Cabbage Caesar Salad
Updated July 1, 2026
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Ready In
- 30 min
- Rating
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Ingredients
1 small baguette or chunk of sourdough bread (about 8 ounces), preferably day-old, torn or cut into bite-size pieces (about 4 cups)
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
½ cup grated Parmesan, divided, more for garnish
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, more to taste
4 anchovy fillets (or 1 teaspoon drained capers)
1 fat garlic clove, finely grated or minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup mayonnaise
8 cups shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix (24 ounces)
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 to 8 servings)
21 grams carbs; 11 milligrams cholesterol; 311 calories; 12 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 22 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 423 milligrams sodium; 8 grams protein; 4 grams sugar
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
- Step 1
Make the croutons: Heat oven to 400 degrees. On a rimmed sheet pan, toss bread pieces with 3 tablespoons olive oil and 3 tablespoons cheese to coat evenly. Spread in an even layer, sprinkle lightly with salt and bake until crunchy and evenly browned, 10 to 15 minutes, tossing halfway through. Taste a crouton and add more salt if needed. Use a spatula to scrape up any crunchy cheese stuck to the pan and stir into the warm croutons. Let croutons cool on the baking pan.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, make the dressing: In a blender or using an immersion blender, combine the lemon juice, anchovies, garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and a pinch each salt and pepper, and pulse a few times to break up the anchovies.
- Step 3
Add the mayonnaise and the remaining 5 tablespoons olive oil, and blend until smooth. Taste and add more lemon juice, salt and pepper as needed.
- Step 4
In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, croutons, remaining 5 tablespoons cheese and enough of the dressing to coat the cabbage. Toss well, adding more dressing as needed. Top with more cheese and pepper, and serve.
Private Notes
Comments
If you sauté those bread cubes in a little butter (salted), they'll stay crisper, taste better, and you won't need to turn on the oven.
I usually use anchovy paste instead of the whole anchovies. Same umami, easy to use with a squeeze from the tube, no waste, or left over smelly tin, and keeps in the fridge forever.
is that nappa or savoy cabbage? doesn't look like regular cabbage. if savoy, don't you have to soak in water to rid it of bitterness?
Note: I made this with plain old green cabbage. Love the dressing! In my experience, very much through the lens of my Balkan MIL, it’s important to massage the cabbage after you slice it (however thin you like). Which means: salt the cabbage after, then pour some olive oil in your hands and squeeze the cabbage massage-like until it’s somewhat softened. Then add dressing, etc., and refrigerate till serving. Loved it!
On vacation. Made this with store bought dressing but added anchovies. I used Cuban bread as the store had no sourdough. Delicious!
The recipe looked great until the mayonnaise at the end. Mayonnaise absolutely destroys a perfectly good Caesar salad. It‘s still salad, but not Caesar. Perhaps Caesar-Inspired Salad?