Easy Caesar Dressing

This Caesar dressing really hits the spot. You know I love vinaigrettes, but sometimes only a creamy dressing will do. I’ve been feeling sentimental lately and decided to satisfy my craving for the classic Caesar salad.

This Caesar salad dressing requires just a few pantry ingredients. Stir them together while you bake up some croutons, and you’re ready to enjoy top-notch restaurant-quality Caesar salads at home.

Compared to other Caesar dressing recipes, this dressing is remarkably simple to make. We’ll start with a base of mayonnaise, which is easier than emulsifying oil and egg, not to mention foolproof.

This Caesar dressing is anchovy-free, which makes it suitable for vegetarians like me and anyone with a shellfish allergy. (Technically, anchovies are fish, but they are likely to cause reactions in this with shellfish allergies.) It will also appeal to anyone who is sensitive to anchovy flavor. This dressing offers bold, classic Caesar flavor, without the anchovies!

Caesar Salad Dressing Ingredients

To make this Caesar dressing, we’ll simply stir together the following:

Mayonnaise

Some Caesar dressing recipes call for oil and egg yolk, which turn into mayonnaise during the process of making the recipe. We’re taking the easy route and starting with store-bought mayonnaise. You’ll find an array of mayonnaise options at well-stocked grocery stores these days—I prefer organic options made with olive or avocado oil.

Garlic

Just one clove of garlic will do the trick. Use a garlic press or mince it finely by hand.

Lemon Juice

Lemon juice is one of several tangy ingredients in this dressing, so we only need a couple of teaspoons (one lemon will be more than plenty).

Dijon Mustard

Dijon mustard lends some key flavoring to Caesar dressing. You probably won’t discern it in the final product, but it makes a big difference.

Worcestershire Sauce

Just a small amount of Worcestershire sauce makes this Caesar dressing taste complete! Worcestershire sauce offers loads of rich umami flavor that makes this dressing taste complex and irresistible. In the absence of anchovies, Worcestershire sauce is absolutely key.

Anchovy/dietary note: If you are vegetarian or allergic to shellfish, choose your Worcestershire sauce carefully. Traditional Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies, but several brands make anchovy-free Worcestershires (Wizard’s, Annie’s and Whole Foods 365 come to mind). Also note that these sauces typically introduce soy, if that is relevant to you.

Parmesan Cheese

Parmesan ups the ante with additional salty, umami flavor and a rich, cheesy texture. Finely grated Parmesan is best here. Vegetarians, try Whole Foods 365 or BelGioioso brands of Parmesan, which are truly vegetarian (most Parmesans contain animal rennet).

Salt, Pepper & Water

Since several of the ingredients in this recipe are already salty, we won’t add much additional salt. We will, however, load up this dressing with black pepper, to taste! Lastly, we’ll thin the dressing with a tablespoon of water so it reaches a drizzly consistency.