This keto Caesar salad mixes a wonderfully flavorful creamy dressing with a garlic crumb topping over fresh crisp lettuce. Typically, a classic Caesar salad would feature croutons tossed throughout with grated Parmesan cheese. Instead we’re using a garlic crumb topping that still brings the crunch and flavor. The crumb topping contains a mixture of pork rinds, Parmesan crisps and garlic. The flavor this mixture brings is so delicious that even folks not on keto would enjoy this!
The most important part of a good Caesar salad is the dressing. This is an easy to make version that can be made in a blender or food processor. Since this is a simple dish, every ingredient plays an integral part. As such, it’s imperative to use the best quality you can so that when it comes together it has the best balance.
The best cheese for this is Parmigiano-Reggiano, which is an Italian hard cheese. It has a complex nutty flavor that elevates the end result. Unfortunately a lot of cheese that’s labeled as “Parmesan” here in America is just a mixture of milk and cellulose. So do your best to look at the labeling to ensure you’re getting the real thing!
The other important thing to note is to not be afraid of any of the ingredients. Yes, I understand it can seem odd to be putting small fish fillets into a salad dressing. However, now that we have anchovy paste readily available to us it eliminates having to deal with whole pieces of fish. It can also be concerning dealing with raw eggs. The chances of being exposed to Salmonella through raw eggs are low. However, in order to eliminate this threat completely, feel free to use pasteurized eggs. Just don’t let the fear of either of these ingredients cause you to miss out on the wonderful flavor you get when you combine it all together!
Keto Caesar Salad
Ingredients
Garlic Crumb Topping
- 3 oz pork rinds
- 2 oz parmesan crisps
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 1 whole garlic clove finely minced or grated
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Caesar Dressing
- ½ cup avocado oil
- 2 whole garlic cloves
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 2-3 tsp anchovy paste
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 large egg yolks
- ⅓ cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated
Salad
- 6 cups romaine lettuce chopped
- 2 lbs grilled chicken breast (optional)
Instructions
For the crumb topping:
- Grind pork rinds and parmesan crisps in a food processor
- Add chopped parsley to the mix
- Heat a medium sized fry pan over low heat and add olive oil and butter to the pan
- Add the mix from the food processor to the pan once the butter melts
- Increase the heat to medium-low and add both the fresh garlic and the garlic powder
- Keep everything moving in the pan by stirring it around in order to keep the garlic from burning
- Cook for 3-5 minutes or until crumbs have been lightly toasted then remove from heat
For the dressing:
- Add all of the ingredients for the dressing except the oil to a food processor or blender and pulse a few times to combine
- Put the food processor/blender on low and slowly steam in all of the oil so that the dressing emulsifies
- Turn off the food processor/blender and check for seasoning and thickness.
- If you'd prefer a thicker dressing add more oil and if you'd prefer a thinner dressing add some cold water and mix again
- Pour dressing into a bowl and place in the fridge while you make the rest of the dish
Assemble the salad:
- Slice up your chicken breasts or other choice of protein (optional)
- Combine all ingredients in a large salad bowl to serve family style or plate each dish separately
