This Caesar Salad with Grilled Citrus Salmon recipe includes a homemade caesar dressing, homemade garlic croutons, and a perfectly grilled piece of citrus marinated salmon! It's perfect any night, but especially delicious on a hot summer evening when it's too hot to cook.
Caesar salad was most definitely the food of my childhood. I probably went through a brief period in my life when I lived off caesar salad. And somehow I'm still here today to tell you about it.
Really though, I ate a lot of caesar salad when I was a kid/early teen. I think it had something to do with going to nice restaurants with my family and being too cool to order off the kids' menu (if there even was one), but not being adventurous enough to order an entire meal of "adult" food.
I pretty much always knew I'd enjoy the caesar salad, no anchovies please, anywhere I went. Of course, my parents did eventually explain to me that there were generally anchovies in my caesar whether I wanted them on top or not.
All restaurant caesar salads are measured against my mother's caesar salads. Which, in my opinion, are the gold standard on caesars. You have to be a garlic lover because everything from the dressing to the croutons is drenched in it.
And that's just the way I like it.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
There are so many reasons that you'll want this caesar salad to become a staple in your meal plan. Here's why it's such a great recipe:
- It makes for an easy weeknight dinner as you can make the caesar dressing and croutons ahead of time and just cook the protein and toss everything together when you're ready for dinner.
- You can top it with any kind of protein you want (or none!) depending on what your family likes.
- It's a healthy dinner, especially if you go light on the dressing.
- It's a light and fresh dinner perfect for a hot summer evening.
- It will taste better than any caesar salad you could get in a restaurant!
How to Make Homemade Caesar Dressing
Now that I'm older, I'm not so scared of anchovies anymore. For me, they are a necessity in my caesar dressing.
If you're adverse to them, by all means leave them out. You can actually substitute with a little Worcestershire sauce for the same kind of umami effect.
But I promise they're not as scary as they seem!
To make the caesar dressing, put anchovies, garlic, egg yolk, mustard, lemon juice, and water in a blender and process for about 30-40 seconds, until the mixture is smooth.
With the blender still running, pour the olive oil in very slowly, so the dressing emulsifies.
Pour until you have a consistency you like (you might want to taste it to determine if you're happy).
Pour the dressing in a bowl and stir in parmesan cheese and pepper. I don't add any salt since the anchovies add quite a bit of saltiness.
Make sure you stick the dressing in the fridge if you're not using it right away. Lick the spoon though.
How to Make Make Garlic Croutons
You can't have a caesar salad without croutons and in my opinion, there are absolutely no croutons like homemade croutons. Homemade garlic croutons.
Cut bread into roughly 1-inch cubes. Place in a bowl and toss with minced garlic and olive oil. Sprinkle pepper on top.
Cover a baking sheet in tinfoil and place bread cubes in a single layer on the sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, rotating the pan about ½ way through baking until croutons are crispy and turning golden.
Snack on a few while you cook the salmon.
How to Make Citrus Salmon
You can certainly eat the caesar salad as is, but I like to add some protein. Like grilled citrus salmon. It's the easiest recipe ever.
In a medium bowl, stir together orange juice, lemon juice, minced garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Place salmon in a large Ziplock bag and pour citrus mixture in it. Make sure the salmon is covered in the juices and stick the bag in the fridge for at least 45 minutes.
Lightly coat grill grates or grill pan (or regular frying pan) with olive oil. Grill salmon over medium heat for about 4 minutes.
Flip and grill for another 3-4 minutes, until salmon is cooked through and flaky.
Now, place your roughly chopped lettuce in a large bowl. Drizzle your homemade caesar dressing over it.
Toss with the garlic croutons. And divide between 4 plates or bowls. You can sprinkle on some more parmesan cheese if you want.
Place your beautifully cooked salmon over the top. And enjoy!
This is my ideal meal. I love how garlic-y the dressing and croutons are and the salmon has a nice light citrus flavor the complements all that garlic really well.
I think it's amazing how something so simply to cook can be so amazingly delicious.
Salmon is definitely one of my favorite stand-bys, but I'd love this salad topped with shrimp, too. Actually, one of my favorite caesars comes topped with grilled calamari (from my old neighborhood in Brookline). It's quite large and I can eat the entire thing.
