Here’s a super-delicious, anchovy-free Caesar dressing for your dinner salad! I’m in no way opposed to anchovies, but I know some people are spooked by them so it’s nice to have a Caesar-ish dressing to accommodate everyone’s tastes.
This is such a hearty dinner salad that you could absolutely serve it as a stand-alone meal. It has juicy roasted chicken, avocado, crunchy croutons, tomatoes and Parmesan, plus a tangy, bright dressing reminiscent of Caesar dressing. You could substitute with a good rotisserie chicken to make this even faster to put together.
The dressing is made primarily with buttermilk, which is cultured so it provides some of that umami flavor you’re missing from the lack of anchovies. A little mayonnaise and crème fraîche thicken the dressing, while lemon, garlic and Worcestershire bring it into full Caesar-zone. Ground Parmesan completes this into a savory, cheesy dressing!
I grind Parmesan often in the food processor. I can’t remember the last time I bought Parmesan in a can (ick!), so this method gives you that same texture but of a much higher quality. Use a good Parmesan (I only buy Parmigiano-Reggiano-it’s worth the splurge!) and grind for about 1 minute. I typically use ground Parmesan in salad dressings, pasta sauces and to sprinkle on pizza.
This salad makes me feel all picnic-y, which brings thoughts of spring and summer to mind! We’re almost there, friends.
[tasty-recipe id=”35248″]
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