caesar salad dressing in a mason jar

Why you’ll love this light caesar dressing

I’m pretty against bottled dressing, and I’m a firm believer that salad should be dressed before serving, and I try to make homemade dressing whenever I can. It’s not all that hard, and it makes a world of difference.

This caesar vinaigrette is my go-to since we cut out dairy from our diets, and it’s full of that classic caesar flavor you love but it’s on the lighter side with a punch of zippy lemon. If you’re looking for a creamy version, check out my more traditional take on dairy free caesar dressing.

More dairy free salad dressing recipes: maple tahini dressing / avocado green goddess / vegan blue cheese dressing / creamy Italian dressing

a spoon with caesar vinaigrette dripping into a mason jar full of dressing

Ingredient notes:

  • Anchovy paste – This is the most important ingredient in the whole recipe. Without it, you aren’t really making a caesar dressing, but if you can’t find it you can you can finely mince anchovy fillets. Fish sauce and Worcestershire sauce also contain anchovies, so they could potentially make a decent swap, but they wouldn’t be my first choice.
  • Olive oil – Any olive oil will work here, but I recommend a decent quality extra virgin olive oil since we aren’t heating it.
  • Lemon juice – Fresh squeezed is going to be your best bet here, but bottle can work in a pinch. You can also substitute lime juice if you have that instead.

Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.

Melissa’s Tips & tricks

  1. Make it ahead – You can make this dressing up to a few days in advance to save time on the day you plan to serve it. It will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
  2. Hold the dressing – I really recommend tossing your salad rather than serving the dressing on the side, but if you do this, wait until the very last minute to dress the lettuce so that it doesn’t get soggy.
  3. Dairy free croutons – Most store bought croutons have dairy in them, but we’ve been buying Fresh Express Organic Seasoned Croutons and they’re now our go-to choice unless we’re making homemade croutons.

Frequently asked questions

What can I substitute for anchovies in Caesar dressing?

I like to use anchovy paste to add this particular flavor to caesar dressing. This is easily kept in the fridge and can be added to all sorts of things for adding salty, fishy flavor. Whole anchovy fillets can be pureed, Worcestershire sauce, fish sauce or even capers can be substituted as an alternative to anchovy paste.

Do all Caesar dressings have anchovies?

Traditionally Caesar dressing does include anchovies or anchovy paste, and you won’t quite get the flavor right without it.

More dairy free salad dressing recipes: Dijon vinaigrette / thousand island dressing / ginger dressing / homemade ranch dressing

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4.67 from 9 votes

Caesar Salad Dressing

By: Melissa Belanger
Skip the heavy, creamy dressing and make this refreshing Caesar vinaigrette instead. This homemade caesar salad dressing recipe only takes a few minutes and contains no dairy or egg.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
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Ingredients 

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 2 – 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon anchovy paste
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions 

  • Whisk together dressing ingredients until the oil has emulsified.
  • Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Notes

Recipe makes about 2/3 cup.

Nutrition

Calories: 176kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 19g, Cholesterol: 3mg, Sodium: 480mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 0.5g, Vitamin C: 6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Hi! I'm Melissa.

I create easy, dairy free recipes because I know how hard living without milk can be. I believe you can live a completely satisfying life without dairy, and I want to teach you how.

Read more about me

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4.67 from 9 votes

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Recipe Rating




35 Comments

  1. S Urban says:

    Hi Melissa,
    This recipe looks really tasty! One tip to share bc simply shaking an already separated dressing doesn’t *fix it*. Once a dressing is separated, it’ll continue to separate the instant the shaking stops. The only way to solve this is by preventing the separation. To do so, combine all the non-oil ingredients first – THEN pour the oil in a thin stream into that mixture while simultaneously whisking it. It’s that thin, gradual stream of oil while whisking that helps the ingredients incorporate better without separating. 😉

    Reply
  2. Deneen says:

    5 stars
    Love this recipe! Exactly what I was looking for, fantastic. Thank you

    Reply
  3. Lana viinamae says:

    4 stars
    Very good but a bit salty – next time I won’t add the salt.

    Reply
  4. Lisa says:

    I didn’t see the amount of mayonnaise to use in the ingredients list or anywhere else .

    Reply
  5. Din says:

    5 stars
    This is a great alternative recipe as I make mine always by whisking the oil slowly in an egg like making mayonnaise, but still using all your ingredients above just he same. I’ll try this version and see the difference in taste later. However, it won’t do without the Parmesan cheese topping for me or any of your preferred cheese for that matter…

    PS. I sometimes use a handheld electric mixer when I’m in a hurry.

    Reply