Pesto Caesar Salad Dressing

We fell in love with it at a restaurant the other night and I couldn’t stop obsessing ~ Caesar dressing, but brighter and more vivacious. How could I not recreate it at home?

➡ Pesto Caesar is easier than the classic Caesar dressing, with no raw eggs involved.

➡ Basil adds a wonderful pop of freshness that cuts through all the richness.

➡ It does double duty as a dressing and a sauce ~ great on salads, grilled chicken, wraps, and vegetables.

A small food processor is perfect for making salad dressing

Problem: your full sized blender or food processor is too big for smaller recipes like salad dressings. There is not enough volume in the bowl for the blades to do their job.

Solution: A small sized food processor like this one is a necessity in my kitchen because it works for recipes too small for a regular processor or blender. These machines don’t take up much space, and they’re inexpensive ~ so no excuses!

The reason they toss Caesar salad at your table

Traditionally Caesar salad would be brought to your table on a cart and made right there, in front of you. This isn’t just theatrics ~ tossing the salad immediately before serving keeps the lettuce crisp under the rich dressing.

I don’t recommend freezing pesto Caesar dressing

The emulsion can separate as it thaws, The parm can get a little grainy, and the basil can lose some of its fresh color and flavor. It’ll be much better refrigerated and used fresh.

Sue’s tips

Make sure your lettuce is super dry ~ I know we need to wash our greens, but give them time (and an absorbent towel) to be sure all the excess moisture is gone before you add it to your salad bowl. Wet lettuce is unappealing, and will prevent this brilliant pesto Caesar from coating the leaves.

Don’t skip the lemon juice, it gives the dressing a really nice pop of acidity ~ and helps keep the basil bright green as well.

The anchovy paste adds that classic Caesar salad dressing flavor ~ you won’t even know its there. I love to keep a tube of anchovy paste in the fridge for just this sort of need.

I don’t recommend a store bought pesto shortcut, it won’t have the same vibrant flavor.

Romaine lettuce is ideal for Caesar because it has crisp ribs, sturdy leaves, and enough structure to stand up to a thick, creamy dressing without wilting right away. Softer lettuces tend to collapse under the thick dressing; romaine stays crunchy, which is a huge part of the salad’s appeal.

Use any leftovers as a dip for veggies and fries, or as a sandwich spread. It’s great spooned over salmon.

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Pesto Caesar Salad Dressing

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Pesto Caesar dressing is a creamy, savory blend of classic Caesar and fresh basil pesto ~ perfect for salads, wraps, grilled chicken, and vegetables.

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Prep Time:10 minutes minutes

Total Time:10 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 cup

Equipment

• small food processor

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 very lightly packed cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1 tsp anchovy paste, or 1-2 fillets
• 1 tsp creamy Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 –3 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions

• Load your processor with the dressing ingredients. Push the basil leaves down to fit.
• Process the dressing, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Keep processing until the dressing takes on a pale green color. There will still be tiny visible flecks of basil.
• Give it a taste to adjust anything to your liking. Refridgerate right away.
• Toss your salad with the dressing just before serving.
• Store the dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last up to 4 days. I don't recommend freezing.

NOTES ~ Click here to add your own private notes.

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Author: Sue Moran

Keyword: basil, salad, salad dressing

Nutrition

Serving: 1 Tbsp · Calories: 74 kcal · Carbohydrates: 0.4 g · Protein: 1 g · Fat: 8 g · Saturated Fat: 1 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g · Trans Fat: 0.01 g · Cholesterol: 5 mg · Sodium: 100 mg · Potassium: 16 mg · Fiber: 0.05 g · Sugar: 0.2 g · Vitamin A: 101 IU · Vitamin C: 1 mg · Calcium: 30 mg · Iron: 0.1 mg

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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