Substitutions for Recipe
There are lots of things you can do with this caesar salad recipe that will make it easier or just more unique. Here are a few ideas:
- Use store-bought croutons
- Use store-bought dressing
- Top with shrimp (citrus shrimp would be delicious!)
- Top with chicken or steak
- Top with additional vegetables or any leftovers you happen to have in the fridge
- Add in a whole grain like quinoa or farro
- Use different greens, like baby spinach, arugula, or a spring mix
Like I said, caesar salads are my ideal salads (especially when there's salmon on top!), but I love all kinds of salads.
I know some people don't think salad can be a meal, but I say if the salad is delicious enough and robust enough, it can be an incredible meal. Here are some of my very favorite salad recipes:
More Salad Recipes
- Chipotle Kale Caesar Salad
- Steak and Strawberry Salad
- Bacon Cheeseburger Kale Salad
- Watermelon Panzanella Salad
- Kale Greek Salad
- Broccoli Salad (from Jessica Gavin)
- Beet and Goat Cheese Salad (from Pinch Me Good)
And if you're looking for more wonderful ways to enjoy salmon, check these recipes out. Salmon is such a healthy dinner option and there's so much you can do to it to make it even more exciting for your family:
More Salmon Recipes
- Asian Ginger Miso Salmon Salad
- Creamy Grapefruit Salmon
- Salmon Fettuccine with Sour Cream Caesar Sauce
- Everything Bagel Salmon
- One-Pan Creamy Chipotle Salmon
- Chili Lime Salmon Over Coconut Rice
- Chipotle-Rubbed Grilled Salmon Tacos
- Creamy Salmon Pasta (from Healthy Fitness Meals)
- Pan-Seared Salmon in Garlic Mascarpone Sauce (from Serving Dumplings)
I'm standing by my position that I could eat a caesar salad every night and this one with added salmon only solidifies it for me. And I do still sometimes order caesar salads in restaurants.
Do you have any childhood favorites you still can't get enough of?
📖 Recipe
Caesar Salad with Grilled Citrus Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 medium head romaine lettuce, cleaned and roughly chopped
- Caesar Dressing (recipe below or store-bought)
- Garlic Croutons (recipe below or store-bought)
- Grated parmesan cheese, for topping (option)
- Citrus Salmon (recipe below)
Caesar Dressing
- 4 anchovy fillets
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 2 Tbsp water
- ¼ cup- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- ¼ tsp pepper
Garlic Croutons
- ½ loaf French bread
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Citrus Salmon
- 1 lb. salmon, cut into 4 fillets
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tsp minced garlic (from about 2 cloves)
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Toss lettuce, dressing, and croutons in a large bowl. Divide salad into 4 separate bowls or plates and top with salmon. Sprinkle with extra parmesan cheese if desired.
Caesar Dressing
- Put anchovies, garlic, egg yolk, dijon mustard, lemon juice, and water in a blender and process for about 30-40 seconds, until the mixture is smooth.
- With the blender still running, pour the olive oil in very slowly, so the dressing emulsifies. Pour until you have a consistency you like (you might want to taste it to determine if you're happy).
- Pour dressing in a bowl and stir in parmesan cheese and pepper. Keep in fridge until ready to use.
Garlic Croutons
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.
- Cut bread into roughly 1-inch cubes. Place in a medium bowl and toss with minced garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Place bread cubes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes, rotating the pan about ½ way through baking, until croutons are crispy and turning golden.
Citrus Salmon
- In a medium bowl, stir together orange juice, lemon juice, minced garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Place salmon in a large Ziplock bag and pour citrus mixture in it. Make sure the salmon is covered in the juices and stick the bag in the fridge for at least 45 minutes.
- Lightly coat grill grates or grill pan (or regular frying pan) with olive oil. Grill salmon over medium heat for about 4 minutes. Turn over and grill for another 3-4 minutes, until salmon is cooked through and flaky.
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic says
Caesar is my favorite salad 🙂 and for me, the more anchovies, the better - in fact I make my dressing with anchovy paste and anchovy fillets. As for childhood favorites, ice cream is definitely on top of my list! I still can't get enough and always have a pint in my fridge now.
