that he had on-hand. Presumably "fancy" mustard was not among these fixings. Hence, mild Dijon or yellow mustard best mimic tradition and also seem to complement (vs. overpower) the other bright flavors in the dressing. I recommend steering-clear of any mustard with a strong nose heat.
TIP C: I really debated over whether to call the anchovy paste "optional" or not. It provides that one-of-a-kind umami flavor that's a hallmark of Caesar dressing. I encourage you to give it a try. You never know, that tube of anchovy paste might just become your new favorite secret ingredient in more than just Caesar dressing. If you choose to omit it, then add an additional 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to the dressing.
Off-Script Tip: I use this vinaigrette on a variety of salad concoctions—not just the traditional Caesar blend of romaine and Parmesan. Go with what you like, what you found, or what you want to try (pea shoots, peppers, pepitas, plums, pita chips...and that's just the "P's"). I believe a salad is anything dressed and mixed (or mixed then dressed), so don't hold back. This dressing is really well-balanced and works with just about any salad base.