Skinny Caesar Dressing

There was so much I loved about our Memorial Day Weekend in Maine, but my favorite part of the trip had to be indulging in all the amazing local food. Our trip wouldn’t have been complete without lobster rolls, slices of Maine wild blueberry pie and a few New England IPAs.

Ironically, however, another thing I love about vacations in general are the post-vacation detoxes. For whatever reason the clarity I receive and happiness I absorb from so much family time spent away from work and my laptop gives me a reboot and motivates me to stick to a healthier diet, schedule in some exercise and find ways to improve my overall well-being.

A Caesar salad is one of my favorite dinner sides, and I would honestly eat it every night if my family wouldn’t get bored or think I’d gone crazy. I love it for its tangy, peppery rich flavor and the nuttiness of the parmesan cheese. Since my affinity for Caesar salad means we consume a good amount of Caesar salad in our house, I have been determined to find a way to make the traditional egg / mayonnaise-based dressing a little healthier, and this is my favorite combination I have tried so far.

One other thing I wanted to add is that I never ever buy salad dressing from the grocery store. Most salad dressing found at the grocery store contains over-refined oils that aren’t nutritious as well as a lot of sugar, sodium and preservatives. There are so many delicious dressings, including Caesar that are super quick and easy to make at home. Plus the homemade dressing tastes so much more delicious!

Traditional Caesar dressing recipes call for raw eggs, but since a Salmonella infection hardly sounds like a good time, I’ve omitted them from my version. Many other recipes supplement mayonnaise for the raw eggs, but I’ve traded the mayo for non-fat Greek yogurt for fewer calories (and a lot less fat) as well as the added benefits of protein and calcium. There is anchovy paste in this recipe, but trust me, I’ve tried versions without it; they’re never anywhere near as good, and in my opinion, the Caesar salad loses its authenticity. I know even the thought of anchovies freaks some people out, but it just adds amazing flavor and does not taste fishy! Trust me 🙂 (Plus did you know anchovies are in Worcestershire sauce?!)

If you haven’t tried making your own Caesar salad dressing you should definitely give it a go! My family loves this healthier, homemade version, and I think yours might too! Make sure to use whole grain croutons to keep the rest of the salad good for you!

I prefer to place all ingredients in a Mason jar with a tight fitting lid and give it a really good shake then pour it over my salad. But, of course, you can add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk 🙂 Add to your salad composed of romaine lettuce, croutons and a little parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Hope you all have an amazing day!