Avocado Caesar Salad

Coated in an avocado-based dressing that's creamy yet light, this healthy Caesar salad is a refreshing dish that can be served as a main or side. With just a couple ingredient swaps, you can make it vegetarian if needed.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Total Time 30

Servings 2-cup servings, as a side

Calories 392kcal

Author Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

Ingredients

Caesar salad

1 bunch romaine chopped, about 6 cups
1 medium avocado pit and skin removed, cubed
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
4 cups sourdough bread cubes about ½-inch cubes, from 2 large or 4 small slices
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Avocado caesar dressing

1 medium avocado pit and skin removed, about ¾ cup flesh
3 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon capers
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic smashed
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper more to taste
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ to ½ cup water to thin the dressing

Instructions

Prepare the salad ingredients. Chop up the romaine and pat it dry (if needed) to remove excess moisture to prevent it from getting soggy. You can cube the avocado for the salad at this time or wait until closer to serving so it doesn't brown.
To prepare the croutons, slice up your sourdough bread so you have 4 cups of cubes. Warm the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet (or other skillet) over medium heat. Add the bread and stir so that it gets coated in the oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Let the bread cook in the skillet, stirring occasionally, for about 5 to 7 minutes or until it's browned to your liking. Remove the skillet from heat and let the croutons cool while you prepare the dressing.
Combine the dressing ingredients in a high-powered blender or food processor: avocado flesh, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, Dijon, capers, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Add water as needed to thin to your desired consistency. I added ½ cup water and whisked it in after I removed the dressing from the blender. This made it thin enough to drizzle over the salad.
Assemble the salads on individual serving plates by dividing the romaine, croutons, cubed avocado, and parmesan cheese evenly. Drizzle each plate with the dressing. Alternatively, you can mix the ingredients all together in a large bowl and toss with the dressing before serving.
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Notes

If you need/want the salad to be strictly vegetarian, use a vegan Worcestershire sauce (such as Annie's brand) and parmesan cheese labeled as vegetarian.
To bulk up the salad to make it a main dish, add chicken, salmon, crispy tofu, or sautéed or roasted chickpeas.
The dressing can be prepped up to a few hours in advance. Keep it in a sealed jar in the fridge. The croutons can also be prepped in advance (up to a couple days) and stored in a sealed container on the counter.
Dressing yields about 1 cup. The salad can serve 4 people as a side or 2 as a main. With added protein, you can possibly make it serve 3 or 4 as a main.

Nutrition