Quick Healthy Caesar Dressing with Greek Yogurt

If you want to make Caesar salad at home and don’t want to use bottled, store-bought dressing, this recipe is for you! Made with Greek yogurt, this dietitian-approved healthy Caesar salad dressing is a nutritious twist on conventional Caesar dressing. Drizzle it over salad, or enjoy it as a dip with veggies. Easy to make in a blender, or mixed by hand.

You really can’t beat a homemade salad dressing. Sure, bottled, store-bought dressings are convenient (we definitely still use them), but the fresh flavour from a homemade dressing is truly unbeatable.

As a Registered Dietitian, I relish the opportunity to add nutrition and delicious flavour in all of my healthy sauces and salad dressing recipes. So if you’ve got 10 minutes to spare, you won’t regret making this easy and healthy caesar dressing recipe!

I originally created this creamy Greek yogurt Caesar dressing when developing my Homemade Healthy Caesar Salad recipe. Then I discovered that not only does this recipe taste amazing on Caesar salad, it’s also great:

• as a dip for vegetables
• as a spread on sandwiches and wraps
• on other salads like garden, Cobb, or pasta salad

And if you’re looking for more homemade healthy salad dressings, my Healthy Italian Salad Dressing is a great place to start. If you like blended dressings, my Avocado Green Goddess Dressing, is a must-make!

What Makes This Homemade Caesar Dressing Healthy?

A few things! I love being able to sneak nutrition into my recipes where possible without sacrificing taste or satisfaction. It’s fun for me! Here are some things that make this Caesar salad dressing healthy:

• Greek yogurt: It’s no secret that I make a lot of Greek yogurt recipes. Using Greek yogurt (not regular yogurt) in our dressing adds high-quality protein and micronutrients like calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D to the dressing while maintaining a smooth, creamy texture.
• Extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil is a great source of healthy monounsaturated fats that support heart health (they can help lower LDL cholesterol levels). In addition to this, extra virgin olive oil is particularly rich in antioxidants, which help to fight free radicals that cause cell damage.
• Anchovies: These little fish are a source of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) that are hard to come by in food. These essential healthy fats benefit both heart and brain health.
• It’s homemade. Making just about anything homemade generally means there will be less sodium and added sugar compared to the store-bought variety. This doesn’t mean store-bought dressings can’t come in clutch (they definitely do), but this is another health benefit of making a homemade one if you have the time.

Is This a Low Calorie Caesar Dressing?

This caesar dressing is definitely lower in calories and saturated fat than most store-bought or restaurant varieties. That being said, because it does still contain olive oil, cheese, and anchovies.

This recipe makes approximately 1 cup of dressing, and one serving is approximately 2 tablespoons. Per serving, this caesar dressing offers:

• 99 calories
• 7.5g fat
• 3g carbohydrates
• 5g protein

Therefore, this caesar dressing is less than 100 calories per serving, with 7.5g of fat, 3g of carbs, and a whopping 5g of protein!

If you’re looking to make a low fat caesar dressing, you can use nonfat plain Greek yogurt to reduce the saturated fat content.

Do keep in mind that having some fat in your salad dressing is healthy, because it helps your body absorb fat soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E & K) from your vegetables!

Healthy Caesar Dressing Ingredients:

Wondering what is in a homemade Caesar salad dressing? Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt – the star of our creamy homemade caesar dressing!
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 anchovy filets, diced (or 2 tsp anchovy paste)
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper (can adjust to taste)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Does Caesar Dressing Have Anchovies?

Now, I know you’re going to ask “Do I have to make homemade Caesar dressing with anchovies?” and the answer is no, not necessarily! Many Caesar dressing recipes do call for anchovies or anchovy paste as they provide that rich umami (savoury) flavour.

If you want to make healthy caesar dressing without anchovies, feel free to omit them from this recipe as it already contains Worcestershire sauce, which has an umami taste too.

If you don’t have anchovies or would like to substitute something in their place, you can use fish sauce instead. This will add a similar umami flavour to the dressing. Start with an additional 1/2 tsp, taste, and add more if needed.

How to Make Homemade Caesar Dressing:

As I mentioned, you can make this easy recipe one of two ways; In a blender or food processor, or by whisking everything together by hand. Using a blender will give you the creamiest result, but either way, the dressing will be delicious and nourishing. I’ve outlined how to make the dressing both ways:

Healthy Caesar Dressing in the Blender:

First, we’ll add all of the dressing ingredients except for the parmesan cheese to a blender or food processor. Next, we’ll blend or process the ingredients until the mixture is smooth, creamy and white in colour.

Once this is achieved, we stir in the parmesan cheese! After this, give the dressing a taste and adjust salt and pepper as necessary.

Healthy Caesar Dressing by Hand:

Alternatively, if you’re making this recipe by hand, you’ll need a medium-sized mixing bowl and a whisk. First, add all of the ingredients except for the parmesan cheese to the bowl and stir until well combined, creamy and white in colour.

Then, we stir in the parmesan cheese! After this, we can taste the dressing and adjust the ingredients as necessary.

Notes About This Recipe:

Using a blender to make this dressing will give you the smoothest, creamiest result but it will still be delicious if you make it by hand. Some pre-shredded parmesan cheeses may give a bit of a gritty texture, so you can try to avoid this by using a fresh-grated parmesan cheese over a pre-shredded variety.

If you have leftovers, they will store well in a sealed container (like a mason jar) up to 5 days. That is if you don’t eat it all before then!

This recipe is naturally gluten-free. The recipe below makes approximately 1 cup of Caesar salad dressing.

Connect with Hannah Magee, RD!

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