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What is Caesar Salad?

A Caesar salad is an exceptionally delicious dish made of lettuce, homemade croutons, dressing, and cheese. The salad is popular in the US and all over the world.

The Caesar salad is a great meal with less calories that’s both tasty and nutritious!

Who Invented Caesar Salad?

As with many legendary dishes, the origin of the Caesar salad is a bit murky. However, it’s most probable that it originated in 1924 Tijuana, Mexico.

If you thought Julius Caesar was the inventor of this delicious salad, we have some bad news. Another Caesar is in question, an Italian American named Cesare (Caesar) Cardini.

His family immigrated to the US from Italy after WWI. A few years later, they opened their first restaurant in Sacramento. After that they moved the business to San Diego, and finally, in 1927, to escape the Prohibition, they settled in Tijuana.

That’s when Caesar’s Restaurant was open.

As Cesare’s daughter Rosa remembers, her father invented the salad on July 4th in 1924. The restaurant was packed, and there weren’t many ingredients left. So, Cesare decided to toss everything he had into a bowl: Romaine lettuce, garlic, croutons, parmesan, olive oil, raw eggs, and Worcestershire sauce – and the Caesar salad was born.

Of course, there are some other stories regarding the inventor of this salad. Cesare’s brother Alex claimed he invented the salad and named it Aviator salad, but it was later renamed after his brother.

The salad became so popular that many people, including movie stars such as Clark Gable and Jean Harlow, traveled to the Restaurant in Tijuana just for this dish.

Back in the days, Cesare prepared the salad in front of the guests, making it a spectacle, just as acclaimed American chef Julia Child described as an early childhood memory in her cookbook “From Julia Child’s Kitchen.”

The salad’s popularity was immense, so in a very short time, it spread among chefs in North America and all the way to Europe.

Though the Cardinis are no longer the owners of Caesar Restaurant, the family that operates the spot today preserve the place, and the favorite item on their menu is “one of the few pieces of cultural history that we have.”

Fun Facts

• The Grilled Caesar Salad variation comes with grilled romaine lettuce for a charred texture and a crispy, barbeque flavor.
• If you add pasta into the mix, you’ll get a delicious Pasta Caesar Salad. The most popular pasta types for this salad are penne and rotini.
• Substituting kale for the lettuce will result in a meal packed with vitamin A, K, B6, and C, and minerals like potassium, copper, and manganese.
• Caesar salad can also be had with seafood, like shrimp and salmon, as well as both baked and grilled chicken

How is Caesar Salad Made?

Though there are many alternatives to this famous dish, the original recipe for the Caesar salad consists of: Caesar salad dressing, croutons, lettuce, and parmesan cheese.

The base of the salad is fresh Romaine Lettuce. The croutons, which are baked and seasoned bread pieces, are added over the lettuce. The dressing comes next and all these ingredients are tossed together until fully coated. The parmesan is put on top, either shaved or shredded.

The dressing is what makes the salad wholesome and combines the ingredients correctly. As with the salad, it also has many variations, but the classic version contains two main ingredients: anchovy paste and egg yolks or mayo.

Over the years, chefs have made certain changes to the original dressing recipe. Nowadays, it can also contain fresh garlic, lemon juice, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, olive oil, vegetable oil, and finely grated parmesan.

The sauce's vegan alternative has tahini and hummus instead of the anchovy-yolk mix, soaked and blended cashews for the cheesy creaminess, and capers for brininess.

Is Caesar Salad Healthy?

One cup of a meatless Caesar salad with Romaine lettuce contains around 180 calories. It has 15 grams of fat, 7 grams of carbs, and 5.5 grams of protein.

Those who want to reduce the calorie intake, can leave out the parmesan on top, and opt for a low-calorie dressing alternative. However, if you like your Caesar salad with chicken, you can expect a more high-calorie meal.

One cup of Chicken Caesar salad can have around 200 calories when prepared with grilled chicken, and around 300 calories if Crispy chicken is used. The Grilled Chicken Caesar salad has 6.5 grams of fat, 11.5 grams of carbs, and 29 grams of protein, while the Crispy Chicken Caesar salad has 15 grams of fat, 22.5 grams of carbs, and 25 grams of protein.

Where Can I Find Caesar Salad Near Me?

If all of this reading made you hungry for some Caesar salad of your own, we have some great restaurant recommendations for you!

If you are in Chicago, you can try Cosi or Pizza Capri.

Those in New York can have an amazing Caesar salad in Lunetta Pizza or Little Italy Pizza.

Finally, for those in Houston, we’d like to recommend Rocco’s.

If you didn’t find your city on our short list, make sure to check the Slice website or app to find amazing restaurants in your area. You can also look up specific dishes to satisfy your specific cravings!