Creamy Caesar Dressing
The other night I found myself with a craving for a Caesar salad but without any Caesar salad dressing. I have made the classic version of the dressing many times both with and without egg to emulsify it. Yet I was hungry and crunched for time so I didn’t want to collect all of the ingredients, look up the recipe to make sure that I had the ratio of ingredients just right. I just wanted to assemble my salad and sit down to dinner.
So, I decided to take my recipe for Creamy Buttermilk Dressing with Dill and change it ever so slightly. I was fairly certain that while not traditional in any way, I could deliver the flavor and creaminess to the top of my crisp greens, layer on the croutons I had toasting up in the toaster oven, and be at the dinner table in less than 10 minutes. That sounded good to me.
A classic Caesar dressing is delicious because it is filled to overflowing with umami. Umami is the fifth flavor and delivers a round, rich taste. Unlike the other four flavors of bitter, sweet, salty, and sour, it can be difficult to explain, but foods that deliver umami to the tongue are highly flavorful: beef, pork, oily fish, Parmesan cheese, rich broths, ripe tomatoes, mushrooms, soy sauce or miso,
A classic Caesar dressing incorporates anchovies, Worcestershire sauce, and aged Parmesan cheese which are full of umami flavor. Add lemon juice, garlic, and the result is intensely flavorful. The classic version is oil based, vinaigrette style. I love a good vinaigrette, but I prefer my Caesar dressing to be creamy, so I use mayonnaise instead.
Because the mayonnaise is already smooth and emulsified, it makes a wonderful base for creamy dressings. A mayonnaise-based dressing will resist separating even after being stored in the refrigerator for a few days. The mayonnaise makes the work of mixing up a batch of delicious homemade dressing a project that comes together in mere minutes.
While I have anchovy paste on hand, I don’t always care for it in a recipe that isn’t cooked. It can easily overpower the other ingredients and result in a fishy flavor being the only flavor I taste. The same goes for garlic. I love cooked garlic, but raw garlic can be much stronger than I like. Luckily, I could overcome both of these preferences when making my own version of this dressing.
Instead of using raw garlic, I chose garlic powder. It delivers the flavor without the pungency of raw garlic. Instead of using anchovy paste, I decided to substitute something I have on hand that delivers just as much umami flavor: soy sauce. The result was delicious.
This is far from the traditional Caesar dressing my father made on special occasions when I was growing up, but I love it just the same. It has the delicious combination of flavors I love in a creamy, smooth dressing that is delicious on fresh greens. Because it is so easy to create, I can keep it at the ready in the refrigerator for dressing a salad, using as a dip, or even topping a grilled chicken sandwich.
I hope that you’ll give this simple and slightly unique Caesar dressing a try. I also hope that you’ll adjust it to your liking, make changes based on what you have in your pantry, and share with me how you took this idea and made it completely your own.
Creamy Caesar Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a Mason jar with a tight fitting lid or a small bowl. Shake or whisk until completely smooth.
- Taste for seasoning. Adjust the ingredients as needed to achieve the flavor you like best. Store covered in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.
This is indeed a very fine recipe for Caesar dressing. Perfect on some romaine salad with a chopped tomato and cucumber.
Thank you. That sounds delicious, especially on a hot day!