Perfect Caesar Salad

Here are some hot tips for how you can take your caesar salad to the next level!

• LETTUCE OPTIONS

  YES! You have to think about what lettuce you choose, don’t simply reach for the conventional lettuce at your grocery store. Instead, head to your local farmers market and find the most crisp, irresistible, seasonal lettuce you can find.

  • ROMAINE: The classic choice for caesar. Fresh, crunchy, and sturdy. It holds its shape when dressed with a hefty dressing, and adds a refreshing bitterness near the core. It can be served as whole leaves, chopped, shredded, or dare I say… GRILLED! 

  • LITTLE GEM: Basically baby romaine, little gem offers the most versatility when making a caesar salad. The heads of lettuce can be split in half or in quarters, torn into leaves, or shredded. Sometimes the outer less crunchy leaves of little gem can wilt under the heft of caesar dressing.

  • RADICCHIO: Sturdy, bitter lettuces like radicchio are a great accompaniment for caesar. In Italy, radicchio is often paired with flavors of anchovy and garlic, so why not make a caesar with it? I’m sure you’ve encountered a radicchio/endive caesar salad at some fancy restaurants and gawked over the crunch and refined taste.

• CROUTON OPTIONS

  • SOURDOUGH: Find the best sourdough possible, cut into 1-inch cubes, dress liberally with olive oil, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a hefty grating of parmesan cheese. Bake on a sheet pan at 375°F until golden brown. The parmesan on the croutons will add a beautiful cheesy crust to your croutons.

  • TOASTED PANKO: Sometimes you want a lighter crunch to add to your salad. I recommend dry toasting panko breadcrumbs in the oven at 350°F until lightly golden brown.

• GARNISHING

  Luckily, my caesar dressing is PACKED with black pepper and parmesan, but a little extra on top doesn’t hurt. For parmesan, make sure you’re using real Parmigiano Reggiano DOP, ideally grated on a microplane or with a veggie peeler. The pre-grated stuff is usually made from an imitation American cheese and has an unappealing waxy texture, just go for the real stuff. In terms of black pepper, freshly ground is the only option, here’s a link to my favorite pepper grinder.