Tahini Caesar Salad with Olive Oil Breadcrumbs

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This tahini Caesar salad started as my answer to a dressing I’d grown tired of making the traditional way — with eggs, anchovies, the whole production. Tahini does something unexpected as the base of the dressing, bringing a nutty richness that makes the lemon and garlic pop. Instead of croutons, crunchy homemade breadcrumbs toasted in good olive oil take a traditional salad somewhere better.

A classic Caesar dressing is based on mayonnaise, made with raw egg yolk, anchovy, and enough Worcestershire to give it a deep, savory backbone. This version replaces all of that with tahini — the creamy roasted sesame paste that brings its own rich, nutty depth — whisked together with fresh lemon juice, a single garlic clove, and a spoonful of yogurt for body.

The dressing feels luscious, and clings beautifully to crisp romaine leaves. And instead of the usual croutons, I top it with crunchy, olive oil-toasted breadcrumbs — golden, irregular little shards that make this salad so fun to eat.

Karen’s ingredient notes

• Tahini: Not all tahini is created equal, and it makes a real difference here. It’s the same ingredient I would never leave out of this recipe for homemade hummus — and the same rules apply for buying it. Look for brands made from roasted sesame seeds, which have a deeper, more complex flavor than raw-seed versions. Buy it in a clear container so you can see the oil separation: A thin layer on top is normal and a sign of a fresh, minimally processed jar. A thick, solidified layer means it’s been sitting too long. Give it a good stir or shake the jar before measuring it.
• Romaine lettuce: Romaine is the Caesar lettuce for a reason — the long, sturdy leaves can take the weight of a creamy dressing without wilting into a soggy heap. If you spot Little Gem at the market, grab it without hesitation. It’s essentially a compact, sweet-hearted baby romaine with tightly ruffled outer leaves and a tender pale core that adds a more delicate texture to the bowl.

Let’s talk about breadcrumbs vs. croutons

I’ve worked in enough restaurant kitchens to know that stale slices from the bread basket often get recycled into croutons and tossed into the daily salad. No thanks!

When I order a Caesar salad in a restaurant I usually pick off the croutons, unless I know it’s the kind of place that pays extra-special attention to details.

• Start with a few slices from a loaf of the best crusty bread you can find, add some good olive oil, bake and grind into crumbs. You’ll be rewarded with toasty, golden little nuggets that are genuinely hard to stop eating.
• Yield: You’ll have enough dressing to make this salad, plus a little leftover to use as a dip for vegetables, pita chips, or anything that needs a saucy finish on the side. Serve with my baked ziti recipe for a family-style feast.

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Tahini Caesar Salad with Olive Oil Breadcrumbs

Karen Tedesco

Romaine lettuce tossed with a creamy tahini-lemon dressing and showered with olive oil-toasted breadcrumbs. The dressing comes together in minutes — no eggs, no anchovies.

Print SaveSaved

4.81 from 42 ratings

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Salad

Cuisine Vegetarian

Servings 4 servings

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

Tahini Caesar Dressing:

• ▢ ¼ cup (60 ml) tahini
• ▢ ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 1 small garlic clove
• ▢ 3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon (15 g) plain yogurt
• ▢ ½ cup (50 g) grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese (or a mixture of both), divided
• ▢ ¼ cup (60 ml) cold water
• ▢ ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salad

• ▢ 2 thick slices crusty sourdough bread, cut into cubes (2 heaping cups)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin oil
• ▢ 12 ounces (350 g) 2 or 3 heads Little Gem lettuce or hearts of romaine, washed and dried

US Customary – Metric

Instructions 

Make the dressing

• Combine the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, 3 tablespoons olive oil, yogurt, ¼ cup of the cheese, water, salt and cayenne pepper in a blender or mini food processor until smooth, or whisk the ingredients together in a medium bowl. (Makes about 1 cup).

Make the breadcrumbs

• Preheat the oven to 375 (190 C) degrees. Spread the bread on a small baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss until evenly coated. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the bread is brown and crisp. When cool enough to handle, roughly chop the cubes on a cutting board or in a food processor to make pea-sized crumbs (or feel free to crumble with your hands if you want stress relief).

Assemble the salad

• Pull the green leaves off the lettuce and cut the inner core into wedges. If using romaine hearts, separate the leaves and tear into large bite-size pieces. Keep the inner core intact and cut into small wedges.
• Put the lettuce in a bowl or serving platter and toss with about ⅓ of the dressing. Sprinkle half the breadcrumbs and the remaining grated cheese over the salad. Serve with additional dressing and breadcrumbs on the side.

Karen’s Notes and Tips

• To make a vegan salad, substitute a plant-based yogurt (such as coconut or cashew) for the dairy yogurt and an equal amount of nutritional yeast for the cheese.
• Extra dressing will keep up to a week refrigerated.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 475kcal Carbohydrates: 136g Protein: 35g Fat: 37g Sodium: 618mg Fiber: 8g Sugar: 8g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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Hey, I’m Karen

Creator of Familystyle Food

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Professionally trained cook, cookbook author, and the person behind every recipe here. I cook the way I was trained: Start with good ingredients, understand why they work, and don’t apologize for the salt. These are the recipes I actually make, for the people I love. Read more about me here.