Caesar Salad with Yogurt Dressing & Homemade Croutons

I don’t know of too many people who don’t like Caesar Salad. It’s lettuce, a creamy dressing, and then the crunch of flavorful croutons. I originally had a recipe for a cashew dressing to make it dairy free, but since have made a yogurt version (using plant-based yogurt or dairy-based) so that it is low fat but still creamy, delicious, and not so heavy. But first, I want to share how I make my own croutons.

Home-Made Croutons

Croutons can be expensive for how much you get, and almost always have dairy in the ingredients. Here is how I get around that. This recipe will fill about a 1/2 gallon bag when you’re done. Half the recipe if you need to.

Homemade Croutons

• Servings: 1/2 gallon size bag, enough for 12 salads, 6 croutons each
• Print

Ingredients

• 6 slices of bread of your choice
• 1/4 cup Olive oil
• 3-4 tbsp Italian seasoning
• Salt & Pepper (if desired)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Take 6 slices of bread and cube them. About 9-12 cubes each. Slice twice one way to make ribbons, and 2-3 times the opposite way.
3. Spread on a cookie sheet (prepared with aluminum foil or parchment paper).
4. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning and salt and pepper.
5. Pop in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the bread starts to brown. You might want to shake the pan around or flip them about half way through to make sure they get dry. Let cool. Add to salad or store in ziplock bag for about a week.

Nutrition Information (Whole Wheat Croutons Only)

1/2 slice worth of croutons per serving

84 calories | 5 g fat | 0.7 g saturated fat | 0 g trans fat | 0 mg cholesterol | 323 mg sodium | 7.9 g carbohydrate | 1 g fiber | 0.8 g sugars | 1.8 g protein

Energy Sources

38 g carbohydrates | 54% fat | 9% protein

Dietary Servings per Portion

0.4 Grain

 

So simple and easy that I always make my own croutons now. No added flavors or seasonings I don’t want. No hidden allergens. And it can be a healthy whole grain bread that I like.

Onto the salad!

Caesar Salad with Yogurt Dressing & Homemade Croutons

• Servings: 6 servings
• Print

Ingredients

• 3 hearts of romaine, chopped
• 1/4 red onion, optional
• 1/4 cup plain unsweetened yogurt, I used Kite Hill’s Plain Almond Milk Yogurt
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp dijon
• 1 tbsp miso paste, for soy free I use chickpea miso
• 1 tbsp capers
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 cup Homemade Croutons
• 1/4 cup Parmesan or my Nut Parmesan

Directions

1. Add washed and chopped romaine hearts to a large bowl.
2. In a blender add yogurt, garlic, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, miso, capers, salt and pepper and blend until smooth.
3. Add red onion if using, croutons, and parmesan to the romaine and toss. Right before serving, add in the dressing a small amount at a time and mix together until lightly covered.
4. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Nutrition Information

124 calories | 3.3 g total fat | 1.1 g saturated fat | 0.8 polyunsaturated fat | 1.0 g monounsaturated fat | 0 g trans fat | 4.5 mg cholesterol | 379 mg sodium | 16.5 g carbohydrates | 7.3 g fiber | 4.7 g sugar | 7 g protein

Macro Sources

53% Carbohydrates | 24% Fat | 23% Protein

Dietary Servings per Portion

• 0.2 Grain
• 0.1 Milk Alternative
• 5.3 Vegetables

Advertisement