Caesar Salad Dressing

By Kia Damon

Published June 25, 2024

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
15 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Rating
5(1,258)
Comments
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This undisputed salad classic embodies four pillars of flavor: salt, fat, umami and acid. Traditional recipes for the dressing call for egg yolks and a particular finesse that you’d find with a table-side restaurant preparation. This version, however, leans on quality, store-bought mayonnaise for a creamy base. Another key to Caesar is the richness of tinned anchovies. You could use anchovy paste for convenience’s sake, but if you mince the anchovies, you’ll be rewarded with a dressing that boasts a subtle texture. Other uses than the obvious salad: toss with pasta or use as a surprising dressing for crispy, pan-fried potatoes.

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Ingredients

Yield:1½ cups

  • 2 garlic cloves

  • 4 oil-packed anchovies, drained

  • 1 cup mayonnaise

  • ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard

  • ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 

  • ¼ cup lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons), plus more to taste

  • ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan

  • Salt and black pepper

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

1 gram carbs; 11 milligrams cholesterol; 151 calories; 4 grams monosaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 16 grams fat; 213 milligrams sodium; 2 grams protein

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Finely mince the garlic cloves. Mince the anchovies: Stack them on top of each other and run your knife down lengthwise, then bunch them up and chop again. Repeat this process until the anchovies are a slightly chunky paste.

  2. Step 2

    Add the garlic and anchovies to a medium bowl, and follow with mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, Parmesan and 2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper. Whisk well, then taste and add salt or lemon juice as desired. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,258 user ratings
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Comments

William Wroblicka

Anchovies are not something I use every day in my kitchen, so opening up a tin to get the four fillets called for in this recipe would pose the problem of what to do with the rest. Anchovy paste in a tube to the rescue! Two teaspoons of anchovy paste can be substituted for the four minced fillets (per America's Test Kitchen), and the rest of the tube can be capped and stored in the refrigerator where it will keep for months (per Bon Appetit).

Mike Giuseffi

Add 1tsp red wine vinegar and a tablespoon of olive oil. It makes a world of difference.

Linda

Roughly chop the garlic cloves and anchovies. Put dressing ingredients into immersion blender mixing container and blitz till smooth. If raw garlic is too 'explosive' in your gut, double the amount of garlic, but put it into a microwave-proof custard cup, barely cover with water, and zap for 40-60 seconds until it just starts to look translucent. It will have a milder flavor, and not be so hard to digest.

Jeffrey Lemkin

@Ernest Murphy Somewhere in Rome, a tiny old grandmother just sensed mayonnaise in a Caesar dressing and dropped her wooden spoon in horror

K

@summitfarm I've had it in the frig for weeks, and longer. I thought that since all of the ingredients last a long time in the frig, the mixture should as well

Kate

What makes a great Caesar salad is fresh dressing. The best recipe is from Joy of Cooking!

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