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This creamy Caesar salad dressing without anchovies or raw eggs is the perfect mix of that classic Caesar dressing, but super easy to make. Made with mayonnaise, garlic, vinegar, and a secret ingredient – olives! You’ll still get that amazing briny flavor that anchovies have.
I also don’t use Worcestershire sauce for this recipe because that contains anchovies. You searched for no anchovies, and you got it! Actually, the original recipe for Caesar dressing was developed by the Cardini family in Tijuana and it was also made without anchovies!
This is the best Caesar dressing without anchovies that has all those classic flavors. You’ll love it paired with romaine lettuce and baked chicken kabobs or grilled Italian shrimp. Or try this Mediterranean salad dressing as an alternative.
Table of Contents
Why Caesar Salad Dressing without Anchovies?
Anchovies are really a staple flavor to Caesar salad, but some people may not love the strong fishy flavor, or you don’t want to buy a whole tin just for a few.
This is why I love this recipe! Lower in tyramine and histamine, without the strong fishy flavor, Kalamata olives bring the briny taste that you may miss. Plus it can easily make this recipe vegetarian and vegan!
You’ll love this easy Caesar dressing without anchovies because:
- No Anchovies – None, including hidden anchovies in Worcestershire sauce!
- Vegetarian and Vegan Friendly – This Caesar dressing can easily fit a vegetarian and vegan diet, especially with my egg-free mayo.
- Fast – You can make this dressing really quickly in under 10 minutes!
- Possibly Low Histamine and Tyramine Diet Compliant – Olives can be a hot topic on low histamine and tyramine diets, but Kalamata and Castelvetrano types are the best types to use. Castelvetrano in particular have not been through a fermentation process! Obviously you know your body best, but these are good ones to start with if you’re willing to try.
This recipe will work for many different specialty diets like a migraine diet, gluten free, and Whole30 or paleo.
Ingredients
- Olive Oil – A light, extra virgin olive oil will work well here.
- Garlic – Just one clove of freshly minced garlic is enough for a strong flavor!
- Mayonnaise – I like to use either Sir Kensington’s Organic or Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil mayo.
- Distilled white vinegar or lemon – Lemon juice will give you a more classic flavor, but it is an elimination food on a migraine diet. Easily substitute this with distilled white vinegar – both are delicious!
- Kalamata olives – Look for ones with pits in, which are less processed, and not in any red wines. Packed in a vinegar solution or in water is best! Castelvetrano can also be used.
- Freshly ground black pepper – A must for that classic flavor.
Substitutions
- Substitute for olives – Another option to add that salty flavor you’re missing with anchovies are capers, which can be chopped small. I don’t recommend using Worcestershire if you’re avoiding anchovies – because it contains anchovies…
- Types of olives – In recipe testing, I prefer Kalamata for the best flavor. Castelvetrano olives have a lighter, more buttery flavor. They would still be good in this recipe, just not as intense.
- Vegan option – All you have to do is use my egg-free mayo recipe.
- Dairy free option – This Caesar dressing as is, is naturally dairy free. You can add cheese if you like, but I find the dressing is great without it.
- Citrus – Some of my readers cannot tolerate lemon juice, so distilled white vinegar makes a great substitute. You could use either interchangeably.
How to Make Caesar Dressing without Anchovies
Hand Method
Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in a small mason jar, stirring to combine. Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until fully incorporated and smooth. The olive oil may separate from the dressing if it sits for a while. If you whisk it again, it will be perfect!
Immersion Blender
Add all the ingredients for the Caesar dressing to a jar with a wide enough lid for the immersion blender to fit in. Add all the ingredients to the jar and use an immersion blender to blend everything together till smooth.
To make the salad – Use 2-3 heads of romaine lettuce and slice them to about 1/2 inch thickness. Use a salad spinner to wash and dry the lettuce, then place into a large bowl. Top with homemade croutons, recipes below, and chicken or grilled shrimp.
Make a Chicken Caesar Salad
Turn this into a chicken caesar salad very easily! I love to use the marinade from my Baked Chicken Kabobs to marinate a chicken breast for 2-3 hours. Thin-sliced chicken breasts will work, or use a mallet to pound the chicken breasts out to about 3/4″ thickness.
