Egg-Free Avocado Caesar Salad Recipe - Pamela Salzman (2024)

Egg-Free Avocado Caesar Salad Recipe

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Egg-Free Avocado Caesar Salad Recipe - Pamela Salzman (1)

  • Pamela
  • April 10, 2012
  • 14 Comments

Categories: Appetizers, Gluten-free/gluten-free adaptable, Greens, Recipes, Salads, Vegetables, Vegetarian

I hope you all had a lovely Easter or Passover holiday. Ours was so nice thanks to my mother-in-law took care of the meal and all I had to do was show up with desserts. But now I’m ready to move on from anything to do with coconut or eggs. In fact I am going to be a rebel and just omit eggs in recipes where you would normally expect to find them! I can be crazy that way. One thing that has surprised me in teaching cooking classes the last few years is how many people have food intolerances/allergies. If you or one of your kids is one of those people, you are not alone. The most common allergens I run across with my students are gluten, dairy, nuts and eggs. There are others of course, like soy, corn, mangos and shellfish, to name a few. Then there are people who can’t tolerate garlic, which I’m not sure how I could live without. But eggs is a big one. So it’s always in the back of my mind when I come up with a recipe and I try to share egg-free versions of anything I teach.

Caesar salad dressing is traditionally made with olive oil, garlic, anchovies, lemon juice or lemon juice and red wine vinegar, mustard and raw egg yolks. Normally I substitute mayonnaise for the egg yolks because I’m not always comfortable serving kids raw eggs, but sometimes mayonnaise contains egg, too. So to make this dressing egg-free, but still creamy, I tried using one of my favorite rich, nutritious foods — avocado — and a new favorite salad dressing was born. The color is a tad green, but you won’t notice it once it’s tossed with the lettuce. And the avocado does nothing to change the flavor of the dressing so you would otherwise have no idea that you weren’t eating a regular Caesar salad. Do I dare say this is even better than a normal Caesar? I made this for a working lunch at home yesterday and my assistants and I couldn’t stop eating it. So goooooood!

Did I mention that Caesar salad is also very simple to prepare at home? That’s one reason I’m not likely to order it in a restaurant. I have a thing about ordering food in a restaurant that can be easily made at home. I don’t mind paying for handmade pasta, high quality sushi, or foods that are either unusual or labor-intensive that I can’t reproduce at home. But even the novice cook can make a delicious Caesar dressing for a fraction of a restaurant’s price. I can buy an entire head of romaine lettuce at the farmer’s market for $1 and probably make Caesar salad for 4-6 people for under $4. You’ll think twice about spending $12 for one portion.

Salads are a great way to use the topping bar method with your kids. Many children do like Caesar salad, but if yours are unsure about all that lettuce, allow them to add whatever they like to their plate, even if it’s something that you might not eat on the salad — olives, pecans, dried fruit, popcorn, avocado, chopped up chicken tenders. That’s not what’s important. We’re just allowing them to have some control over what they eat while encouraging them to eat the same food we do. They’re still finding their way.

I don’t add cheese to the actual Caesar dressing, but instead sprinkle it on top of the chopped lettuce and then toss with the dressing. If you are dairy-free, you can leave the cheese out completely or substitute Parma(vegan “Parmesan cheese”) or nutritional yeast and a little extra sea salt. And if you’re vegan, omit the anchovies and add a drop of vegan worcestershire sauce. Dairy-free and vegan peeps, did you think I was only going to give love to my egg-free friends? I have more than enough to go around.

5.0 from 2 reviews

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Avocado Caesar Salad

Author:Pamela

Serves:6

Ingredients

  • Dressing (makes about 1 cup):
  • 2-3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3 Tablespoons unrefined, cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt (you can add more if you’re skipping the cheese)
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon anchovy paste or 1-2 anchovies** (optional, but traditional)
  • 1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 6 Tablespoons water
  • Salad:
  • 1 head romaine lettuce, washed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
  • ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese* or a wedge shaved into thin strips
  • croutons for garnish, if desired

Instructions

  1. To make the dressing: Combine all the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Add a little more water to make it thinner, if desired. Taste for salt and pepper, but be conservative with the salt since the cheese is salty.
  2. Place the lettuce in a serving bowl or on a platter and sprinkle with grated cheese and croutons. Depending on the size of your head of lettuce, you may have more dressing than you need, so just toss lettuce with enough dressing to coat lightly. Or toss salad with dressing and garnish with shaved cheese.

