10-Minute Healthy & Wholesome Caesar Dressing

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 Caesar salad dressing is a healthy, 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 just 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. 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. Since then, I’ve 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 a more basic homemade dressing, my Healthy Italian Salad Dressing is a great place to start.

What Makes This Homemade Caesar Dressing Healthy?

A few things! As a dietitian, 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:

• Using Greek yogurt adds protein and micronutrients like calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D to the dressing in addition to giving it a smooth, creamy texture.
• The extra virgin olive oil is a great source of both healthy monounsaturated fats and antioxidants.
• The anchovies are a source of omega-3 fatty acids (another type of healthy fat).
• 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 want to.

Healthy Caesar Dressing Ingredients:

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

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 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’re not a fan of 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 on hand or would like to substitute something in their place, you can use fish sauce instead. This will add a more 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. Below, 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.

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