Ree Drummond’s Perfect Homemade Caesar Salad

Ree Drummond makes the perfect caesar salad.

Homemade dressing and croutons are the crown jewels of this salad.

The Pioneer Woman shows us a simple Caesar dressing recipe. You’ll never go back to the bottled stuff!

When the mercury is rising, the last thing you want to do is turn on the oven to cook. A salad is a great summertime meal that’s refreshing and light.

Ree Drummond shows us a Pioneer Woman classic that is sure to satisfy even the biggest of appetites on summer days.

Caesar salad is a great, no-frills salad whose flavor heavily depends on the dressing. Sure, you can find a variety of bottled versions in the store. But trust us when we say that the best stuff is made fresh, right in your kitchen. It’s not hard!

Ree’s secret weapon in making the salad dressing is using a food processor. It’s actually a great idea because it will get everything blended and emulsified nicely. And when it’s time to cleanup, there’s only one bowl!

After you gather your ingredients for the dressing, it’s just a matter of putting everything but the olive oil into the food processor. Blend until everything is combined and a nice consistency. Then, slowly drizzle in the olive oil while the blade is still running to emulsify and get that creamy texture that Caesar dressing needs.

Transfer the dressing to Mason jar or other covered glass container and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours. This will give the flavors a chance to meld together and improve. Or, you can even make extra and keep it on hand for later meals.

Next make the croutons. Ree cubes up French bread, which she advises gives the best crunch when toasted. For an extra hint of flavor, she infuses her butter-olive oil mixture with garlic cloves. After a few minutes, pour this mixture over your bread cubes.

Ree uses a cast iron skillet to toast up her croutons. We prefer to use the oven, but it’s really your preference. Again, you can make extras and save them for a future meal (or just a snack!).

When you are ready to eat, assemble the salad. Start with fresh Romaine lettuce leaves, shaved Parmesan cheese, and toss with the Caesar dressing. Then top with the croutons and serve! If you need a boost of protein, add grilled chicken or fish.

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