Chargrilled Caesar Salad with Maple Bacon

My husband used to work as a waiter in Melbourne many years ago. It’s where he developed his passion for good food. Since I first met him, he has reminisced and raved about a chargrilled Caesar Salad that one of the restaurants used to serve. With my lettuce patch in full yield, this is the perfect time of year for me to have a go at recreating this delicious salad.

The end result was well received and my 6-year-old son rated it as his new ‘favourite’ – so I guess I’ll be making this again over winter.

Whilst the processes in this recipe are a little more fiddly than my standard fare, it is anything but tricky to make. As usual, I’ve accommodated various dietary requirements including a vegetarian variation.

Until then… A chargrilled Caesar Salad with Maple Bacon

Health benefits

Packed with protein from the bacon and optional boiled eggs, this Caesar salad is more than just a side dish. The cos lettuce provides plenty of fibre and vitamins, while the homemade dressing lets you control the ingredients, ensuring a healthier option compared to store-bought versions.

Ingredients

For this recipe, you’ll need bacon, maple syrup, sourdough bread, cos lettuce, parmesan cheese and a homemade Caesar dressing featuring whole egg mayo, lemon juice, garlic cloves, dijon mustard, and anchovies. If you’re not a fan of anchovies, don’t worry—they melt into the dressing and just add a nice salty kick!

How to make this Caesar Salad recipe

Start by candied your bacon in maple syrup and baking it until crispy. Char the sourdough and lettuce on a hot grill for added depth of flavour. Whisk together the dressing, then assemble the salad with grilled cos, maple bacon, sourdough croutons, parmesan, and a drizzle of dressing. Add extras like boiled egg or avocado if you like.

Serving suggestions and how to store

Serve this Caesar salad with a sharp knife to slice through the charred lettuce and crunchy bacon. It pairs beautifully with grilled meats, or you can bulk it up with extra veggies for a meal in itself. Leftovers should be stored in the fridge and eaten within a day to keep the ingredients fresh.

Vary this chargrilled Caesar Salad to suit

This chargrilled Caesar salad is easily adaptable. Use gluten-free bread and omit Worcestershire sauce for a gluten-free option, or swap parmesan for ground macadamia nuts to make it dairy-free. Vegetarians can replace the bacon with grilled tempeh, and anchovies with a pinch of sea salt. For an egg-free version, just use egg-free mayo and skip the boiled egg! Or add chicken for a chicken Caesar salad.

Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit many specific dietary requirements.

Chargrilled Caesar Salad with maple bacon

Prep 20 minutes minutes

Cook 25 minutes minutes

Total 30 minutes minutes

Serves: 4

This chargrilled Caesar salad with maple bacon is a delicious twist on the classic Caesar. With crisp lettuce, smoky grilled sourdough, and sweet maple-glazed bacon, it’s full of bold flavours and textures. It’s perfect as a hearty side or a light main, especially if you add grilled chicken or salmon.

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Ingredients

• 8 rasher/s bacon
• 85 g maple syrup (¼ cup)
• 2 slice/s sourdough
• 55 g butter or olive oil (¼ cup approx.)
• 1 clove/s garlic -peeled and left whole
• 2 baby cos lettuce
• 40 g parmesan cheese (¼ cup) shaved
• ¼ bunch/s fresh parsley leaves -to serve
• 2 egg/s -hard boiled to serve (optional)

Dressing

• 115 g whole egg mayonnaise (½ cup)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 clove/s garlic -crushed
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 3 anchovy fillets -finely diced (see notes below if you don't like them)
• ground black pepper -to taste

Method

• Preheat your oven to 220ºC/430°F.
• Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the maple syrup in a bowl and coat each rasher of bacon in the syrup and lay them in the tray so that the don't overlap. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, turning after 15 minutes. Keep an eye on the bacon to make sure it crisps but does not burn. Once cooked carefully remove the bacon onto a plate and pop in the fridge to harden.
• Meanwhile, preheat a chargrill pan or BBQ plate. Butter the sourdough on both sides. Wash and shake dry the cos lettuce removing any brown or damaged outer leaves. Cut the cos lengthways in half and brush the cut side with a little olive oil.
• Prepare your dressing by mixing all of the ingredients together well. I'm not overly fond of anchovies, but in this dressing, they just add a wonderful hit of saltiness and no fishiness at all. If you just can't bring yourself to use them, add some sea salt instead.
• Once you grill is heated begin by charing the sourdough until toasted and then rub with the peeled clove of garlic. Cut into a wedge to serve. Next, char the cos for a minute, not to cook, rather impart a charred flavour.
• Assemble by placing the cos on a plate charred side up. Drizzle over the dressing and top with the maple bacon, sourdough garlic crouton, shaved parmesan, parsley and grate the boiled egg over the top (optional). Serve with a sharp (even a steak) knife so it can be chopped up to combine all of these divine flavours.

Optional extras

• I love this salad with cherry tomatoes and slices of avocado. You can turn this into a meal by adding grilled chicken or salmon.

Variations

Gluten-free

Omit the Worcestershire sauce in the dressing and serve with gluten-free bread.

Dairy-free

Omit the parmesan, replace it with ¼ cup  ground macadamia nuts mixed with a tablespoon of nutritional yeast and a good pinch of sea salt. Use olive oil on the bread. 

Vegetarian

Replace the bacon with Nori sheets, finely sliced and grilled tempeh. Replace the anchovies with a good pinch of sea salt. 

Low-fructose

Candy the bacon with rice malt syrup instead of maple syrup.

Egg-free

Check out this egg free mayo here and omit the grated egg.

Garlic-free

Omit the garlic, there are enough lovely flavours for it not to be missed.

Seafood-free

Replace the anchovies with a good pinch of sea salt. 

Once you've eaten this, you will struggle to eat your standard Caesar Salad ever again.  I think this is a stunning starter when entertaining or a great weekend lunch.

 

For lots more sides and salad inspo, take a look at my hugely popular ebook 'Well Nourished Sides and Salads’- where vegetables become the hero of the dish!

It’s great value at just $9.95, click HERE to take a look.

 

Who loves a Caesar Salad?  Love to hear your thoughts on this one, post comment below...

Course: Salad

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