Fall

Caesar-ish Salad with Celery Root "Croutons"

October  4, 2022
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Photo by Emily | Cinnamon&Citrus
  • Prep time 40 minutes
  • Cook time 25 minutes
  • Serves 2 as a meal, 4 as a side salad
Author Notes

Caesar salad is a classic for a reason, so be warned, I took liberties with the citrus in my dressing. Ever since substituting orange juice for the traditional lemon when I forgot to pick some up at the store, I have preferred my Caesar dressing so am sticking with it! Apologies to staunch traditionalists. This recipe is also great with lemon juice, but the warmth of the orange pairs particularly well with roasted celery root that I decided to add as a crouton element after finding a big (and ugly!) one at the farmer's market this weekend. I still double down and use real bread croutons as well, along with hard boiled egg to make this salad truly a meal. —Emily | Cinnamon&Citrus

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Caesar-style dressing
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 3 tablespoons good quality full fat mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • pinch of salt
  • juice of 1/2 of a medium-large orange (or 1 small/"clementine" sized orange)
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 - 1/3 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salad Components
  • 1 large head of romaine (or red romaine) lettuce
  • 1 softball-sized celery root (celeriac), peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
  • 2 hardboiled eggs, cut into 1/8ths lengthwise (see cook's note)
  • 1 cup fresh croutons (see cook's note)
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the cubed celery root with salt, black pepper, and the celery seed and drizzle with olive oil, tossing well to coat. Bake 20 - 25 minutes, until brown on the edges. Allow to cool slightly before adding to the salad.
  2. While the celery root cooks, make the dressing. First, rub the garlic clove all around inside the bowl you'll be serving the salad in. Then, mince the garlic (I find a pinch of salt makes a finer mince) and combine with the mayonnaise through orange juice (if you must stick to the classic, the juice of 1 lemon works in lieu of the orange). Whisk well to combine, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking continuously. Gently stir in the Parmesan cheese.
  3. Chop the romaine into bite-sized pieces and fill the salad bowl that has been pre-rubbed with garlic. Top with the roasted celery root, hard-boiled egg slices, and croutons (and extra shavings of Parmesan if you'd like!) Toss with the dressing and enjoy!
  4. Cook's note: my favorite method of making hard boiled eggs is to cover by 1 inch with cold water, bring to a gentle boil uncovered and cook at the boil 6 minutes, uncovered. Then remove from heat, cover with a lid, and rest 6 more minutes before running under cold water until cold enough to handle and peel. To make fresh croutons, cut day old bread into about 1 inch cubes with a serrated knife. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper (and other flavorings you'd like, such as garlic or herbs) and bake in a 500 degree oven for 10 - 15 min, stirring once halfway through cooking and watching closely to avoid burning (like I frequently do.)

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