My mom would make this almost every single night when I was growing up, and to this day it’s the only salad I’ll finish (much to my mom’s chagrin). The secret is the anchovy paste in the salad dressing; it lends a perfect savory bite to the whole thing. – Allee
Mom’s Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Serves 5 or 6 1x
Description
My mom would make this almost every single night when I was growing up, and to this day it’s the only salad I’ll finish (much to my mom’s chagrin). The secret is the anchovy paste in the salad dressing; it lends a perfect savory bite to the whole thing.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad:
- 1 head of romaine lettuce, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 handful of shaved parmesan
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed
- A pinch of salt and pepper
- A few shakes of worcestershire sauce
- ½ tube of anchovy paste
- 1 egg (optional but very tasty)
Croutons:
- 1 loaf of crusty bread, cut into big cubes (I like to use a crusty sourdough bread that’s relatively fresh, but my mom prefers to use slightly stale baguettes to get more of a crunch)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ a head of garlic, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Cut lettuce, wash, drain well, and dry. Put it in the fridge to chill in designated salad bowl.
- Put the bread, olive oil, and garlic in a large bowl and toss until well combined.
- Spread the bread out evenly on a large baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until browned on all sides, turning them halfway.
- Remove from oven and let cool.
- Remove the lettuce from the fridge and add the parmesan and croutons.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, clove of garlic, salt, pepper, worcestershire sauce, and anchovy paste to create the dressing.
- Pour the dressing onto the salad and toss. (Sometimes there is more dressing than is needed, so only pour what you want.)
- Coddle one egg (put the egg in water and heat over high heat until it JUST begins to boil, then remove the egg). Use a spoon to crack and egg and scoop it onto the salad.
- Toss once more, and then serve!
