Go Back
Basil Caesar Dressing Recipe
Ash Tyrrell

Basil Caesar Dressing Recipe

I stumbled onto this basil caesar dressing after a salad I had on a trip that I couldn't stop thinking about. I came home and tried to recreate it in my own kitchen, and after a couple of tweaks (turns out I went a little heavy on the garlic the first time), I finally nailed it. It's creamy, herby, and just bright enough from the lemon to keep every bite interesting.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 garlic clove peeled and chopped – fresh garlic gives a much cleaner bite than the jarred stuff
  • A small handful of fresh basil leaves roughly chopped (about ¼ to ⅓ cup) – always use fresh basil here, dried just won't give you that bright flavor
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard – helps the dressing emulsify and adds a gentle tang
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce – this is what gives it that classic caesar depth
  • ¾ cup mayonnaise homemade or good-quality store-bought – the creamy base of the whole dressing
  • Juice and zest of half a lemon – zest first then juice, for the freshest citrus punch
  • A pinch of kosher salt – season lightly since mayo and mustard already carry some salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste – skip the pre-ground stuff if you can, it makes a difference

Method
 

  1. Start by peeling and roughly chopping your garlic clove, then rinse and roughly chop your basil leaves. Zest your lemon half using a microplane before you juice it, since it's much easier to zest a whole lemon half than a squeezed one. Set everything near your food chopper so you're not scrambling mid-process.
  2. Add the chopped garlic, basil, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and black pepper directly into your small food chopper or processor bowl. There's no particular order that matters here, so just toss it all in together.
  3. Pulse or blend the mixture until the garlic and basil are finely minced and everything looks fully combined and creamy. This usually only takes about 20 to 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides once if needed to make sure nothing's stuck.
  4. Give the dressing a quick taste before serving. If it needs more brightness, add a touch more lemon juice; if it needs more punch, a small pinch of extra salt or pepper does the trick. Adjust in small increments since the flavors are already fairly concentrated.
  5. Transfer the dressing to a jar or airtight container and let it sit in the fridge for at least 15 to 20 minutes before serving. This short rest lets the garlic and basil flavors settle into the mayo base rather than tasting sharp and separate.

Notes

  • I always zest the lemon before juicing it, since it's nearly impossible to zest after the lemon's been squeezed dry.
  • I go easy on the garlic the first time around, since it gets more pungent the longer the dressing sits in the fridge.
  • I use homemade mayo when I have the time, because it makes the dressing noticeably richer and fresher tasting.
  • I let the dressing rest in the fridge for a bit before serving, since the flavors blend together so much better after a short chill.
  • I taste as I go instead of dumping everything in blindly, since lemons and mustard brands vary a lot in strength.