Garden Salad - Caesar Salad - Seasonal Salad Recipe

Wash and dry romaine and mixed baby lettuces thoroughly. Spin or pat dry and tear or chop romaine into 1- to 1½-inch pieces. Place in a large salad bowl and set aside. Add thinly sliced fresh herbs to the greens.

Make croutons

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Toss bread cubes with 2 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake 10–12 minutes, tossing once, until golden and crisp. Let cool.

While still warm, toss croutons with 1 tbsp grated Parmesan so the cheese lightly adheres. Reserve extra Parmesan shavings for finishing the salad.

Prepare the dressing

In a medium bowl, mash minced garlic and chopped anchovy fillets together with the blunt side of a knife or the back of a spoon until they form a paste.

Add the egg yolk (or pasteurized yolk), Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce to the garlic-anchovy paste. Whisk until combined.

Slowly drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil while whisking vigorously to create an emulsion. Start drop by drop, then in a thin steady stream until the dressing is thick and glossy (about 6 tbsp oil total).

Stir in 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional lemon juice or salt if needed. If the dressing is too thick, thin with up to 1–2 tsp water.

Prepare the seasonal produce: halve cherry tomatoes, peel/seed and slice cucumber, thinly slice radishes, and slice your seasonal fruit. Lightly toast nuts in a small dry skillet over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until fragrant; cool.

Add the prepared seasonal add-ins (tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, fruit, and toasted nuts) to the bowl with the greens.

Pour about 3/4 of the Caesar dressing over the salad (reserve some for guests who want extra). Toss gently but thoroughly until every leaf is lightly coated. Add croutons and toss once more.

Transfer to a serving platter or serve from the bowl. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup grated Parmesan and Parmesan shavings over the top and finish with a few grinds of black pepper and a light pinch of salt if needed.

Serve immediately so croutons remain crisp. Leftover dressing can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.