This is a twisted version of the traditional Caesar salad - with cucumber and crunchy bacon. It's light and full of flavors and will be a great addition to any grilled meat dishes or a light dinner.
We came up with this iteration since we try to avoid consuming chicken as much as possible. Despite it being so tempting and delicious, we needed to accommodate our family meal plan for our young athletes, who are not advised to eat poultry due to the high hormone content. And the good news is that this "Caesar" salad is just as tasty (if not tastier) than the original one.
For a vegetarian version, skip the bacon (it won't hurt much, believe me) and (wait for it) you can also skip the anchovies. I know, I know - who would remove anchovies from THE Caesar salad? But we've tried and it still works pretty well. But don't tell anyone, OK? 🙂 Sometimes you simply don't have time to make the sauce or you don't have anchovies at hand, but that doesn't have to hold you back from having a delicious homemade Caesar-style salad.
Our winter Caesar salad recipe also includes another great Caesar salad dressing featuring Worcestershire sauce. Make a note of it! (When you're not in the mood to make any sauce from scratch, opt for a store-bought Caesar salad dressing, like in this quick and easy Caesar salad with tuna.)
By the way, we also use homemade mayonnaise for the dressing. It isn't difficult to make and lets you know exactly what ingredients have been used.
And croutons are best if made from homemade wheat bread. It all comes down to being fully aware of what you put on your plate.
Caesar Salad with Bacon — Ingredients
To make this Caesar salad, you'll need:
- one large cucumber or several smaller ones
- some radish (optional but it adds beautiful color accent and freshness to the dish)
- iceberg lettuce salad or Romaine salad
- bacon - basically, it will work just as well with ham, if you're not into bacon
- anchovy fillets (as mentioned earlier, these can be skipped when in a hurry or with limited resources at hand)
- bread crumbs
- olive oil
- mayonnaise (any mild mayonnaise without a very strong taste)
- grated Parmesan cheese (or any other similar hard cheese; experiment with the shapes and sizes and add shaved Parmesan cheese instead of the grated one)
- mustard (Dijon mustard is the preferred one)
- onion (red onion is the best for this recipe but yellow onion can be used just as well)
- garlic
- salt
- ground black pepper
How to Make the Caesar Salad with Bacon
1. Cook the bacon in a skillet from both sides until crunchy. Transfer to a plate that's lined with a kitchen towel to remove any excess oil.
2. Bake the breadcrumbs: Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Cut bread (3-5 slices) into bite-sized cubes, and sprinkle with olive oil and salt. Transfer to a banking pan that's lined with parchment paper and bake for about 10 minutes until crisp and golden.
3. Cut the salad: Tear or cut the iceberg salad into bite-sized pieces and transfer to a large bowl.
4. Chop the veggies: Cut the cucumber, radish, and onion into small and thin pieces. Set aside.
5. Prepare the sauce: chop the anchovy fillets very finely, add mayonnaise, mustard, and minced garlic, and mix to combine.
6. Combine the salad: Add the cucumber, onion, and dressing to the bowl with the iceberg salad.
7. Serve: Take a serving plate, add the veggies and iceberg salad mix, and sprinkle with ham, Parmesan, and breadcrumbs.
Alternatively, serve directly onto a plate in individual portions (replaces steps 6 & 7).
Enjoy!
Frequenty Asked Questions
There surely is! Just skip the bacon and the anchovies. This isn't an authentic Caesar salad anyway, and these two adjustments won't do much harm to the dish if you're looking for a vegetarian iteration. Make sure to add extra veggies to compensate for the bacon.
As mentioned earlier in this post, you can skip the anchovies and make a super easy salad dressing with just three ingredients: mustard, garlic, and mayonnaise. It tastes just as good but is slightly milder.
If you're not a fan of bacon, this salad will go well with ham, shrimp, or chicken (like in the original recipe). You can also experiment with fried chanterelles in the fall. Having said that, bacon is a perfect match due to its crunchiness.
Caesar Salad with Cucumber and Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 large cucumber
- 1 onion
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.25 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Parmesan cheese
- 4 slices wheat bread
- 2-3 large slices of bacon
- 1 Iceberg or Romaine lettuce salad
- 2 radishes
Dressing
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 3 anchovy fillets
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 cup mayonnaise
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a skillet from both sides until crunchy. Transfer to a plate that's lined with a kitchen towel to remove any excess oil.
- Prepare croutons. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Cut bread (3-5 slices) into bite-sized cubes, and sprinkle with olive oil and salt. Transfer to a banking pan that's lined with parchment paper and bake for about 10 minutes until crisp and golden.
- Tear or cut the iceberg salad into bite-sized pieces and transfer to a large bowl.
- Cut the cucumber, radish, and onion into small and thin pieces. Set aside.
- Prepare the sauce by finely chopping the anchovy fillets, adding mayonnaise, mustard, and minced garlic, and mixing well to combine.
- Add the cucumber, onion, and dressing to the bowl with the iceberg salad.
- Take a serving plate, add the cucumber and iceberg salad mix, and sprinkle with bacon, Parmesan, and breadcrumbs. Alternatively, serve directly on a plate in individual servings. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Iceberg salad can be substituted with Romain lettuce salad.
- The red and white onions will both work for this salad.
- Consider blending the dressing ingredients for a smooth and uniform texture.
Disclaimer: This nutrition label has been created using the calculator provided by www.verywellfit.com, and it may not be 100% accurate.
Joanna
I love how cucumber fits into this recipe. It's a perfect side dish, especially for grilled meat.
Foodywise Editorial Team
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!