Notes

Other options: You can also take a head of romaine, cut it in half, brush with olive oil and grill it for a Grilled Caesar Salad. Other sturdy lettuces could be radicchio, endive or red romaine.

*Try Parma or nutritional yeast for a dairy-free option.

**Vegans can drop the anchovies and add a drop of vegan worcestershire sauce instead.

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Comments

    • Egg-Free Avocado Caesar Salad Recipe - Pamela Salzman (18)

      PamelaModerator

      About 3 days. I would store the dressing in a container with as little as air as possible so it stays fresh.

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  1. Egg-Free Avocado Caesar Salad Recipe - Pamela Salzman (19)

    Lee Towle

    Love this Caesar Dressing! Just made it for the first time tonight. It was fantastic! Also, instead of using croutons, I made the Crunchy Savory Chickpeas recipe out of the cookbook and added to the salad. I changed up the seasoning a bit on the chickpeas. Thank you for creating and sharing such wonderful recipes. Looking forward to making more of them.

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    • Egg-Free Avocado Caesar Salad Recipe - Pamela Salzman (20)

      PamelaModerator

      I love that idea!! So much more healthful than croutons!

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  2. Egg-Free Avocado Caesar Salad Recipe - Pamela Salzman (21)

    Caren

    Perfect accompaniment to your Cauli pizza… I did add extra garlic. Delicious and creamy. Loved it!!

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    • Egg-Free Avocado Caesar Salad Recipe - Pamela Salzman (22)

      PamelaModerator

      I’m an “extra garlic” girl, too! 🙂

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  3. Egg-Free Avocado Caesar Salad Recipe - Pamela Salzman (23)

    Pam Reyno

    Omg…I just made this for the second time, and it is just so good!! I’ve been dairy free for many years now, but had found a dairy free Caesar dressing that was pretty tasty, but now that I’ve discovered that I had to go egg free also, I thought all things Caesar were lost… This has saved me to be able to enjoy one of my favourite things again!
    Admittedly I used 4 cloves of garlic, and an extra splash of fish sauce (no anchovies paste, but the fish sauce is all anchovy) but this recipe makes an amazing dressing, that can easily be adapted to different tastes. I will make it over and over again!
    Sharing on my Facebook and Pinterst so others can find and enjoy this great recipe!
    Thanks so much!

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    • Egg-Free Avocado Caesar Salad Recipe - Pamela Salzman (24)

      PamelaModerator

      Thank you, Pam! So nice to read your comment. Smart idea to use fish sauce instead of the anchovy paste!

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  4. Egg-Free Avocado Caesar Salad Recipe - Pamela Salzman (25)

    Leslie

    This dressing is so easy, creamy, and yummy! I add a little extra anchovy paste for a kick!

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    • Egg-Free Avocado Caesar Salad Recipe - Pamela Salzman (26)

      PamelaModerator

      I approve of that! Yum!

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  5. Egg-Free Avocado Caesar Salad Recipe - Pamela Salzman (27)

    This is so great! I am allergic to raw eggs and ceasar salads have always been tough for me-thanks for the delicious alternative!!

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    • Egg-Free Avocado Caesar Salad Recipe - Pamela Salzman (28)

      PamelaModerator

      You are quite welcome, Lygia! I hope you can finally enjoy a good Caesar :).

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  6. Egg-Free Avocado Caesar Salad Recipe - Pamela Salzman (29)

    Ilse Angove

    This dressing sounds so good. I am going to make it for my upcoming party.
    Tina Brutsch wants me to tell you, that I am her mother.
    Besr regards, Ilse

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    • Egg-Free Avocado Caesar Salad Recipe - Pamela Salzman (30)

      PamelaModerator

      Well aren’t you the lucky one to have Tina as your daughter. She is one of my favorites :). Hope you enjoy the salad and your party!

