Weeknight Cooking

Roasted Seaweed Caesar Salad With Anchovy Croutons

by:
June 27, 2019
4.3
6 Ratings
Roasted Seaweed Caesar Salad With Anchovy Croutons
Photo by Julia Gartland
  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Cook time 15 minutes
  • Serves 1
Author Notes

If you knew how many test Caesar salads I had to eat to arrive at this final recipe here before you, then you'd think I was obsessed. (And you'd be right.) I adore a good, crunchy, anchovy-redolent Caesar salad. Say what you will about anchovies, but for me they're the absolute best part of the dish.

My Caesar salad dressing has significantly more anchovies than most (six for a single serving); not only that, I make good use of the olive oil they've been stored in: a tablespoon anoints the sourdough croutons, and another goes into the dressing itself along with the fillets. What this means is that the salad can feel meaty and substantial enough to be lunch or dinner on its own, especially the way I make it: a whole romaine heart, scattered on a large plate with my extra-gutsy Caesar dressing. A real knife-and-fork salad.

For even more savory depth and a little lip-smacking nuttiness, I've added one of my favorite Korean pantry items of all time: roasted seaweed snack, or gim. This ingredient, along with a couple teaspoons of sesame oil, adds an umami-rich back note that complements the anchovies in a new, beautiful way.

You'll notice I've also foregone the lemon juice for rice vinegar (because that's what I always have on hand) and the Dijon mustard for the fat combination of anchovies, roasted seaweed, Parmesan, and egg yolk (because their bulk is more than enough to help the dressing blend into a creamy emulsion).

You can find roasted seaweed snack at most grocery stores these days, especially at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and H Mart. But if you live somewhere more remote, then order them here: https://www.amazon.com... —Eric Kim

Test Kitchen Notes

Featured in: Your New Favorite Caesar Salad, Thanks to One Secret Ingredient. —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 romaine heart, separated into individual leaves
  • 1 cup torn 1-inch pieces sourdough bread, crusts removed
  • 6 anchovy fillets packed in olive oil (plus 2 tablespoons of the oil, divided)
  • 1 fat garlic clove
  • 1 large organic egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
  • 1 (5-gram) packet roasted seaweed snack, crushed with your hands
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Wash the lettuce leaves, spin or pat dry, then transfer to the refrigerator to keep cold and crisp until ready to dress.
  2. Make the croutons: In a sheet pan or small baking dish, toss sourdough bread pieces with 1 tablespoon of the anchovy oil. Season with salt and pepper if desired (I prefer these croutons without seasoning because, for me, their bread-y sweetness balances the salty, punchy dressing). Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until crispy and lightly browned at the edges.
  3. Meanwhile, make the dressing: In a small food processor, blitz the remaining tablespoon of anchovy oil, anchovies, garlic, egg yolk, rice vinegar, sesame oil, Worcestershire sauce, Parmesan cheese, and roasted seaweed snack until smooth and emulsified, scraping the sides in between pulses. It will be very thick; don't worry. Season lightly with salt (the anchovies and Parm are already pretty salty) and heavily with pepper (because it rules).
  4. Transfer dressing into a large bowl. Take the cold romaine out of the fridge and toss in the bowl (I like to use my hands here to massage the dressing into each leave's nook and cranny). Add the croutons and toss gently one last time, tasting for seasoning. More salt? More pepper? Now's the time to adjust.
  5. Transfer salad to a plate, piling the leaves high and scattering the croutons. Grate over a final dusting of Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper. All salads wilt, but this one especially, so eat immediately.
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  • FrugalCat
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Eric Kim
Eric Kim was the Table for One columnist at Food52. He is currently working on his first cookbook, KOREAN AMERICAN, to be published by Clarkson Potter in 2022. His favorite writers are William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, and Ernest Hemingway, but his hero is Nigella Lawson. You can find his bylines at The New York Times, where he works now as a writer. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @ericjoonho.

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11 Reviews

FrugalCat
FrugalCat June 21, 2023
I adore seaweed and am addicted to those snacks. I made this with packaged pumpernickel croutons. I used a pack of seaweed snacks in the dressing, then kind of crumbled another pack into the salad, with the lettuce.
 
brushjl
brushjl July 22, 2020
Love this Caesar salad! Sorry can't do anchovies, please forgive me. The seaweed was a great addition. My new favorite Caesar salad
 
Annie M.
Annie M. October 29, 2019
I love this recipe!! I’ve made it at least 5 times since it came out, so figured it was time to write a 5 star review. I crave this flavor profile now 🙃
 
Eric K.
Eric K. October 30, 2019
Ugh, you have my heart. Thanks for trusting in the deliciousness of this weird recipe.
 
Mary
Mary September 10, 2019
A must try! Not everyone has to watch their salt intake.....I for one have low blood pressure.
 
Eric K.
Eric K. October 30, 2019
As my ex once told me, "Salt's good for you! Makes you drink more water!"
 
Laura L.
Laura L. July 5, 2019
Every lover/obsessor of Caesar salad should try this, sodium be damned. You, sir, are a genius, and my new favorite Chef.
 
Eric K.
Eric K. July 5, 2019
Aw, thank you so much. I appreciate that.
 
boulangere
boulangere July 3, 2019
Between the anchovies, Parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and roasted seaweed, you're into 30% of the daily recommended intake of sodium. Whether you look at additional kosher salt as yikes(!) or so what, it's probably not a great idea. And not necessary.
 
Eric K.
Eric K. July 4, 2019
A 5g packet of roasted seaweed snack only has 50mg sodium (we're talking about an 1/8 of a pinch of salt). The other ingredients are standard in a Caesar and, aside from the anchovies, aren't as salty as one might think, especially in this portion size. But agreed that the extra kosher salt isn't 100% necessary; I've tested this heavily and found that some people wanted it. I don't think it always needs it. Some anchovies are saltier than others, and you could always leave out the Worcestershire (I like it here).

Anyway, if this salad truly amounts to 30% of the daily recommend sodium intake, then that's fine by me because I certainly consider it a full meal / dinner salad.
 
Eric K.
Eric K. July 4, 2019
A 5g packet of roasted seaweed snack only has 50mg sodium (we're talking about an 1/8 of a pinch of salt). The other ingredients are standard in a Caesar and, aside from the anchovies, aren't as salty as one might think, especially in this portion size. But agreed that the extra kosher salt isn't 100% necessary; I've tested this heavily and found that some people wanted it. It's all by taste: Some anchovies are saltier than others, and you could always leave out the Worcestershire (I like it here).

Anyway, if this salad truly amounts to 30% of the daily recommended sodium intake, then that's fine by me because I certainly consider it a full meal / dinner salad!