No.42 The 100 Most Popular Recipes Ever · October 2026

Caesar salad

Made famous by Caesar Cardini

Photo: Telluride, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

From created at Caesar's restaurant in Tijuana, 1924.

Invented in Tijuana by Caesar Cardini for a Fourth of July crowd, now on almost every restaurant menu in America and the most ordered salad there.

Ingredients

• 2 large heads romaine, or 3 romaine hearts, leaves separated, washed and dried well
• For the croutons: 3 cups (120 g) cubed day-old country bread, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 garlic clove crushed, pinch of salt
• For the dressing: 1 garlic clove
• 2 to 4 anchovy fillets
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 2 large egg yolks (pasteurized if you prefer)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil
• 1/2 cup (45 g) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more to serve
• Black pepper

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 375F (190C). Toss the bread with the oil, crushed garlic and salt and bake 12 to 15 minutes, tossing once, until golden and crisp. Discard the garlic.
2. Mash the garlic, anchovies and salt to a paste with the flat of a knife or in a mortar.
3. Whisk the paste with the yolks, lemon, mustard and Worcestershire.
4. Whisking constantly, add the olive oil in a thin stream until thick and creamy. Whisk in the Parmesan and plenty of pepper. Taste; it should be bold.
5. Put the leaves in a big bowl, add the dressing and toss well with your hands so every leaf is coated.
6. Add the croutons, toss once more, and serve with extra Parmesan.

Chef's tips

• Wet leaves dilute the dressing; dry them in a salad spinner.
• Cardini served the leaves whole to be eaten by hand.

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