This recipe is worth making for the croutons alone; you'll find lots of uses for them once you learn how to make them. Double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd!
Classic Grilled Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons
Chef Jamie Teigen
6-8
30 minutes
American
Salad
What sets this recipe apart is the char you'll get on the lettuce. If you don't have a grill, or if it's just packed up, try a dry cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for the same amount of time.
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 2 romaine lettuce hearts, cut into quarters (if small, just halved)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp anchovy paste
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp minced garlic
- ½ tsp salt, plus more for seasoning
- ¼ tsp pepper, plus more for seasoning
- ½ c EVOO, plus more for brushing
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 cup croutons
- 1 cup bacon, cooked and chopped
For the Croutons:
- 4 cups bread, cut into ¾-inch pieces
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
Tools:
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Chef’s Knife
Directions
For the Croutons:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add bread cubes to a large mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil and melted butter and toss to coat.
- Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
- Spread the cubes on the baking sheet in an even layer.
- Bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. Let cool.
For the Salad:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, anchovy paste, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Slowly whisk in olive oil until a thickened dressing is formed. Add the parmesan cheese and whisk to combine.
- Cut romaine lettuce heads in quarters lengthwise leaving the cores intact. This will yield eight sections. If the lettuce head is small, keep it in halves.
- Brush olive oil on the cut sides of the lettuce. Lightly season with salt.
Preheat your grill over medium-high heat (350-400ºF). Carefully grease the cooking grates with tongs using a paper towel dipped in oil.
Once the grates are hot, place the lettuce cut side down, directly contacting the hot grates. Cook until lightly charred, 1-2 minutes.
Flip to the other cut side and grill 1-2 additional minutes.
- Transfer grilled lettuce to serving plates.
- Drizzle with Caesar dressing and top with freshly cracked black, parmesan cheese, bacon, and croutons.