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.
- 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
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.
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
Caesar Salad 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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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!
Seafood cooler. Lol. Just figured this out, would never have thought to look there
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!