Caesar Vinaigrette
Skip the bottled stuff — this easy dairy free caesar dressing is my go-to. It’s big on bold, garlicky flavor, and comes together in minutes without the cheese. Plus, with two versions to choose from – traditionally creamy or a lighter vinaigrette – it’s the perfect sidekick for any meal you’re making.
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
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.
- Mayonnaise – To make the creamy version, you’ll need a mayo. Any mayo will work, including vegan mayo if you want to keep it dairy free. I prefer canola oil mayonnaise because it’s a bit lighter without tasting sweet.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
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.
I’m the exact same! SO picky about dressings, and they have to be dressed before they come to the table. Otherwise you end up trying to poke through an already packed bowl of salad trying to coat everything in dressing.. yeck. This sounds awesome because we could whip it up at any time, without having to go through all the steps of a traditional Caesar!
Did have anchovy paste, so used worcestershire sauce instead (not the same, but ok). I used half the oil, and added water and a little bit of honey as I found the lemon to be overwhelming. Otherwise, yummy!
Not a Caesar salad dressing
It is a great CAESAR SALAD DRESSING – same thing without the egg. Not everyone likes a goopy dressing.
Where do you find anchovy paste in the store usually?
I usually find it by the canned fish, like tuna and salmon. If it’s not there, check near the Italian stuff where tomato and garlic paste are located!
I just made this dressing – DELICIOUS!
I’m so glad you liked it!
Great dressing. I added some parm in and it tasted great!
How many calories are in this per tbsp? Is it really 0???
Good flavor, I used canned anchovies is oil and created the paste myself. It was a little too tart. I will scale back on the lemon juice next time around. Otherwise, the kids enjoyed it initially. Thanks!
Hi! I’m very excited to try making this today, I came upon vinaigrette Cesar dressings from a little cafe a while back. My question is, how much anchovies should be used in place of the paste? I couldn’t find it at the store.
You should use about 6 anchovy filets!
Made this tonight and it’s good! But gosh, it’s really salty. I definitely would have cut the added salt by at least half
In place of anchovy paste is use capers and then blend the dressing. A little bit of Worcestershire helps.
Very good basic dressing, who can wrong with oil, mustard, and lemon. Used fresh anchovies instead, added Romano cheese….yum!
Im sure adding some cheese would be delicious, not so dairy free though!
This was so good! I haven’t been able to have a Caesar salad in like 15 years because of various dietary restrictions, but finally found a way around them and this recipe was a part of it. It was better than any Caesar I ever remember having. So good!
I’m going to try using Thai FISH SAUCE instead of the anchovy paste which I don’t have. The dressing looks good. Thanks. Just found your nice website today.
I’m a Caesar dressing aficionado!! I’m thrilled with this recipe -it’s the very best, short of doing the old recipe with raw egg. Thanks alot. I’m glad to find your website.
It a little heavy on the lemon and not creamy enough
This is more of a vinaigrette recipe, and it’s not meant to be super creamy. Sorry you didn’t love it!
I haven’t made this yet but I THINK THIS IS THE DUPE I’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR!!!! Trying this tonight, trying to get away from vegetable oil and I loved the Ken’s Lite Caesar dressing and I tried my hand at it but I think this will be the perfect recipe! Can’t wait to try it!!!!!! Subscribing!
This is one of the easiest and tastiest Caesar salad dressings ever! I always get complements about it when I make it for guests.
I’m so happy to hear that you liked the recipe! Thanks for the review!
I just made this (with pureed anchovies instead of anchovy paste). It’s very good, but I may add less lemon juice next time as it’s a bit overwhelming!
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. 😉
Love this recipe! Exactly what I was looking for, fantastic. Thank you
Very good but a bit salty – next time I won’t add the salt.