Caesar salad is one of the most popular salads with its own name all over the world. Since the day it was born, this humble salad (originally) has conquered the most exquisite palates. It has made those who hated this dish eat salad. And it has helped us to eat something better, including this complete salad in our diet. If you are also Caesar salad lovers, don’t miss its history. We also bring you the original recipe of the authentic caesar salad traditional. Just as it was born.
Caesar salad is a salad made with romaine lettuce and croutons. Over the years, different ingredients were added to this preparation, until the recipe we know today and which has achieved so much fame. Some of the most popular additions have been chicken and anchovies, but, as we shall see, these were not present in the beginnings of this salad.
Although originally this salad was dressed with Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice, its dressing also evolved, until it reached a sauce as popular as its salad: the Caesar sauce. It is used not only in salads, but also in many other dishes.
History- The origin of the most popular salad
The creation of Caesar salad is attributed to Caesar Cardini. Cardini was an Italian immigrant who worked in restaurants in Mexico. As with all popular dishes, there are many versions of the origin of this salad. But the most popular version tells that on July 4, 1926, a large number of people came to the restaurant where Cardini worked. It was the Independence Day of the United States and they wanted to celebrate it.
But Cardini did not expect so many diners. So he realized he didn’t have enough ingredients to serve them. Nervous about this situation, he quickly prepared a quick salad at the same table where the group was sitting. This salad included romaine lettuce, egg, Italian cheese, lemons and dry bread.
To give it a better flavor, he added a sauce that his family made. This simple, improvised recipe was a success.
Years later, in 1938, Caesar Cardini and his family moved to Los Angeles. There they began bottling and selling their salad sauce.
Caesar Cardini’s first Caesar Salad, traditional recipe
As with all salads, the Caesar salad recipe has also evolved over the years and varied ingredients. But it is believed that the first Caesar salad was made with romaine lettuce, bread, anchovies, egg and Parmesan cheese.
Let’s take a look at the most traditional recipe for a delicious Caesar salad.
Traditional Caesar Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 9 Oz Romaine lettuce
- 6 slices Bread
- 1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 Cloves of Garlic
- 4 Anchovy Fillets
- 1 Tbso Lemon Juice
- 1 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Egg
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Wash the lettuce. With an absorbent paper, we dry the excess of water. Cut the lettuce to taste and reserve in a large bowl.9 Oz Romaine lettuce
- For the bread croutons, we can toast, bake or fry them. – In the toaster it is very easy and fast. Cut the bread into slices and toast them until they are crispy and golden brown. Once ready, cut the slices into cubes.– To bake in the oven: Preheat the oven to 200ºC, place the slices on the tray and bake for 20 minutes. After that time, brush them with a little oil and bake again for 10 minutes until golden brown. Once ready, cut them into cubes.– In the pan. Cover the bottom with olive oil. Cut the slices into cubes. When the oil is very hot, add the bread and fry until crispy.Reserve on kitchen paper to remove excess oil.6 slices Bread
- In a mortar, crush the garlic and anchovies. Add the oil little by little while stirring. Add the lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well and set aside.3 Cloves of Garlic, 4 Anchovy Fillets, 1 Tbso Lemon Juice, 1 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce, 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- In a pot with water, we put the egg to cook, only about three or four minutes since the water starts to boil. In the original recipe the egg was cooked very little time. After that time, remove it from the water and peel it, being careful not to burn yourself.1 Egg
- In the bowl where we had the lettuce, add the bread croutons and the chopped egg (do not cut the egg on a board, because the yolk will be very soft, do it over the bowl with a knife so that it falls inside). Add the sauce from the anchovies and garlic, a little grated Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.Mix well and you have ready the traditional Caesar salad.1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese, Salt, Pepper
Nutrition
Did you know that… ?
Due to the short cooking time of eggs, they were banned from sale in California in 1990. It was considered that the egg, cooked so little, was raw. Eight years later its sale was, once again, legal.
As you can see, the original recipe did not include one of the star and most representative ingredients of this salad today: chicken. But you can add it without any problem, as it is delicious. Or you can also change it for some crispy bacon. Or add cherry tomatoes.
However you make it, this salad is always a success. It is quite complete thanks to the egg but it is also a very healthy option as a first course.
If you liked it, remember to leave us your comments. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram to keep up to date with all our posts and not miss any of them.
