Homemade Caesar dressing without anchovies
This creamy Caesar Dressing Without Anchovies is packed with garlic, lemon, Parmesan, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, capers, and Japanese mayo; it’s bold, tangy, and downright irresistible!
Who doesn’t love a crunchy Caesar salad? But have you ever found an unwelcome guest in there—the anchovy? I know a few people, myself included, who aren’t fans of this classic ingredient. And let’s be honest, most kids would run for the hills if they spotted a fish on their salad! This Caesar Dressing Without Anchovies contains two secret ingredients: capers, which add a briny touch, and Japanese Mayonnaise for extra umami.
Capers
Capers have a strong, bold flavour, but when used in small amounts, they add a delicious briny kick to dishes like salads, pasta, and sauces. Hand-harvested from Mediterranean flower buds, they’ve been a cooking staple for thousands of years. They also make a fantastic substitute for anchovies in this recipe.
Origin of the Salad
Italian-American restaurateur Caesar Cardini created the Caesar salad in 1924. The story goes that Cardini, who ran a restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico, was low on food in the restaurant and created this salad to accommodate the dinner.
Japanese vs. Normal Mayo
This recipe reaches another level thanks to the secret ingredient: Japanese mayonnaise! It uses rice vinegar, only yolks, and usually a tad of MSG, a type of salt used in Asia, to bring this unique umami flavour. Using this type of mayo is not mandatory, but it does take the salad to another level! Kewpie is the famous Japanese mayonnaise you typically see on sushi. You can easily buy it online or at any Asian market. If you want to learn more about this misunderstood ingredient, check out this article!
FAQ
*Thanks to my sister for sharing her delicious recipe!
Caesar dressing without anchovies
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp Japanese mayo or normal mayo
- ½ lemon
- 1 garlic clove mashed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp parmesan finely grated
- 2 tsp capers
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp Tabasco
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a small blender and blend until smooth.
- Let it rest for a minimum of 10 minutes in the fridge before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Sharing of this recipe is encouraged and appreciated. Copying a full recipe to any social media is prohibited.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Share your thoughts on it! Leave a comment or share a picture and tag me @littlenomadsrecipes on Instagram.
I am so happy to have found a Ceasar dressing without anchovies, it tastes just like my favorite restaurant dressing without wasting the few anchovies I need to buy to make it home.
It’s got extra umami too! Glad you liked it!
I am very pleased with how this dressing turned out- it is better than store bought and much better for you! I always hated that caesar has anchovies, so I am happy to have found this recipe.
Salad with fish is strange to me, too. I love anchovies alone, but in my salad, no thanks!
Yay! A tasty dressing with the furry fish~ Thanks so much for sharing this.
This dressing is perfect! I ran out of caesar dressing last night and I am so glad I found this recipe, because now I don’t think I want to buy it from the store anymore! Thank you so much for this recipe 🙂
I know, so much better homemade, and fast too!
The dressing came out delicious! It was full of flavor and perfect as a Caesar dressing. Loved it.
Glad you liked it!
Amazing Caesar dressing! This is a staple in my household since I first made it. Thank you!
You never go back to commercial stuff once you know this one!
Thank you so much for this recipe! While I love anchovies, my husband does not, but we both love Caesar salads. This is a keeper!
You could always add a decorative anchovie to your salad;)
We regularly make salads, and caesar salads are by far our favorite, but I’ve never made my own dressing. I’m sure this is so much better than store bought. I can’t wait to give it a try!
You’ll never buy the premade sauce again!
I love Caesar dressing and never cared for anchovies, your recipe was delicious!
Glad to hear that!
I love making ceaser dressing with salad, I made this yesterday and it was super delicious, thank you for sharing I can’t wait to make it again!
Glad to heat it!