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.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
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!