Caesar Salad Recipe

Prepare lettuce

Remove outer leaves if bruised. Trim core and halve each romaine head lengthwise, then slice crosswise into 1- to 1½-inch pieces. Rinse in cold water, spin or pat dry thoroughly with clean kitchen towels or a salad spinner. Chill briefly if desired.

Assemble base

Place the dried romaine pieces in a large salad bowl. Add croutons and about three-quarters of the grated Parmesan; reserve the remainder for finishing. Zest the lemon over the bowl lightly (optional) and cut the lemon in half for juicing.

Make dressing

In a medium bowl, combine the mashed anchovy fillets and minced garlic. Add mayonnaise, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice (from the whole lemon), and a pinch of kosher salt. Whisk until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil while whisking to emulsify. Taste and adjust seasoning with remaining salt and freshly ground black pepper. If the dressing is too thick, thin with 1–2 tsp of cold water or additional lemon juice.

Adjust and reserve

Reserve 2–3 tablespoons of dressing if you want to lightly dress the salad before serving; otherwise plan to add more when tossing so leaves remain crisp. Keep dressing chilled until just before serving.

If using optional grilled chicken, slice the warm (or room-temperature) breasts thinly and set aside.

Add about 3–4 tablespoons of the prepared dressing to the salad bowl and toss gently but thoroughly so leaves are coated. Add additional dressing to taste (start conservative — you can always add more).

Sprinkle the remaining grated Parmesan over the tossed salad. Add a generous grind of black pepper and a small pinch of salt if needed. Top with sliced grilled chicken if using.

Serve immediately on chilled plates to keep the romaine crisp. Offer extra dressing and grated Parmesan at the table.