Traditional Tijuana Caesar saladcrisp whole leaves, silky dressing and golden croutons
The Tijuana classic with whole romaine leaves, egg-and-olive-oil dressing, anchovy, Parmesan and crisp croutons—no chicken.
Caesar salad was born in Tijuana, Mexico, not Rome. Its identity rests on cold crisp romaine, an emulsified tableside-style dressing, Parmesan and croutons; chicken is a later addition and is deliberately absent here.
Ingredients
Salad
Croutons
Dressing
Preparation
Chill the lettuce
Wash, dry and chill whole romaine leaves for at least 30 minutes.
30 minutesToast the croutons
Toss bread with 30 ml olive oil and a pinch of salt; bake at 190°C until golden and crisp.
12 minutesMake the savory paste
Mash garlic, anchovy, pepper and vinegar in a wide wooden or ceramic bowl.
3 minutesEmulsify the dressing
Whisk in the egg, then drizzle in 90 ml olive oil until silky; blend in half the Parmesan.
6 minutesDress the leaves
Add cold whole leaves and turn gently until every surface is lightly coated.
3 minutesFinish and serve
Arrange immediately, top with remaining Parmesan and croutons, and serve at once.
2 minutes
Substitutions
For a milder dressing, reduce anchovy to 15 g. Do not add chicken if the goal is the classic Tijuana salad.
Storage
Keep leaves, croutons and dressing separate and refrigerated; assemble only before serving.
Approximate shelf life: Dressing up to 1 day; washed leaves 2 days; croutons 5 days airtight.
Nutrition values are estimates and may vary by brand, substitution and actual yield.
