20 min
The Best Caesar Salad
Recipe GLPRcc77011b1de604
A luxurious Caesar salad featuring tender roasted garlic heads, crispy croutons, and a silky dressing made from roasted garlic, anchovies, capers, and Dijon mustard. Tossed with fresh Romaine and Radicchio lettuce, finished with Parmigiano-Reggiano and served with whole roasted garlic heads on the side.
Save recipes you love
Create a free Grocery List Plus account to save recipes, rate them, and add every ingredient to your grocery list in one tap.
Ingredients
8 whole heads garlic
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, for roasting
18 slices multi-grain or whole-wheat baguette
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon salt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, for dressing
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons drained capers
1 tablespoon anchovy paste
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 hearts of Romaine lettuce, chopped and washed
½ head Radicchio lettuce, chopped
3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Using a sharp serrated knife, carefully cut off the top quarter-inch of each garlic head, exposing the individual clove tips inside. Discard the cut portions.
Place the garlic heads root-side down in a small baking dish. Drizzle the exposed garlic clove ends with 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
Transfer the covered baking dish to the oven and roast for 1 hour to 1 hour and 25 minutes, until the garlic cloves are completely soft, fragrant, and beginning to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
While the garlic roasts, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the baguette slices on the sheet in a single layer.
In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, the dried Italian seasoning, and 1/8 teaspoon of salt until well combined.
Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the seasoned oil mixture over both sides of each baguette slice.
Bake the croutons in the preheated 350°F oven for 14 to 16 minutes, until they are golden brown and crisp throughout. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
Once the roasted garlic has cooled enough to handle, gently squeeze two whole heads of roasted garlic, pushing the soft cloves out of their papery skins into a blender or food processor. Discard the skins.
If there is any roasted garlic oil remaining in the baking dish, carefully pour it into the blender or food processor with the garlic cloves.
Add the ¼ cup of extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, drained capers, anchovy paste, Dijon mustard, and freshly ground black pepper to the blender or food processor.
Blend on high speed until the dressing is completely smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
In a large salad bowl, combine the chopped Romaine lettuce, chopped Radicchio, and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Pour the roasted garlic dressing over the salad mixture and toss gently until all the lettuce is evenly coated.
Divide the dressed salad among six plates, mounding it in the center. Top each salad with three warm croutons and serve one whole roasted garlic head alongside each plate for guests to squeeze over their salad if desired.
