This Keto Caesar Salad is FULL of flavour, low carb, and the homemade dressing is super easy to make! Also? There are croutons!
Several years ago, I happened across a post - maybe a tweet? I can’t remember - where someone mentioned using prepared mayonnaise as the base for their Caesar dressing.
Although it wasn’t something I’d given any thought to, it absolutely made sense as a hack:
- It was quick and easy.
- Didn’t require a stick blender.
- Removes any worries about working with raw eggs.
SO yeah, pretty brilliant.
I messed around with making a mayonnaise-based Caesar dressing customized to our tastes, and came up with this ... abomination.
This Caesar salad dressing stinks to high heaven. Seriously, it smells like rotten gym socks or something. Just terrible.
It also burns a bit to eat, probably from the amount of garlic in it.
The flavour and smell kind of punch you in the face - it’s a whole ~experience~.
Seriously, though... it’s the best Caesar dressing I’ve ever had in my life, and has ruined us for all other Caesar salad.
Also, because it’s SUPER potent, a little goes a long way!
Easy Low Carb Caesar Dressing
Now, while actual - traditional - Caesar is a very simple thing, store-bought Caesar tends to have a lot of undesirable additives in it.
Sugar, corn syrup, etc - not ideal.
Never mind that the shelf-stable stuff generally doesn’t have a ton of flavour!
As a result, have to drown your salad to get enough of that pungent kick that you want from a caesar dressing - meaning more of the ingredients you don’t want.
Making the dressing at home gives you much more control over the ingredients and the flavour.
You can leave out all of the unnecessary stuff, and really go wild on the flavours.
While mass-produced foods have to appeal to a mass market - and keep within profit margins - you can really pack the flavour in and make something GREAT.
About the Anchovies...
Unlike most commercial brands, this Caesar dressing has a LOT of anchovy in it.
Unless you do a lot of Italian cooking, the use of anchovies may be foreign to you. SO, let me address that:
This recipe doesn’t taste fishy at all, despite the amount of anchovy. Used properly, anchovies don’t really taste like fish, more like... a rich, salty, “umami” flavouring ingredient.
It adds character to whatever you add it to.
You can buy them in jars, usually by the canned meats, but sometimes in the fresh fish aisle.
Anyway, this dressing whips up in just a few minutes - it’s mostly a matter of tossing ingredients into a mini food processor.
Keto Caesar Salad Croutons
I haven’t yet tried making croutons from any of the Keto bread options out there - yet - but I DID have a brilliant idea when shopping at a local cheese shop a while back.
They sold little packets of baked / dehydrated chunks of cheese, just as a snack food. Very low carb, nice crunch, great flavour.
They came in several flavours, including cheddar and smoked gouda. SO good!
Anyway, I wondered if the same thing was available, but as Parmesan. These snacks were crunchy but airy... Very much like a crouton.
A Parmesan cheese version would make an absolutely perfect keto crouton, right?
So I looked online - several different brands make them!
They’re usually called “Parmesan Crisps” - just be sure you’re getting 100% cheese, and not like a Parmesan flavoured cracker, chip, etc.
We’ll usually toss a handful of them on top of our Caesar salad just straight from the bag, but you can also flavour them if you prefer.
Just toss with a little garlic powder and dried parsley before serving!
How to Make Keto Caesar Salad
Full recipe follows, here is the pictorial overview:
Prepare your ingredients - zest the lemon, peel and press the garlic.
In a small food processor or blender, combine anchovies, pressed garlic, and lemon juice, blitzing to create a smooth paste.
Add zest, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce, once again blitzing until combined and smooth.
Add mayo - try my Homemade Keto Mayo! - and cheese, blitz once more to combine.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
To Serve:
Chop romaine lettuce, wash well. I like to use this collapsible salad spinner.
Toss lettuce with a bit of the dressing - to taste.
Top with Parmesan chip "croutons" and Parmesan cheese flakes, serve immediately.
We like to add a bit of leftover cooked chicken.
More Keto Salad Recipes
Looking for more low-carb salad ideas? Here you go!
Cauliflower Potato Salad
Low Carb Broccoli Salad
Keto Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Chicken
Low Carb Creamy Cucumber Salad
Colourful Keto Coleslaw
Low Carb Vietnamese Noodle Salad
Keto Taco Salad
Salad Meal Prep [Base Salad]
Sesame Crusted Tofu
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Keto Caesar Salad
Equipment
- mini food processor
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 6 Anchovy Fillets
- 5-6 Garlic Cloves
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- ¾ Cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese
- Salt
- Pepper
To Serve
- Romaine Lettuce
- Parmesan Cheese Snacks See post for details
Instructions
- In a small food processor or blender, combine anchovies, pressed garlic, and lemon juice, blitzing to create a smooth paste.
- Add zest, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce, once again blitzing until combined and smooth.
- Add mayo and cheese, blitz once more to combine.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
To Serve:
- Chop romaine lettuce, toss with a bit of the dressing - to taste.
- Top with Parmesan chip "croutons" and Parmesan cheese flakes, serve immediately.
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