Crunchy Caesar Salad with Smashed Croutons
Need a top-notch Caesar salad in your recipe arsenal? Look no further! This restaurant-worthy Caesar salad is made with fresh, garlicky homemade smashed croutons, zesty Caesar dressing, and tons of Parmesan cheese.
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*Easily adjust serving size to your liking by clicking the number under servings or with the boxes below in the ingredients section.
Ingredients
For the croutons
- 5 slices Sourdough Bread fresh, preferably not stale
- ½ cup Olive Oil extra virgin
- ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 2-3 cloves Fresh Garlic
For the salad
- 6 cups Romaine Hearts 2-3 heads, chopped
- 1 cup Radicchio chopped
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese grated or shaved
- ½ Caesar Dressing or more as desired. Make this dressing from scratch if you have the time or use store-bought.
- Flaky Sea Salt like Maldon, to taste
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the Caesar dressing
- Follow this recipe and refrigerate for 4 hours - overnight.
Make the croutons
- Preheat the oven to 425F. Slice the sourdough bread into ½" cubes and add to a baking sheet.
- Combine the garlic, olive oil, and Italian seasoning in a personal blender. Blend until smooth. Drizzle the croutons with the garlic olive oil blend. With clean hands, massage the oil and spices into the croutons. Take the time to cover all the bread pieces with the oil. Using your hands, gently smash up a third to half of the bread pieces into breadcrumbs, and spread in an even layer on the baking sheet.
- Bake the croutons for 5 minutes on the center rack. After 5 minutes, remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for another 5 minutes. Stir the croutons up and rearrange them in an even layer. Repeat the last 2 steps 2-3 more times, or until the croutons are golden and crispy. (This process helps the croutons stay light and flaky without getting chewy and tough in the middle.)
Make the salad
- Wash and chop the romaine hearts and radicchio into bite-sized pieces.
- Grate or shave the parmesan cheese.
- Add the romaine and radicchio to a large mixing bowl. Top with the croutons and parmesan cheese, then, drizzle with the Caesar dressing and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Using tongs or serving spoons, toss well to combine and serve.
Notes
Make Ahead + Storage Tips
Dressing: Make the dressing up to 3 days before using. Store covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Try this Caesar dressing recipe. Croutons: Make the croutons up to 7 days before using. Cool before adding to an air-tight container or plastic ziplock bag to store at room temperature. Salad greens: Chop, rinse, and dry the romaine and radicchio well. Add them to an airtight container and cover them with a clean damp paper towel before adding the container lid. Store refrigerated for up to 3 days. Make the dressing in advance: Let the dressing sit for a LEAST 4 hours to help all the flavors marry together and create a more flavorful dressing. Smash the croutons: This is one of the KEY secrets to making a good Caesar salad with lots of crunch! Smashing the croutons will create crunchy breadcrumbs that spread all over the salad so you'll have crunchy bits in every bite. Assemble right before serving: You can prepare all the parts of this salad in advance but make sure to assemble right before serving to prevent the croutons from getting soggy. TIP: Use a vegetable peeler to shave the parmesan cheese into strips. Gently break up the strips into larger chunks to get the same shaved look as the cheese in the photo.Nutrition
Serving: 0.25gCalories: 530kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 15gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 695mgPotassium: 412mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 9512IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 234mgIron: 5mg
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