Caesar Salad is very common in today’s menus. Really it’s too common! This recipe is adapted from the 1961 Antoinette Pope School Cookbook. It was a cooking school in Chicago where my mom took classes in the 1940s and 1950s.
I’ve omitted the anchovies and the coddled egg. Everything else is the same. They gave you a choice with the garlic too. Either rub it in the bowl and discard it or leave it in the bowl to blend in with the dressing. Instead I minced the garlic and salt and then added it to the dressing.
The original recipe uses oil, no specific type. I like sunflower oil. It is very mild and allows the flavor of the dressing ingredients to blossom! Definitely don’t use olive oil.
Serves 8-10
4 medium cloves garlic
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup sunflower oil (not olive oil)
1/4 cup good quality white wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for sprinkling on the salad if you want
2 pounds romaine lettuce
1 cup small croutons or more
16 oz grilled chicken breast or more, optional
- Rinse the lettuce well and drain. Wrap in paper towels. Keep in the frig
- Mince the garlic and salt together to form a paste
- Combine the garlic paste and oil in a medium bowl
- Beat the mixture with a fork, whisk or immersion blender/stick blender until it’s thick.
- Add the wine vinegar and lemon juice and continue to beat together
- Add the Worcestershire, dry mustard, pepper and Parmesan. Continue to beat together.
- Tear the lettuce into bite size pieces. Place it in a large serving bowl
- Toss in the salad dressing to coat all the lettuce
- Add the croutons
- Add sliced grilled chicken if you like and drizzle more dressing over it all.
- You can also brush the dressing on the chicken before grilling or make a double batch of dressing and use half of it to marinate the chicken before grilling!
- Sprinkle more Parmesan over your salad
- Voila!
Rinse and drain the lettuce. Place on paper towels and then roll it up. Keep it in the frig until ready to eat!
We’ve followed this recipe dozens of times! Can you tell? I hope you enjoy it too!
nina in the kitchen 
