Best Caesar Salad With Herbed Croutons Recipes

CAESAR SALAD WITH SESAME CROUTONS

Steps:

• Roasted Garlic Purée: Preheat oven to 300 F. Slice off the top of the bulb, just enough to expose the cloves. Place garlic in a small baking dish, cut side down. Add enough vegetable oil to cover the garlic halfway. Roast in the oven until cloves are golden and soft, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and set aside until cool, 20 minutes. Fit a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and press the cloves through the mesh with your hands, a bench scraper, or spoon; this is to catch any tough fiber or skin. Set aside. Makes about ¼ cup. (Note: You can roast several heads of garlic at a time and store the purée in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.)
• Lettuce: Remove and discard tough outer leaves of the lettuce. Cut away and discard the root base, then separate leaves, cutting the larger ones in half vertically and keeping smaller ones whole. Fill the bowl of a salad spinner halfway with ice water and insert the basket. Add lettuce to the basket and submerge completely. Soak for 10 minutes to crisp up the leaves.
• Sesame Croutons: In a medium skillet over medium heat, add butter and oil. Smash garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife, and add to butter and oil. Cook until bubbly, stirring occasionally, 2-3 minutes. Add breadcrumbs and toss or stir to combine. Season with freshly ground black pepper, about 8 grinds, and a pinch of salt. Continue toasting the crumbs until golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Drain on paper towels to cool.
• (Note: The video shows a double serving of dressing. Use the amounts in the written recipe.)Dressing: In a blender, add mayonnaise, anchovy, fish sauce, and the Roasted Garlic Purée. (Save the remaining purée for another use.) Use a Microplane to grate the garlic clove into the blender; then add Parmigiano-Reggiano, lemon juice, water, and sugar. Season with freshly cracked black pepper (about 10 grinds) and a pinch of salt. Purée just until combined. With the motor on, drizzle in olive oil, then vegetable oil. Turn motor off, taste for seasoning, and add more salt and sugar as needed. (Makes about 1¼ cups. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week.)
• Assembly: Remove ice water from salad spinner and spin the lettuce leaves twice, draining water each time, until dry. Lay out on a sheet tray lined with paper towels to further drain. Remove garlic cloves from Sesame Croutons and discard. Place half of the lettuce into a bowl. Drizzle several spoonfuls of dressing, add 1 tablespoon Parmigiano-Reggiano, and toss to combine. Repeat with remaining lettuce. Place on a serving dish, garnish with plenty of Sesame Croutons, and serve.

CAESAR SALAD WITH GARLICKY CROUTONS

Steps:

• Prepare the croutons: Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat olive oil and garlic cloves in a small saucepan over medium-high; cook until garlic begins to sizzle, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove and discard garlic.
• Place cubed baguette in a medium bowl; drizzle with garlic-infused oil. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside.
• Prepare the salad: Heat vegetable oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high to 375°F. Fry capers in 2 batches until golden, 30 seconds per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Combine vinegar, lemon juice, water, mustard, salt, anchovy fillets, garlic, and egg yolk in a blender. Process until smooth. With blender running, slowly add olive oil until thickened. Transfer dressing to a bowl; stir in pepper and ¼ cup of the grated cheese.
• Combine romaine hearts, croutons, and remaining ¼ cup grated cheese in a large bowl; drizzle with ¾ cup of the dressing, and toss gently to coat. Divide lettuce mixture among 4 plates; sprinkle with capers and shaved cheese. Serve with remaining dressing on the side.

CLASSIC CAESAR SALAD WITH HOMEMADE CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place bread on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Whisk together oil, butter, garlic, salt, and pepper in a liquid measure. Pour mixture over the bread and toss with your hands until evenly coated. Spread bread mixture into a single layer. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and toasted, yet slightly soft in the center, 15 to 18 minutes, tossing croutons a few times during baking. Remove from the oven and let cool completely while you prepare the salad.
• Place garlic, anchovies, and salt in a large salad serving bowl; press the mixture with a fork until a paste forms. Stir in egg yolk, lemon juice, Dijon, and Worcestershire sauce until well combined. Slowly whisk in olive oil until all is incorporated and mixture is well blended and smooth. Stir in 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove about 1/4 cup of dressing and set aside for another use.
• When ready to serve, add lettuce and 1/2 of the croutons to the bowl with the remaining dressing; toss until well coated. Reserve remaining croutons for another use.
• Sprinkle salad with additional Parmesan and pepper if desired. Serve immediately.

CAESAR SALAD WITH HERBED CROUTONS

Steps:

• Make dressing:
• Combine 1/2 cup Parmesan, anchovies, lemon juice, 3 garlic cloves, and mustard in processor; blend well. With processor running, slowly add olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Make croutons and salad:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, thyme and rosemary; saut until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add bread cubes to skillet with garlic-herb oil and toss to coat. Spread out bread cubes on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake just until croutons are golden, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
• Place romaine in large bowl. Add 2/3 cup dressing and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese and toss to coat. Add croutons and toss well. Serve, passing remaining dressing, Parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper separately.

GARLIC CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large saute pan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in garlic; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add bread cubes, and toss to coat. Spread on a baking sheet.
• Bake for 15 minutes, or until crisp and dry. Check frequently to prevent burning. Cool.

CAESAR SALAD CROUTONS

Steps:

• Combine garlic and oil in a small saucepan. Simmer until cloves are a light gold color, about 15 minutes. Pour oil through a fine sieve, squeeze all juice from cloves, and then discard the solids. Set garlic oil aside.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Lightly oil a baking sheet.
• Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake, turning bread cubes periodically, until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
• In a large, non-stick skillet, melt 1/3 cup ghee with 1/3 cup garlic oil over medium heat. Cook toasted bread cubes in batches until light to medium golden brown, turning frequently. Add more ghee and garlic oil as needed. Turn out into basket lined with paper towels, and drain for about 20 minutes.

CAESAR SALAD WITH HEART CROUTONS

Steps:

• For the dressing: Place egg yolk, mustard, garlic, anchovies, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor; process until smooth. With processor running, slowly add the olive oil until mixture is smooth and thick. Add 1/4 cup Parmesan; pulse to combine;set aside.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Make the croutons: Using a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out heart shapes from the bread slices. Brush each heart with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet, and bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside.
• Cut lettuce crosswise in 1-inch slices. Place in a salad bowl. Add enough dressing to moisten; toss to combine. Add remaining 3/4 cup Parmesan and reserved croutons; toss again. Serve.

HERBED GARLIC AND PARMESAN CROUTONS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan combine the garlic, the oregano, the basil, the thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, the pepper, and the oil and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes, and discard the garlic. In a bowl toss the bread cubes with the oil mixture, spread them in a jelly-roll pan, and bake them in ht e middle of a preheated 350°F oven for 8 minutes. Sprinkle the croutons with the Parmesan and bake them for 7 minutes more, or until they are golden. Sprinkle the croutons with the additional salt and let them cool. The croutons keep in an airtight container for 1 week. Serve the croutons as a topping for tossed green salad.