Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons and Balsamic Dressing |
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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 0 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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Alexis Watson of Irvine, California, writes: You could say I'm a bit obsessive when it comes to cooking. Often I'll take a particular recipe and spend months perfecting it, as I've done with the Caesar salad here. My wife wanted an easy do-ahead dressing that was creamy but didn't use egg yolks. Now we make this salad several times a week, so it was certainly well worth the effort. Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil, divided |
3 large garlic cloves, crushed, divided |
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt |
1 15-ounce loaf country-style white bread, crust removed, cut into cubes |
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese |
1/4 cup mayonnaise |
2 anchovy fillets |
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar |
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice |
1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard |
1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce |
1 very large head of romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces |
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk 1/4 cup oil, 2 garlic cloves, and coarse salt in large bowl to blend. Add bread cubes and toss to coat. Transfer croutons to baking sheet. Bake croutons until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)
2. Combine cheese, mayonnaise, anchovies, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1/4 cup oil, and 1 garlic clove in blender; puree until smooth. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Place lettuce and croutons in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Serve with any remaining dressing.
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