A creamy homemade Caesar dressing using Greek yogurt! Just a handful of simple ingredients will get you that classic creamy Caesar flavor for salad, wraps, or pasta salad.
A good Caesar salad always hits the spot (kale Caesar salad with avocado anyone??), especially with its classic creamy dressing that gets you right in the salt tooth.
I used to be intimidated to make Caesar dressing at home because wait, I'm blending a fish in there?? But you guys, it's actually so easy. And the anchovy blends right in seamlessly for the best umami flavor (don't worry - I've got alternative suggestions if you're concerned).
For this version of homemade Caesar, I decided to use a whole milk Greek yogurt as the base. It tastes amazing and feels a little lighter. Plus, protein! It's all the rage these days 😉 But for real, if you're hoping to keep this vegetarian, a yogurt-based dressing is a great way to get a little boost without adding meat.
Make a batch of this for week ahead, and you'll be prepared for salads, wraps, and even dips.
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The Core Flavors for This Dressing
- Whole milk Greek yogurt - The taste of whole milk Greek yogurt is really important here! We're swapping it into for a traditionally mayo-based dressing, so maintaining some richness really makes a difference. I love the taste of Siggi's plain whole milk yogurts.
- Lemon juice - These are key to classic Caesar salad dressing flavor, and also brighten up the dressing. Fresh lemon juice is best!
- Parmesan - Another essential Caesar flavor.
- Anchovy - We'll blend up an anchovy into this Caesar dressing to achieve its classic salty, umami taste. (Don't worry, nothing fishy about these flavors!)
- Mustard - Just a tiny plop of Dijon for some additional savory flavor.
Simple Swaps
- Anchovy paste - Instead of using a whole anchovy, you can use 1 teaspoon anchovy paste. If you just can't with anchovies, try a tablespoon of white miso paste instead!
- Cheese - Pecorino or asiago are great subs for parmesan.
- Mayo - Traditional Caesar dressing is made with egg yolk, which ultimately gets emulsified into a mayo-like base. Adding 1-2 tablespoons of mayo adds an aspect of that flavor back in, and it's delicious! By the way, I also use the mostly yogurt + some mayo philosophy in my Greek yogurt egg salad.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Combine all ingredients into a high-speed blender or food processor.
Step 2: Blend for about one minute, until smooth and creamy. Taste and add salt if necessary.
Getting the Salt Just Right
It's easy to over-salt homemade Caesar dressing because it already has so many salty ingredients at play (parmesan, anchovies).
To get the flavor just right, start with small amount of salt (¼ teaspoon suggested) or NO salt, blend the dressing, taste, and add salt by tiny pinches until you like how it tastes.
FAQs
While both of these classic dressings are creamy and white, their tastes and ingredients are very distinct from one another. Caesar dressing is zesty and very salty from anchovies and parmesan, while Ranch has a lighter, more cooling flavor from herbs like parsley and dill.
Traditionally, Caesar dressing typically includes oil, egg yolks, garlic, anchovies, parmesan, lemon, and Dijon. While delicious, we also love this Greek yogurt version because it's simple, tangy, and lighter!
Store any leftover dressing in an airtight container (such as a glass jar) for up to a week in the fridge. I love using my Weck tulip jars for storing dressings!
What to Serve with Homemade Caesar Dressing
Thank goodness you asked. Caesar dressing is not just for salads, but this one is the exact one I use for my Caesar salad with kale and shaved Brussels sprouts. If you are going the salad route, sourdough croutons and pickled red onions are next level. So good!
It would also be great with a chicken Caesar wrap (or even chickpea Caesar, for vegetarian?), and could even be added to these simple whole wheat turkey wraps.
Finally, let's not forget about our roasted veggies. Sweet potato fries, roasted potatoes, or roasted green beans would be awesome.
More Dressings
📖 Recipe
Homemade Caesar Dressing with Greek Yogurt
- Total Time: 6 minutes
- Yield: ~¾ cup
Description
This homemade Caesar dressing is SO easy and made with a Greek yogurt base. Use it on a classic Caesar salad, wrap, pasta salad... or any salad that needs a creamy, salty, delicious dressing to tie it all together.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup whole milk Greek yogurt
- juice from 1-2 lemons
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 anchovy
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Combine. Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender or food processor.
- Blend. Blend on high speed until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Serve with your favorite salad or pasta salad, or store in an airtight container for later!
Notes
- Lemons. If you use 2 lemons, it will be VERY lemony! I like it when lemon stands out in foods, but if you want the lemon to stay more subtle and blended in, only use one lemon (or half) when adding lemon juice to this recipe.
- Storage. I usually store my salad dressings in an airtight jar in the fridge, but any airtight container will work. This dressing will keep for up to a week in the fridge. I love that it makes a smaller batch so it's easy to use up without wasting anything.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 1
- Category: Salad Dressing
- Method: Blend
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 98
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 357.5 mg
- Fat: 7.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.1 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 4.9 g
- Cholesterol: 9.5 mg
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