Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
The classic salad gets a Southern twist with cornbread croutons, diced pimentos, crispy bacon, and an easy, creamy dressing. This Southern Caesar salad is hearty enough to serve as a light entrée, or equally delicious alongside fried chicken, grilled salmon, cast iron steak, and grilled hamburgers.
Table of Contents
We love big, hearty salads as a fresh main course when the weather is warm, or as a tasty side dish with meat, beans, and seafood. While this house salad with candied pecans is a personal favorite, a Greek shrimp salad is nice in the summer, and a green salad with red wine vinaigrette pairs well with Italian food, you can never go wrong with a classic Caesar salad!
Where was Caesar salad invented?
While many assume that Caesar salad is a traditional Italian dish, its origins might surprise you! Restauranteur Caesar Cardini, an Italian immigrant with restaurants in Mexico and the United States, made the first Caesar salad at his restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico in 1924, when a Fourth of July rush depleted the kitchen’s supplies. He needed to whip up a salad with the limited ingredients available, and the end result was this wildly popular dish!
Putting a Southern Spin on a Classic Caesar Salad Recipe
Caesar salad is truly a delicious addition to almost any meal, and it’s a dish that we serve almost weekly in our house. This Southern twist on the traditional recipe was inspired by a meal that I recently enjoyed at The Boar’s Head Resort in Charlottesville. I ordered the Southern wedge salad as a starter before my fried fish supper, and the salad was the part of the meal that I enjoyed most!
Of course, I had to recreate the delicious combination when I got back home, but instead opted for a Southern Caesar salad instead of a wedge salad. The combination of crisp romaine lettuce, smoky bacon, diced pimentos, crunchy cornbread croutons, freshly-grated Parmesan, zesty black pepper, and a rich, creamy Caesar dressing (without anchovies!) is unbelievably good. Maybe even better than the original (gasp)?!
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for an easy caesar salad recipe with Southern flare. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Romaine hearts: chop the romaine hearts into bite-size pieces. You can use iceberg lettuce, kale, or other mixed greens if you prefer.
- Creamy Caesar dressing: I use this easy homemade caesar salad dressing, which you can whisk together quickly in just minutes. It’s a flavorful combination of mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice, garlic, Parmesan, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, zest from fresh lemons, salt, and pepper (no anchovies and no raw eggs or egg yolks). Sub with a bottle of store-bought dressing for a shortcut.
- Bacon: cooked until crisp. I like the thick-cut variety, but turkey bacon or other versions are fine, too.
- Diced pimentos: drained from a jar and patted dry. Add extra pimentos if you want!
- Parmesan cheese: freshly-grated Parmesan tastes best, but the pre-grated stuff from the can works fine as well.
- Cornbread croutons: these homemade cornbread croutons are my favorite (and a great way to use up leftover cornbread). Just drizzle the cubed cornbread with olive oil and butter, spread on a baking sheet, and bake them in the oven until toasted. In a pinch, store-bought cornbread croutons are a fine shortcut.
- Freshly ground black pepper: a classic, zesty addition to a Caesar salad.
How to Make Caesar Salad
Prep all of the ingredients in advance and assemble this Southern Caesar salad just before serving. It’s a crowd-pleasing option for almost any meal! I’ve included the detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick overview.
- Place the lettuce in a large bowl.
- Add some dressing, and toss to coat.
- Add the bacon, pimentos, croutons, and Parmesan cheese. Toss gently.
- Season with freshly cracked black pepper and serve immediately.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this hearty, flavorful salad as a fresh, light entrée on its own, or add some meat or fish on top. We like a grilled salmon Caesar salad, a blackened salmon Caesar salad, grilled shrimp on top of the salad, or a chicken Caesar salad with this grilled chicken or bbq chicken. It would also be delicious with fried chicken tenders or fried chicken nuggets!
If you’re offering the Caesar salad as a side dish, try pairing it with any of these main course options:
- Beans (such as Appalachian Beans and Greens, Southern Lima Beans with Ham, Hoppin’ John, Black-Eyed Peas, Ranch Style Beans, Homemade Baked Beans, or Cowboy Baked Beans)
- Barbecue (like these Crock Pot Ribs, Grilled BBQ Chicken Breast, Oven BBQ Chicken Breast and Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs, Pulled BBQ Chicken, Dutch Oven BBQ Beef, Crock Pot Pork BBQ, or Pulled Pork)
- Roasts (like Dutch Oven Pot Roast, Pork Roast with Gravy, and Mississippi Pot Roast)
- Seafood ( such as Shrimp and Grits, Crab Cakes, Grilled Salmon, New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp, Cornmeal-Crusted Baked Catfish, Southern Cornmeal-Crusted Baked Catfish, and Shrimp Creole)
- Fried Favorites (such as Fried Chicken, Fried Catfish, Oven-Fried Fish, Fried Oysters, or Fried Shrimp)
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Prepare the homemade creamy Caesar salad dressing up to 1 week in advance. Store the dressing in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.
- The croutons are best when toasted just before serving, but they will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Leftover Caesar salad will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day; however, it’s not ideal. The lettuce and the croutons will get soggy as they sit in the dressing.
Recipe Variations
- For a shortcut, use a store-bought Caesar dressing (this is one of my favorites).
- Instead of making homemade croutons, purchase a package of cornbread croutons.
- Use iceberg lettuce, chopped kale, or mixed spring greens rather than romaine.
- Add more bacon or more diced pimentos, if you like.
- Include additional vegetables for more flavor, such as chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumber, sliced red onion, or pickled red onions.
Tips for the Best Southern Caesar Salad Recipe
- Add the dressing gradually. You can always pour more dressing onto the lettuce if necessary, but you don’t want to end up with too much (and soggy lettuce).
- Season the salad with freshly-ground black pepper for a zesty, flavorful finishing touch.
- Assemble the salad just before serving so that it doesn’t sit and get soft in the dressing.
More Salad Recipes to Try
Cornbread Salad
2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins
House Salad with Candied Pecans
35 minutes mins
Southern Chicken and Rice Salad
30 minutes mins
Southern Caesar Salad
Ingredients
- 2 romaine lettuce hearts, washed, dried, and chopped
- Caesar Dressing, (use desired amount), or sub with store-bought Caesar dressing
- 4 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
- 2 tablespoons diced pimentos (from a 4-ounce jar), patted dry
- ⅓ cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
- Homemade Cornbread Croutons (use desired amount), or sub with store-bought cornbread croutons
- Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place the lettuce in a large bowl. Add dressing, as much as desired, and toss until the leaves are lightly coated. Start with a small amount of dressing, toss, and then taste. You can always add more if needed!
- Add the bacon, pimentos, croutons (however many you want) and Parmesan cheese; gently toss again. Season with black pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
- For a shortcut, use a store-bought Caesar dressing (this is one of my favorites).
- Instead of making homemade croutons, purchase a package of cornbread croutons.
- Use iceberg lettuce, chopped kale, or mixed spring greens rather than romaine.
- Add more bacon or more diced pimentos, if you like.
- Include additional vegetables for more flavor, such as chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumber, sliced red onion, or pickled red onions.
