Craving Caesar salad this week and want to prep it ahead of time? We don’t blame you. Meal prepping can be game changing when your days get busy. However, you may want to reconsider prepping Caesar salads (and other salads) ahead of time, according to cookbook author Molly Baz.
Baz recently partnered with Amazon to create family-friendly, nutritious meals for under $50, so she knows a thing or two about making your meal plan work for you. But the chef and cookbook author feels very strongly that salads should be prepped and dressed as close to serving time as possible because leafy greens can get soggy and wilt quickly when dressed too far ahead of time. “Something delicate like arugula, butter lettuce, mache, or even green leaf won’t last much more than 15 [to] 20 minutes once dressed,” she explains. “While an endive, radicchio, or kale (heartier greens) can handle much longer. Ya gotta get to know your greens.”
“The same rules apply to Caesar, and even more so,” Baz adds. “Caesar dressing is mayo-based, making it even heavier than a vinaigrette which means you gotta pay attention to what you’re dressing. Romaine is moderately sturdy, but I still would wait until as close to serving time as possible.” That’s one factor that contributes to the reason why Caesar salads tend to taste so much better in restaurants.
Why you should always dress your salad at the table
The exact moment when you dress a salad is important. “I usually like to dress my salads at the table to ensure ultimate freshness,” Baz says. “Throw the dressing in the bottom of the serving bowl, top with lettuces and other salad-y ingredients, throw some serving spoons in there, and then place on the table and toss right before you serve your guests.”
Caesar salad typically comes with croutons which can soak up the dressing and get soggy over time. The only time soggy croutons work is when they’re in soup. You want croutons to be nice and crispy when in a Caesar salad. That’s another why you should not prep Caesar salad too far in advance.
If all this talk has you craving Caesar salad this week, be sure to check out our Caesar salad lettuce spears recipe and our grilled chicken Caesar salad recipe. You won’t be disappointed, as long as you don’t prep them too far in advance of serving.
