Caesar Salad Recipe
Whole Romaine Leaves with Parmesan Crisps. Also available with Grilled Chicken
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Ingredients
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Salad
Parmesan Crisps
Caesar Dressing
Optional: Grilled Chicken
Method
Parmesan Crisps
- 1
Preheat and prepare
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- 2
Form crisps
Place tablespoon-sized mounds of the 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan on the prepared sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart. Gently flatten each mound into a 2- to 3-inch round.
- 3
Season and bake
Sprinkle a tiny pinch of the optional 1/4 tsp black pepper over each mound. Bake in the preheated oven 5–7 minutes, watching closely, until edges are golden brown and centers look set.
- 4
Cool
Remove from oven and let crisps cool on the baking sheet for 2–3 minutes so they firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Crisps will crisp more as they cool.
Caesar Dressing
- 5
Combine base ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons olive oil, mashed anchovy fillets (or anchovy paste), minced garlic, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce until smooth.
- 6
Add cheese and season
Whisk in 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan, then season with 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper and 1/4 tsp kosher salt. Taste and adjust lemon, salt, or anchovy to preference.
- 7
Chill briefly
If time allows, cover and refrigerate the dressing for 15–30 minutes to let flavors meld. Stir again before using.
Optional: Grilled Chicken
- 8
Marinate
Pound chicken breasts to even thickness if needed. In a bowl combine 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Add chicken and coat; let sit 15–30 minutes (or up to 2 hours refrigerated).
- 9
Grill
Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high. Grill chicken 4–6 minutes per side (depending on thickness) until internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Let rest 5 minutes, then slice thinly on the bias.
Salad Assembly
- 10
Prepare leaves
Arrange 6 whole cleaned and dried Romaine leaves on a serving plate or individual plates, slightly overlapping to create a bed.
- 11
Dress lettuce
Put about 3–4 tablespoons of the prepared Caesar dressing into a small bowl. Drizzle or gently toss each Romaine leaf with about 1/2 tablespoon to 1 tablespoon dressing — you want to lightly coat but keep leaves intact. Reserve extra dressing to serve on the side.
- 12
Add Parmesan and pepper
Sprinkle the 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan evenly over the dressed leaves and finish with a light crack of freshly ground black pepper and a small pinch of the 1/2 tsp kosher salt if desired.
- 13
Top with crisps and chicken
Place 2–3 Parmesan crisps on top of the leaves for crunch. If using grilled chicken, arrange sliced chicken (about half a breast per serving; total 2 breasts serves 2–3) over the leaves.
- 14
Serve
Serve immediately so the leaves remain crisp and crisps retain their crunch. Provide extra dressing at the table.
