I scrolled down about 40 reviews looking for someone, anyone, who had actually followed this recipe, but couldn't find one. I, however, followed it to a T - right down to the real anchovies and not anchovy paste. IT WAS EXCELLENT. I've been using an "authentic" caeser recipe for awhile, and this is much, much better (and easier to make). This is going on my list of keepers and will replace any caeser dressing I make in the future.
Whether it's at home or in restaurants, my husband and I are always spoiled by good, fresh, from scratch Caesar dressing. This recipe sounded too good to be true, so curiosity got the better of me and I dared to try it. I scaled this down to 2 servings and, so as not to waste the better part of a can of anchovies, used a little dab of anchovy paste instead. Outside of the dressing being a little thicker than I liked, which I simply thinned with a little half and half, it was just wonderfully creamy, flavorful and a fine substitute for the "real" thing. So glad I came across this recipe!
This was very good! I took the suggestion of another reviewer and put everything in a blender after chopping the garlic and anchovies. I've made it a second (and now a third) time and a small food processor actually works better than the blender. The ingredients were a little thick and wouldn't blend, so I added a very little bit of milk on the suggestion of another reviewer and a little bit of red wine vinegar. Additionally, I added a couple drops of tabasco. After that, everything blended perfectly. I also used some grated parmesan in the dressing and then added some shredded parmesan after I mixed it with the lettuce. Finally, I also added some extra lemon juice at the end- over the top of the salad. I found that the dressing is better after it sits for a while (!!!) so the flavors can meld (before you add the lettuce), as is usually the case with homemade salad dressings. This was fairly garlicky, but I love garlic and usually add extra to recipes - I didn't add any extra garlic and I really liked this- perfect for me, but would be okay with more garlic as well. Finally, I definitely would keep in the anchovies- If you chop them fine (and I even chopped them before I put them in the blender) you don't even know they're there, it's not fishy, but it does add to the caesar dressing. Also, I found that all of the oil was needed in the blender for it to blend, but in the future, I will add the other ingredients (milk, red wine vinegar) to get it to blend and then slowly dri
Sound the trumpets! Call off the dogs! The search for the ultimate creamy Caesar dressing is over. This is IT. We love this so much, I always make extra to serve on the side for bread dipping. Like many others, I sub anchovy paste for the anchovies (1/2 teaspoon paste per anchovy) and use parmigiano reggiano with a VERY heavy hand. The croutons are the best I've ever tasted, but this salad can stand on its own without them if you're pressed for time. A sliced roma tomato fanned on the edge of each plate is our favorite addition for both color and taste, but this is such an amazingly good recipe that the possibilities are endless. Grilled shrimp? Crab? Avocado? Karen Weir, you are a certified Caesar genius. Thank you!
I order Caesar salad every time I go out to eat. The dressing rivals anything I've had in a restaurant. I bake the croutons instead of frying them. Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Spray evenly with olive oil-based cooking spray and sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven, turning often, until dry, crisp and golden (about 15-20 minutes). These are nice and crunchy and low in fat.
I omitted the anchovies and it was delicious! Just like in restaurants.
OK, here's the deal: Against every fiber of my being as a Caesar Salad purist (NO MAYO!) I will give this recipe 5 stars IF all you ANCHOVY HATERS will go directly to your pantry and REMOVE the Worchestershire Sauce. If you wish, you may read the list of ingredients (ANCHOVIES!!) before you toss it in the garbage. If you buy bottled Caesar dressing, read the ingredients CAREFULLY because all that I looked at had anchovies! All kidding aside, this non-traditional Caesar recipe is excellent. The only reason THIS purist is forced to try a mayo version is that my body has played an evil trick on me and messed up my immune system, so my hematologist "prefers" that I skip raw eggs. I made THIS recipe exactly as written (only fair to the submitter if you are going write a review, but don't get me started!) and I REALLY liked it. Actually, I couldn't bring myself to throw away that browned garlic from the croutons, so I added it, chopped, to the salad. I used a sourdough boule from the day-old rack for the croutons and they were great! I highly recommend this recipe for those who are sqeamish about raw eggs... but as for the anchovies? Aw, c'mon... get over yourself and put them in there! If you don't want to deal with the fillets (which are best, especially in jars packed in oil rather than tins) then just buy a tube of anchovy paste. It won't taste "fishy"... just a warm saltiness that is quite pleasant! Thanks, Karen, for a great recipe that I can "live with"!
I am just about the pickiest when it comes to Caesar dressing and I love this one! This dressing makes you drool and crave a Caesar salad. It's just the perfect balance of all the ingredients. Oh...and the homemade garlic croutons are amazing.
I followed the advice of another reviewer and tossed all the ingredients in the food processor and voila...no fuss, no muss. I used the shredded Parmesan instead of grated and extra virgin olive oil when making the croutons. Also, rather than cutting the garlic into quarters...I just took the flat part of my knife and smashed the garlic once. Make sure you don't let the garlic burn when infusing the oil, otherwise if you do, it's worth tossing it and starting over. The smashed garlic should be stirred around in the oil and golden brown before removing it for the fullest flavor.
Try this recipe, guys...you won't regret it! I'm never buying Caesar dressing in a bottle ever again. Thanks, Karen, for submitting it!!
For the past couple of months, I have been trying to incorporate more salads into our dinner rotation. Hubby and I are both fond of Caesar salads and so I chose this salad as tonight’s dinner entrée. To make this a more “stick to your ribs” dinner, I tossed in some cut up chicken tenders that I pan fried in Old Bay. I put my romaine in a large plastic bowl and mixed in the dressing until all the leaves were coated. I only used 3 anchovies because I wasn’t sure how strong they would taste. And I did rinse them off to do away with any “fishy” taste. Instead of preparing the croutons as this recipe instructed, I used the Garlic Crouton recipe on this site instead. It was terrific. I definitely recommend this salad to those Caesar lovers out there. Thank you so much for sharing this one Karen!!
