Easy Caesar Salad Recipe

Just 5 miles from my house is an amazing winery and restaurant that serves award-winning Illinois wines. Can you believe it? Award winning wine from Illinois? The first time we ate there I was sure the wine would be a little lacking … but it’s amazingly good. Acquaviva Winery also has a fabulous Caesar salad that left me wanting more. So I did a bit of research for a Caesar salad recipe and came up with my own concoction, borrowing from 2 standard recipes.

The classic Caesar salad recipe calls for a raw egg which leaves me a little weak in the knees.

You know, the whole salmonella thing. But I learned you can coddle the egg, ie boil it for just one minute before adding it to the ingredients, which made me feel a little better. But being the chicken I am, I decided to opt out of using an egg. I found several yummy Caesar salad recipes that don’t call for the egg.

 

I found I was going to have to use these disgusting little things. Ugh! I have never used anchovies in a recipe. Yes, I’m a vegetarian but I do eat fish on occasion … so technically that makes me a pescetarian. Hubby loves these salty little things. Eats them straight out of the can.

 

In the end, I combined parts of 2 different recipes to create this Caesar salad dressing.

My version does not use the egg, coddled or not.

 

Be sure to use cold, romaine lettuce so that you have a refreshing little crunch to your salad.

 

Add some big croutons and grated Parmesan cheese. Yum!

 

Hubby and I ate our Caesar salad alfresco on the porch with a glass of Pinot Gris.

This Caesar salad recipe was very tasty, but next time I’m going to step out of my comfort zone and try the Caesar Salad recipe that calls for a coddled egg. I’m pretty sure the restaurant’s Caesar salad dressing was made with an egg, after all, and it didn’t kill me.

 

Caesar Salad Recipe

1-2 garlic cloves, chopped
6 flat anchovies, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
Coarsely grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite size pieces

Place first 6 ingredients in a blender and liquify until smooth. While blender is running, slowly and gradually add olive oil in a slow stream and blend well. Keep blender running and add water and worcestershire sauce, and then add the finely grated cheese.

Put torn romaine lettuce into big bowl. Gradually pour dressing over lettuce and stir well. Add small amounts of dressing, being careful not to over-saturate. Divide into serving bowls and top with croutons and coarsely grated cheese, if desired. Serves 2-4.