Caesar salad is one of the classics, loved for its signature creamy dressing and blend of textures.
Traditionally made from a bed of crisp lettuce topped with croutons, parmesan cheese, and eggs, the dish is well-known all over the world.
It’s one that’s incredibly easy to make too, particularly when using Mary Berry’s “classic” recipe from the cookbook Mary Berry’s Absolute Favourites.
Her formula includes a specific blend of ingredients to form the perfect Caesar dressing, plus a no-waste hack for delicious crunchiness.
Mary said: “Making your own croutons is a great way of using up stale bread. They are perfect in this simple Caesar salad.”
Caesar salad recipe
Ingredients
Three tbsp olive oil
Two slices of stale white bread
One romaine lettuce heart, sliced
30g Parmesan cheese, shaved
Salt and pepper
For the dressing
Six tbsp light mayonnaise
1.5 tbsp Dijon mustard
Two tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Half a garlic clove, crushed
A few drops Worcestershire sauce
How to make Caesar salad
Making this delicious salad is easy to do in a few steps, and it’s even easier when using an air fryer.
First, heat a frying pan with three tablespoons of olive oil. While it comes up to temperature, cut the crustless bread slices into cubes and add them to the pan.
Cook them on high heat for three to four minutes until golden, then remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl with salt and pepper. There’s no need to use a frying pan if you have an air fryer.
To make air-fried croutons, first coat the cubes of bread in a little oil, salt and pepper, then place them in the fryer basket to cook for four minutes at 200C.
Toss with a spatula and cook for two minutes more. Transfer croutons to a paper towel-lined plate until ready to use.
To make this salad even simpler, prepare the croutons ahead of time. Simply cook them as normal and store them in an airtight container for two days afterwards.
Now for the dressing, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and beat together until smooth with the addition of one to two tablespoons of water.
Now toss the lettuce leaves in the dressing and scatter with the toasted croutons. Finally, add the Parmesan shavings and enjoy.
Any spare dressing will stay fresh for up to three days in a sealed container kept in the fridge.