Grill the chicken in a grill pan or on the grill over medium heat – around 425 degrees Fahrenheit, for roughly 6 minutes per side, or until it reaches and internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Storage Suggestions
If fresh ingredients are used, this anchovy-free Caesar dressing will last up to one week stored in an airtight container in the fridge. I love to store it in mason jars!
Because this recipe is mayonnaise-based, I don’t recommend freezing as it would ruin the consistency.
Serving Suggestions
Besides making a basic Caesar salad without anchovies, there are other options to use this dressing! Here are a few of my favorites.
- Salmon Caesar Salad Quinoa Bowls – I have a recipe for this in my Mediterranean Migraine Diet cookbook on page 165.
- Pasta Caesar Salad – Choose a simple chickpea pasta salad recipe and then replace this with the dressing!
- Grilled Meat or Vegetables – Pair this with grilled Italian shrimp or brush this on this grilled bok choy recipe instead of the sauce in the recipe.
If you’re in need of some great croutons to pair with this salad, check out these recipes:
- From leftover bread
- With 5 ingredients
Recipe FAQ
There are a lot of different substitutes for anchovies! My personal favorites are Kalamata olives, but other types of olives would work, capers, or even dried mushroom powder.
Anchovies that are canned or in a squeeze tube pack an umami flavor that is salty and savory, and this comes from being a high glutamate food. If you’re sensitive to MSG, this may cause issues. Tyramine and histamine also grows rapidly in foods that are aged, especially fish. All of these factors can make them a common food to trigger migraine attacks. It would be perfectly fine to eat fresh anchovies if you can find them, as they’re a great brain food!
Yes, and this is often done in recipes. However, if you’re avoiding high glutamate, high tyramine, or high histamine foods, Worcestershire will not make an acceptable substitute.
Generally homemade Caesar dressings do contain raw egg. You can still use this technique to make a classic Caesar dressing without anchovies. Whisking oil and an egg yolk together creates an emulsion that’s creamy (this is basically how you make mayonnaise).
Dressing Recipes
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Caesar Salad Dressing without Anchovies
Equipment
- 1 Whisk or immersion blender
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (use my egg free mayo recipe for vegan)
- 4-5 medium Kalamata or black olives, pitted and finely chopped
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar or 1/2 lemon juiced
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- fresh black pepper
For the salad
- 2-3 heads of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
- Optional: homemade croutons
- Optional: Grilled or Baked Chicken or Shrimp
Instructions
- Combine the mayonnaise, chopped olives, garlic, vinegar or lemon juice, and dijon mustard, then stir till fully mixed. Slowly pour the olive oil into the mixture, whisking continuously and fast. Stop pouring the olive oil occasionally if the oil is not combining well to mix it till it is smooth and creamy. Continue whisking till the dressing is well-combined and creamy. Stir in freshly cracked black pepper – I add about 1/2 teaspoon.
- You can also use an immersion blender and combine all the ingredients in a jar, then use the immersion blender till smooth – be careful to not over-mix or the olive oil oil can separate.
- To make grilled chicken for a chicken Caesar salad – Marinate the chicken for 2-3 hours and then heat a grill to medium heat (about 425 degrees F). Grill on both sides about 6 minutes each for thin-sliced chicken breasts, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow the chicken breasts to rest for 1-2 minutes, then slice thin. Combine with 2-3 heads of chopped romaine lettuce, and toss together with dressing to taste!
Notes
- My favorite olives to use for this recipe are Kalamata, but black olives or Castelvetrano olives will also work. Capers are also a substitute, but I prefer olives.
- I find this recipe is salty enough as is, but feel free to add salt to taste.
- For migraine-friendly, use distilled white vinegar and olives packed in water or plain vinegar. Use sulfite-free dijon as well (without wine).
- For those in re-introduction, use 1/2 lemon juiced (around 1 tablespoon), and 1/4 cup of freshly grated parmesan is also very good.
- I love to use this recipe for a chicken marinade then grill over medium heat for about 6-7 minutes per side. These grilled shrimp would also be great.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Alicia had posted this in her Instagram stories a few years ago and I saved a screenshot and have made it so many times. This is a great weeknight meal. I like to freeze my chicken in the marinade. Then, the morning of the day I plan to make it, I move it to the fridge to defrost. It’s so tasty!
Thank you for the tips, Erin!