Sharlene says
I love love love caesar salad to this day and somehow convince myself it's a healthy option whenever I order it. I've never made it at home though since I have a feeling it'd be a very dangerous recipe to know off hand. Maybe just once though.. I do remember eating a whole slew of things as a child, being told later on what it actually was, and swearing never to eat it again (until, of course, I grew up and came to my senses)!
Maris (In Good Taste) says
I love caesar salad but have never made my own dressing but this looks so good , I am going to give it a try. Believe it or not a childhood favorite was my mom's pot roast!
Michelle says
I love Caesar salads and am so disappointed when they don't have anchovies!
Shannon says
ooh, that looks delicious!!! from scratch must be so much better 🙂
Erica says
I'm still a caesar fanatic! But I am not a fan of the fishies in the dressing...I like to make a mock caesar without the fish- I just made one using chobani that I loved. This salad does look quite perfect! I would've eaten those croutons right out of the oven 🙂 Maybe I can try the dressing without the anchovies?
Emily @ A Cambridge Story says
I love homemade Caesar dressing. It's so easy to make! I usually boil the egg for 30 seconds, though, and use a ridiculous amount of garlic. The addition of salmon sounds great!
brandi says
i love a good homemade caesar dressing. so delicious!
Julie Folan says
Even though I just started reading We Are Not Martha recently, I already feel like we are often on the same food wave length Sues! I made a steak tip Caesar salad last night w/ homemade dressing as well! I detest the look of anchovies, but do agree that they are necessary in the dressing! However, last night I didn't have any on hand so I made a simpler version that is also a lighter alternative as it doesn't have any parm cheese in it (ghastly I know!).
2 parts EVOO (1 cup or 1/2 cup)
1 part light mayo (1/2 cup or 1/4 cup)
1-2 cloves of garlic minced
2 TBSP of fresh lemon juice
few dashes of worcestershire sauce
sea salt & ground pepper to taste
Give it a whirl sometime 🙂
Alicia says
I LOVE caesar salad. I used to eat it as a vegetarian, assuming that other people wouldn't know that it had anchovies. Pretty tricky!
Monique says
This looks awesome. I can never get enough salmon! I wish it were cheaper where I shop... but *shrug* its nice when i splurge and have a tasty treat to come home to!
Jihane @Sinful Sundays says
I used to go to town on Caesar salads! I haven’t had one in forever and I’ve never had one with salmon in it either. Yours looks so delicious and refreshing. I also love that grill pan, fyi.
Abbie says
Homemade croutons: one million times better than any croutons you get in the store.
Ann says
Oooh, this Caesar Salad looks so good. I can't get enough of my mom's spaghetti and meatball. I want some now!
Celia says
Love me an anchovy-tastic dressing. And those croutons look awesome! You're inspiring me to DIY Caesar...
Lauren@littleyellowkitchen says
delish!! Salmon is such a refreshing dish, especially w/ citrus. And homemade caesar dressing cant be beat!
Krishnaveni says
wow, that's a lovely meal, salmon looks great, and thanks for visiting my space
Maria @ Scandifoodie says
This sounds delicious! I love the addition of anchovies!
Betty @ scrambled hen fruit says
I love anchovies in Caesar Salad dressing- I know they're there but I can't see them. 🙂 If that's your mom's recipe, I can see why all other salads are measured against hers- it looks really delicious. The salmon and asparagus make it a perfect meal! 🙂
Karen from Globetrotter Diaries says
I love Ceasar salad. It's one of those underestimated salads b/c the dressing is usually bottled and, well bad. Homemade dressing rocks! I love yours- esp made in a blender. And anchovies... love them 🙂
Daisy says
The ceasar salad story is pretty typical of mine and my sisters childhood "adult" dinners as well! gotta love it. This recipe looks so incredible, and with the salmon, you took it over the top! nicely done.
Jen @ BeantownBaker.com says
I haven't made Ceasar dressing myself, but yours looks good. I agree, anchovies are a must. They add great flavor.
Kerstin says
Caesar salad makes me really happy too and yours looks perfect! Love that salmon on top.
Alicia Fidalgo says
This looks delicious! I love caesar topped with salmon! when I was 5 I ate tortellini soup EVERY DAY for lunch. I could still eat it EVERY DAY!! I love it!