Shrimp Caesar Salad Recipe

Caesar Salad with Shrimp — Photo:
Food & Wine / Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

Cook Time:

15 mins

Active Time:

8 mins

Total Time:

15 mins

Servings:

Broiling the shrimp for this salad takes just four minutes, making it an ideal weeknight meal. Caesar salad dressing is surprisingly easy to make at home — so long as you use high-quality ingredients to pack a flavorful punch. This is the time to grab a block of aged Parmigiano-Reggiano and a grassy extra-virgin olive oil. Our modified Caesar dressing contains no eggs but tastes just as good as a more traditional version. Toss the dressing with crunchy romaine lettuce, plump tomatoes, homemade croutons, and broiled shrimp. A few generous shavings of Parmesan on top of this shrimp Caesar salad tie everything together.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the ingredients of Caesar salad dressing?

Traditional Caesar salad dressing is made with Dijon mustard, good-quality olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, anchovies, egg yolks, and grated Parmesan cheese. This version omits the egg yolks but is still lovely and creamy, thanks to the Dijon. Anchovies are critical to the salad’s signature salty, briny flavor, but you can omit them altogether if you prefer. A dash of Worcestershire sauce adds a satisfying umami flavor that rounds out the tangy dressing.
Why is my Caesar salad soggy?

To prevent a soggy Caesar salad, be mindful of the ratio of lettuce to salad dressing, how early you toss the ingredients together before serving, and how it’s stored. Although a well-dressed salad is delicious, overdoing it can add too much moisture that can quickly wilt the delicate lettuce leaves. As such, adding roughly one or two teaspoons of dressing per cup of lettuce at a time is recommended. (Of course, this can be modified to your liking.)

Wait to add the dressing until just before serving the salad; this also applies to when you're storing it. For best results, keep the dressing in a separate container when stored in the refrigerator.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

This recipe can be used to transform leftovers into a new meal. Substitute sliced steak, grilled chicken, cooked ham, seared salmon, or the protein of your choice for the shrimp.

Make ahead

You can make the Caesar dressing up to one day in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Just before drizzling it over the salad, give it a quick whisk to ensure the ingredients are evenly incorporated.

Suggested pairing

Sauvignon Blanc pairs beautifully with the acidity of the lemon and Dijon. A crisp Sancerre's vibrant gooseberry and lemon flavor and strong chalky streak will highlight the freshness of the salad and the sweetness of the shrimp.

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Ingredients

1 (10-ounce) loaf sourdough or country-style bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 5 cups)
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 pound medium shrimp, shelled
1 head romaine lettuce, quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips (about 1/2 quarts)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions

Heat the oven to 325°F. Toss the bread cubes with 1 tablespoon of the oil and spread on a large baking sheet. Bake until crisp on the outside and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool.
Meanwhile, put the lemon juice, garlic, Parmesan, anchovy paste, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. With the blender running, slowly add the 3/4 cup oil. Alternatively, whisk together everything but the oil and then add the oil slowly, still whisking.
Heat the broiler. In a broiler pan or on a baking sheet, toss the shrimp with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Broil the shrimp, turning once, until just done, about 4 minutes in all.
In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, tomatoes, croutons, and shrimp. Add the dressing and toss to coat.

Originally appeared: May 2013

Caesar Salad with Shrimp