Love Caesar Dressing But Hate Raw Egg? Make This Delicious Egg-less Recipe in 5 Minutes

As a little girl, my favorite part about going to an Italian restaurant was the homemade caesar salad. I loved when the waiter came to the table and whipped up the dressing from scratch, mixing anchovies, garlic, olive oil, parmesan, lemon juice, and fresh egg yolk with a fork at the bottom of a wooden bowl. Even now, just thinking about it — crisp romaine coated in dressing, scooped up and served with cracked pepper on top — makes me salivate.

There’s one thing, though, that stops me from making the traditional recipe at home: raw egg. It might be that my stomach seems a little weaker than when I was a kid, or I’ve read one too many articles about foodborne illness. Whatever the reason, I can’t conquer my squeamishness.

Why does traditional caesar dressing have raw egg in it, anyway? The food writers at the Chicago Tribune say that egg yolks serve two purposes in caesar salad dressing: they make it creamy and rich, and they help it cling to the salad’s lettuce leaves.

Still, do we really have to make our Caesar dressing with raw egg? A few years ago, my family and I began experimenting and made eggless dressing… and we’ve never turned back. Admittedly, it’s a bit runnier than its yolky counterpart, but mixing it in a blender gives it extra thickness. I still find it addictive (and I make sure I have a slice of bread on hand to soak up every last drop).

The Best Caesar Dressing Recipe Without Egg

To create the eggless Caesar dressing of your dreams, you’ll need all the traditional ingredients that you’d expect. The trick is to be mindful of your ratios, and experiment with your preferences. (Usually, you need to add more anchovy than you’d expect.) With a little finesse, you’ll find your family’s ideal mix.

Note: Canned anchovies have bones, but they’re teeny tiny. Adding them to a blender will break them up even further.

Ingredients:

• 2 to 4 peeled garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (usually in the condiments aisle) or 2 to 3 anchovies from a can (found in canned foods)
• Juice of 1 ½  large lemons (about 7 to 8 tablespoons)
• ½ cup of grated parmesan, plus more depending on your preference
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• dash of Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Add garlic cloves, anchovies, lemon juice, parmesan, and olive oil to food processor. (Be sure to add garlic and anchovies first so they catch the blades.) Blend until smooth.
2. Add dash of Worcestershire, salt if desired. Pulse blend 5 seconds. Taste and modify mixture to your liking.
3. Pour into bowl of romaine (or your favorite greens). Toss salad, top with freshly shaved parmesan and cracked pepper.

This Caesar dressing lasts in the fridge for about a week. It also makes a delicious topping for toasted bread, pizza, and grilled chicken. That is, if you don’t eat it all in one sitting.