We've put a wholesome spin on creamy homemade Caesar dressing by using Greek yogurt! Just a handful of real ingredients will get you that classic creamy Caesar flavor for salad, wraps, or pasta salad.
A good Caesar salad always hits the spot, especially with its classic creamy dressing that really hits the salt tooth spot. And did you know that Caesar dressing is SO easy to make at home?! It tastes fresh as can be with whole, simple ingredients. And yes, it does have anchovies, but if you haven't bought anchovies before, TRUST. They really bring that umami flavor.
Let's make this recipe!
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Ingredients
- Whole milk Greek yogurt - The full fat taste of whole milk Greek yogurt is a great replacement for egg yolk or mayo base of a traditional Caesar. I love the taste of of Fage and Siggi's plain whole milk yogurts.
- Extra virgin olive oil - A standard dressing base that adds flavor and richness, plus helps you absorb the nutrients in your food.
- Lemon juice - From fresh lemons.
- Parmesan - A Caesar dressing classic.
- 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!)
- Garlic - A usual suspect in salad dressings.
- Mustard - Just a tiny plop of Dijon for some additional savory flavor.
- Salt - There are many salty components to Caesar, but we'll still use a little to enhance flavors.
- Pepper - A little pepperiness complements Caesar salad flavors beautifully.
Substitutions & Variations
The below adjustments will also work in this recipe, so feel free to make this work for you.
- Anchovy paste - Instead of using a whole anchovy, you can use 1 teaspoon anchovy paste.
- Cheese - Pecorino or asiago are great substitutions for parmesan in homemade Caesar dressing.
- Worcestershire - Add a half tablespoon of Worcestershire (or a smaller/larger amount, to taste) for additional savory flavor.
- Mayo - Traditional Caesar dressing is made with egg yolk, which ultimately gets emulsified into a mayo-like base. Adding a tablespoon of mayo adds an aspect of that flavor back in, and it's delicious!
- Spicy - Add in a pinch of cayenne, red pepper flakes, or hot pepper paste to spice this Caesar dressing up.
Let's Make Homemade Caesar Dressing
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.
Yup. That's seriously all it takes to make a homemade, creamy Caesar salad dressing at home.
Top tip
It's easy to over-salt 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), blend the dressing, taste, and add more until it makes you say, "YUM."
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!
More Homemade Salad Dressings
It's no secret that we love making salad dressing at home because it tastes so ridiculously fresh, and below are some of our other faves.
- Homemade basil vinaigrette (small batch, tastes like pesto)
- Very cherry vinaigrette (fruity and delicious)
- The basil lime vinaigrette in this roasted beet and avocado salad (life-changing)
Oh, and you'll love some homemade croutons for this! Try our homemade sourdough croutons or our homemade whole wheat croutons.
Did you make this homemade Caesar dressing? Don't forget to leave a star rating 🌟 and comment below, and tag me on Instagram and Pinterest so I can see what you made!
📖 Recipe
Healthy Homemade Caesar Dressing
- Total Time: 6 minutes
- Yield: ~¾ cup
Description
This homemade Caesar dressing is SO easy and lightened up by using 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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