Caesar Wedge Salad

July 19, 2023

The wedge salad has always intrigued me. They are often featured at fine dining establishments and steakhouses, which make them feel a little high end, but in all reality these salads contain very basic ingredients.

Don’t let the basic ingredients fool you though, because this wedge salad is dressed with a spectacular creamy caesar, loads of parmesan, crispy prosciutto and crushed croutons. Simple perfection.

Let’s get started…

Begin by preparing your lettuce. You can use iceberg or romaine lettuce for wedge salads, but I prefer romaine for this caesar version to keep with the classic caesar elements.

Slice the romaine into wedges keeping a little bit of the base in tact. The base of the lettuce will help to keep the wedges together. Wash the wedges thoroughly and then dry them. You can hang them dry on a clean dish rack or pat them dry with paper towels.

Now let’s talk about the prosciutto… while adding it is optional, it is definitely highly recommended. It adds a crisp element to the texture of these wedges, but it also adds saltiness and a little bit of richness that rounds everything out nicely.

If you do want to add the prosciutto, simply place a few thin slices on a non-stick or parchment lined baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for 6-8 minutes or until crisp. Transfer them onto a few sheets of paper towels to soak up any excess grease and then crumble into fine pieces.

While your prosciutto is crisping up, let’s whip up a batch of the most wonderful creamy caesar dressing you’ll ever have…

In a small bowl, whisk 1 1/2 cups of a good quality mayonnaise (I love Duke’s), 2 teaspoons of worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, 3 finely chopped cloves of garlic, 2 anchovy filets, a pinch of salt and black pepper and 2/3 cup of finely shredded parmigiano reggiano until everything is evenly distributed. Do a quick taste test and add more salt or black pepper, if desired.

Now that our lettuce is prepped, the prosciutto is crisp and you made a batch of creamy caesar dressing, the only thing left to do is shred some parmesan and assemble our wedge salads…

To assemble a wedge salad, simply arrange the wedges with the cut side and drizzle each wedge with creamy caesar dressing.

Add shredded parmesan and some of your crumbled prosciutto over the dressing. Now, you can stop here, but I like to go one step further and crumble some croutons over the entire situation.

If you are wondering why I would crumble croutons this means that you most likely unfamiliar with this method and are really missing out on something special. A few years ago, I started crumbling croutons over my salads and I never looked back.

Crumbling the croutons ensures that every bite gets a little bit of that beautiful buttery crunch plus you only need 3 or 4 croutons per salad, so if I am eating a little bit lighter that week, I can add a couple of croutons, because let’s be honest, a salad just isn’t a complete salad without croutons.

There is something very special about this beautiful salad. The flavors and textures are simple, but fantastic with lots of crunch from the romaine, the crispy prosciutto and the croutons and of course the perfect amount of creaminess from that wonderful caesar dressing.

This caesar wedge salad is not just an elegant addition to your dinner table… it is a delicious one too…

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