This salad dressing is zesty and sharp—sans bacon, anchovies, or eggs (mayonnaise). This makes it not only on the deliciously cleaner side of most Caesars, but also safer for sitting out in summer—picnics and all! Fresh lemon juice and briny capers add zip so people never doubt that they are getting the real thing.
Citrusy Caesar Salad
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice (1½ lemons)
- 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tsp capers (rinsed)
- 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
- ½-1 tsp chipotle pureé or tobasco
- 1 tsp dijon mustard or ½ tsp dry mustard powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
1. Blend all ingredients in a blender, food processor, or use a whisk. For a creamier version, blend with ¼ cup of parmesan.
2. Toss ¼-½ cup salad dressing with 1 head romaine lettuce, washed (torn into pieces), about 10 cups. For an interesting twist, I love this salad with shaved fennel instead of regular old romaine. About 5 cups thinly sliced—only the white part—topped with large pieces of thinly shaved parmesan and crisp fried capers.
3. Sprinkle with ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese. If you are vegan, you can make “hemp parmesan” by blending equal amounts of hemp seeds with nutritional yeast flakes—really ups your protein and B vitamin profile or try this recipe for a vegan option.
4. Add croutons for crunch.
*Originally published March 3, 2013
