Healthy Caesar Dressing Recipe

I love a good Caesar salad, don’t you? Have you ever had one prepared by a chef tableside? It’s performance art!

And Caesar salad shows up in so many forms. Chicken is often added to make a main course salad, and you can find  recipes for Caesar salad pizzas, Caesar salad sandwiches, Caesar salad appetizers, Caesar salad soup (really!), and even a bacon-and-egg Caesar salad breakfast. 

With the recipe I’m bringing you today, you can prepare your own Caesar salad. It’s really a simple salad and I have a healthier-for-you dressing that I’m sure you’ll love.

A Little History

Caesar salad was not invented by a long ago Roman emperor. The story goes that an Italian chef, named Caesar Cardini, immigrated to the United States and opened a restaurant in San Diego, California. When Prohibition laws were passed in the U.S., he opened a second restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico, in order to serve alcohol to his patrons. In 1924, on a busy Fourth of July weekend, running low on supplies, out of desperation he created what is now known as a Caesar salad. It’s thought that the original salad was meant to be a finger food, served on individual Romaine lettuce leaves. (Thanks, Wikipedia!)

Julia Child, who visited Caesar’s restaurant with her parents, recounts how Caesar himself rolled a big cart up to their table, and made a Caesar salad for the family. She says, “It was a sensation of a salad from coast to coast, and there were even rumblings of its success in Europe.” (From Julia Child’s Kitchen, 1975).

Healthy Caesar Dressing

No raw egg yolks! Traditionally, Caesar dressing is made with raw egg yolks to add creaminess. We skip the egg yolks to keep things easy and unquestionably safe.

But yes to anchovies! Canned anchovy fillets add lots of savory umami flavor. Please don’t leave them out. They don’t taste a bit “fishy” and add so much to the dressing. You’ll find them in my Green Goddess dressing, too. 

Made with healthy yogurt. If you have tried any of my creamy salad dressings, you know my trick: Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt adds creaminess with less calories and fat than mayonnaise or sour cream. I like to use 2% or full fat yogurt but non-fat is fine, too. With only 60 calories per serving (2 tablespoons), it’s a pretty healthy dressing.

How To Make Caesar Dressing

You’ll need a a mini blender or food processor to get a nice smooth salad dressing. Simply blend together:

• Greek yogurt
• a small amount of mayo (just one-fourth cup!)
• 2 anchovy fillets (or a teaspoon of anchovy paste)
• lemon juice, freshly squeezed, to brighten the flavor
• fresh garlic
• Dijon mustard 
• salt and pepper

That’s it! Whirl it all together until it’s nice and creamy. Stir in grated Parmesan cheese, and you are ready to make your own classic Caesar salad.

You’ll need romaine lettuce, croutons (homemade croutons are by far the best!), and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. Toss it all together until the dressing coats everything well.

Enjoy!

Recipe Variations

• No mayo version: I like the flavor of a little mayo in the dressing but if you want, you can use all yogurt. The dressing will be a bit more tangy. If it’s too tangy, add a little sweetener (sugar, honey, agave), a teaspoon or so.
• Vegan recipe: While I don’t have a recipe on my site, you could take a look at this vegan Caesar salad by Platings and Pairings. No anchovies, no mayo, eggs, or dairy, this salad is made with blended cashews, and includes capers for umami flavor.
• Add protein: Make a main dish salad by adding cooked chicken, fish, hard boiled eggs, or chickpeas.
• Add more veggies: Not classic, but why not? Tomatoes, sliced cucumber, chopped bell peppers, or radishes all go great in this salad. 
• Chicken Caesar pasta salad: You can use this homemade dressing to make a fabulous main course pasta salad. It’s always a hit and it’s very easy.

Storage Tips

Make this Caesar dressing ahead and store it in the fridge for up to a week, in a tightly covered container or jar. Shake it well before serving.