A not-fishy, oil-based homemade caesar salad dressing that comes together in under 10 minutes. It's easy to make ahead, and is perfect for side salads or the main event.
A good caesar salad is one of my all-time favorite foods, but there are a lot of ways that caesar dressing can miss the mark for me - an overly fishy bite or dressing that looks and tastes like straight mayonnaise can immediately kill the good-caesar vibes.
One of the best caesar salads I've ever had comes from a restaurant in my hometown. The dressing is more of a silky vinaigrette than a traditional creamy caesar, which is exactly what I was trying to replicate with this recipe.
Which means this dressing has NO EGG and NO MAYO. It's thickened just through emulsion in the food processor.
(This recipe is definitely one you'll want to break out the food processor for!)
IMPORTANT INGREDIENTS
Lots of fresh lemon, garlic, and parmesan give this so much good flavor, with none of the globby creaminess some caesar dressings are prone to.
PARMESAN
One of my favorite things about this homemade caesar dressing is the parmesan in it. You'll use 4 ounces of parmesan diced from a block of cheese (don't use pre-shredded!), and it goes into the food processor with the rest of the ingredients. By the time everything is blended, the parmesan will be in tiny pieces that are SO satisfying on crisp romaine.
ANCHOVY PASTE
Don't skip the anchovy paste! I'm of the opinion that it's one of the grossest ingredients to exist on grocery store shelves and am HIGHLY sensitive to overly-fishy bites, but you just can't get the caesar flavor right without it. Know that I went to great lengths of testing to find out just how little I could get away with using to still get the flavor right.
Make sure you blend your dressing thoroughly so it's evenly dispersed throughout (this will give you a good emulsion, too!).
MAKING AHEAD + STORING
You can use this dressing immediately, or store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. It will get even thicker when chilled.
USE THIS ON:
- A caesar salad. All you need for a delicious caesar is romaine, croutons, more parmesan, and freshly ground pepper.
- A main course salad. Add grilled shrimp or chicken if you want more of a main-course.
- Fresh tomatoes. Branch out and use this for a delicious tomato salad.
(No Egg + No Mayo) Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 4 ounces parmesan cheese, cubed
- 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- 1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2/3 cup olive oil
Directions
- To a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, add the parmesan, lemon juice, garlic, Dijon, anchovy paste, Worchestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Secure the lid and process until cheese is in small pieces and ingredients are combined, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. With the blade running, slowly pour in the olive oil. Continue processing for 1-2 minutes until a creamy dressing forms. Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Stir before using, as some separation will occur.
Patricia Diana Blanck says
Everyone raved about this dressing. It's the best recipe I've ever made!
Mandy Jackson says
So glad you liked it!
Kara J McIntyre says
This is so good. Tastes just like the dressing they use on Caesars at my favorite restaurant. I haven't been able to replicate it until now. So much better than the heavy mayo style dressing. Thanks for sharing!
Marnie says
This is incredible. For years doing the same mayo based recipe and I thought this can’t possibly provide the same Caesar effect…but it does! Rave reviews and this will be my new recipe. Thank you
Mandy Jackson says
Love to hear that, Marnie! Glad it was a hit 🙂
Lisa says
Lol! I used my vitamix, which is usually a fine substitute for the food processor. Unfortunately, it zealously emulsified until I was left with an off white almost paste-consistency dressing. So. Piece of advice. Don't make this in the vitamix! Had to remake in the processor and now I see what everyone is raving about. It's delicious! Thank you!
Charlotte W Jackson says
Perfect! Thank you!
Julie Marovich says
I've made this recipe several times and absolutely love it! I make the recipe exactly as printed except I use a handheld emulsifier stick. It's so easy to use and the cleanup is less than a blender.
Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipe with us all.