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Egg-Free Avocado Caesar Salad Recipe - Pamela Salzman (31)

I come from a large Italian-American family with 28 first cousins (on one side of the family!) where sit-down holiday dinners for 85 people are the norm (how, you might ask – organization! But more on that later …).

Some of my fondest memories are of simple family gatherings, both large and small, with long tables of bowls and platters piled high, the laughter of my cousins echoing and the comfort of tradition warming my soul.

Egg-Free Avocado Caesar Salad Recipe - Pamela Salzman (32)

Egg-Free Avocado Caesar Salad Recipe - Pamela Salzman (33)

Egg-Free Avocado Caesar Salad Recipe - Pamela Salzman (34)

Egg-Free Avocado Caesar Salad Recipe - Pamela Salzman (35)

Egg-Free Avocado Caesar Salad Recipe - Pamela Salzman (2024)

FAQs

Is raw egg safe for Caesar salad? ›

It's easier to use raw egg yolks, and since that's the way most Caesar salads are made these days, it'll turn out like what you're probably accustomed to. Use pasteurized eggs if you're concerned about raw eggs consumption. The real key with a Caesar salad is to make the dressing immediately before you serve it.

Does Ken's Caesar dressing have egg? ›

Soybean Oil, Water, Distilled Vinegar, Egg Yolk, Parmesan Cheese (Pasteurized Part-Skim Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Salt, Contains Less Than 2% Of Olive Oil, Garlic Puree, Sugar, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Spice, Natural Flavor, Egg,* Titanium Dioxide (Color), Onion,* Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate and Sodium ...

What can you substitute for raw eggs in Caesar dressing? ›

But here's a secret: If you're not striving for authenticity when it comes to your Caesar, you're not missing out on much at all by swapping in a dollop of a store-bought mayonnaise for that raw egg yolk.

What can I use instead of egg yolk? ›

The best substitutes for egg yolks
  • Aquafaba.
  • Silken tofu.
  • Flax or chia seeds.
  • Soda water.
  • Vinegar and baking soda.

Does Olive Garden dressing have egg? ›

Ingredients. Water, Soybean Oil, Distilled Vinegar, Sugar, Salt, Eggs, Romano Cheese (Pasteurized Part Skim Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Dehydrated Garlic, Spice, Xanthan Gum, Dextrose, Annatto Color, Calcium Disodium EDTA Added to Protect Flavor, Natural Flavor.

Does all Caesar dressing have raw eggs? ›

But commercially prepared dressings are usually made with pasteurized eggs. The pasteurization process kills off bacteria (like salmonella) that raw eggs can harbor — which means they can't bug you or your baby. So go ahead, seize that bottle of commercially prepared Caesar and get busy.

Does cesar salad contain egg? ›

A Caesar salad (also spelled Cesar, César and Cesare) is a green salad of romaine lettuce and croutons dressed with lemon juice (or lime juice), olive oil, eggs or egg yolks, Worcestershire sauce, anchovies, garlic, Dijon mustard, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper.

Can you eat raw egg in salad? ›

Consuming raw eggs puts you at risk for contracting salmonellosis, a foodborne illness from Salmonella bacteria that can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Salmonella can be on the outside of an eggshell but also inside the egg itself.

Is it safe to put a raw egg in salad dressing? ›

Raw egg dressings such as mayonnaise, caesar dressing and aioli are a major food safety concern. A 2010 outbreak in NSW linked to aioli with contaminated raw egg involved as many as 179 cases is just one example. Large outbreaks of foodborne illness involving these dressings continue to occur.

Are eggs in Caesar dressing pasteurized? ›

But commercially prepared dressings are usually made with pasteurized eggs. The pasteurization process kills off bacteria (like salmonella) that raw eggs can harbor — which means they can't bug you or your baby. So go ahead, seize that bottle of commercially prepared Caesar and get busy.

How to pasteurize egg yolks for Caesar salad? ›

How to Pasteurize Egg Yolks
  1. Combine the eggs and liquid or sugar: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine as many yolks as you need in your recipe with 2 tablespoons water, sugar, or liquid from the recipe per egg. ...
  2. Cook over low heat until the mixture reaches 160°F: ...
  3. Cool if necessary, then use immediately:

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