A Light Caesar Salad Dressing

There’s nothing more satisfying than a good Caesar salad.  I found a recipe for Caesar dressing in a Cooking Light magazine back in 1998 and have been making it ever since.  Though it doesn’t require the usual raw egg, it still has a richness to it and I love the tart flavor of the fresh lemon juice.  It’s important to use good cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano.  Those pre-grated waxy strands of so-called parmesan just won’t do.

I found a tiny jar of anchovies at Whole Foods. It’s perfect because I don’t eat anchovies other than in Caesar salads.  I am not that fond of them as some people are, draping them all over their pizzas and eating them right out of the jar.  Here’s an article from NPR for those of us who might want to give anchovies another chance.  Also here’s a short video on how to make anchovy paste.

If you have time to make your own croutons, cut some good sourdough bread into cubes and toss them with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a smidgen of garlic salt.   Bake for approximately 15 minutes at 325 degrees. Watch them closely so they don’t burn.  The baking time will depend upon the size of the cubed bread and as we all know, individual oven temperatures can vary quite a bit.

Light Caesar Salad Dressing

Adapted from Cooking Light

Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

1-2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard such as Coleman’s

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon anchovy paste

1 large garlic clove, finely minced

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano for the dressing and more for sprinkling on the salad

Preparation

Whisk together mayonnaise, water, lemon juice and vinegar.  Add Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, Dijon and anchovy paste.  Whisk until well blended.  Mix in garlic and black pepper.  Once all ingredients are well combined, gently fold in the cheese.

The dressing can be made one day in advance and will firm up in the refrigerator.  Prior to tossing  the dressing with your greens, add a few drops of water or extra lemon juice if the dressing seems too thick.  If you prefer a less tangy dressing use 1/2 tablespoon of red wine vinegar.

If using large romaine leaves, chop them up and toss with the dressing and croutons.  If using only small leaves arrange them on your serving plate and drizzle the dressing over the lettuce leaves and croutons.  In either case, sprinkle extra cheese over the entire salad before serving.