Classic Caesar dressing is usually made directly in a wooden salad bowl in which the lettuce leaves and other ingredients are tossed. In this case, we make the dressing in a blender so that the oil can be slowly added through the feed tube ensuring a beautifully emulsified dressing. Don’t make this dressing ahead; it gets too thick and gloppy.
Ingredients
- ½ loaf sourdough bread (4 ounces), torn into ¾-inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 anchovy fillets
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds, finely ground in a spice grinder
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 head romaine lettuce, torn
- 2 ounces Parmesan, grated
How to Make It
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Toss together the bread, cayenne pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Toast on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden-brown and crispy, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
- While the croutons are cooking, make the dressing: Place the anchovies, garlic, lemon juice, Worcestershire, chia seeds, Dijon, and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a blender. Process until combined. With the blender running, slowly add the remaining ½ cup of oil through the feed tube. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Toss together the dressing, croutons, romaine, and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.