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Little Gem Caesar Salad

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Our Little Gem Caesar Salad is a fresh spin on a classic Caesar that is perfect for individual servings. Crisp heads of Little Gem lettuce are sliced in half, drizzled with our Caesar salad dressing, and topped with shaved Parmesan and crunchy croutons.

Everyone loves a good Caesar salad and these mini, personal-sized salads make a lovely presentation and are perfect for any special occasion dinner! Even better, they’re so simple to prepare.

Close up view of Little Gem Caesar Salad on a plate with a fork

Fresh, flavorful, and ready in 10 minutes, there’s really no reason not to make this Little Gem Caesar Salad! Whether you’re preparing a quick dinner and want to top this with chicken, or you have a few guests to serve, this salad is a winner in every way.

For more delicious salad recipes, try our Lebanese tabbouleh salad or our strawberry spinach salad.

Why This Recipe Works

Our Little Gem Caesar salad is:

  • easy to make
  • ready in 10 minutes
  • simple, with only 5 ingredients
  • a fun twist on a classic Caesar with all the same delicious flavors

Crisp Little Gem lettuce heads are cut in half and make the perfect vessel for Caesar salad goodness. They’re the ideal size for individual salads (similar to a classic wedge salad).

Top it with our creamy homemade Caesar salad dressing, Parmesan, and croutons for one easy, tasty side salad!

The Ingredients

To make this easy Little Gem salad, you will only need five ingredients!

Here’s the full ingredient list:

  • Little Gem lettuce (our recipe requires four heads)
  • Caesar Salad dressing, either homemade Caesar dressing or your favorite store-bought kind
  • Parmesan cheese
  • croutons, lightly crushed
  • freshly-ground salt and pepper
Two heads of Little Gem lettuce on cutting board with knkfe. Caesar salad dressing in background.

How to Make Little Gem Caesar Salad

Say hello to the most simple salad, possibly ever! Making these Little Gem salads is a breeze, which is another reason why we love this easy recipe.

If you’re using homemade Caesar Salad Dressing, you can certainly prepare it in advance. Same with homemade croutons. Or go the store-bought route to speed up the process altogether.

Here’s how to make them, please scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details:

  1. Rinse and cut the lettuce. Slice each head in half and place two halves on each of four salad plates. (We like to chill the plates ahead of time.)
  2. Top and serve. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of Caesar salad dressing onto each serving. Add the shaved Parmesan cheese and a few croutons to each. Serve and enjoy!
A head of Little Gem lettuce, cut in half on a cutting board with un-cut head
two servings of Little Gem Caesar Salad

Tips and Frequently Asked Questions

  • Make sure to drain water from the rinsed lettuce heads. The easiest way to do this is to tip them upside-down in a soup bowl lined with a thick layer of paper towels. Let the lettuce drain for 5 minutes.
  • Smaller croutons work best in this salad. You can lightly crunch them up by placing them in a sandwich bag and hitting them with a rolling pin or can of vegetables.
  • Our Caesar salad dressing is delicious and homemade, but doesn’t take a lot of time. It’s a quick, five-minute dressing recipe that you can make in the blender or with a stick blender.
  • How do you cut Little Gem lettuce for salad? Simply slice the small individually sized heads of lettuce in half.
knife and fork cutting into a bite of Little Gem lettuce with caesar dressing

This Little Gem Caesar Salad is fresh, simple and full of flavor! We put a new spin on classic Caesar salad by using miniature Romaine lettuce, and we know it’s one you’ll enjoy.

Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love:

This Salmon Caesar Salad consists of crisp romaine lettuce and crunchy handmade sourdough croutons that get combined with chilled morsels of grilled salmon. We dressed the salad with a homemade Caesar salad dressing and topped it with big shards of Parmesan cheese.

Our Sugar Snap Pea Salad has an addictive crunch from sweet sugar snap peas, crisp Little Gem lettuce, and smashed croutons, while the fresh mint leaves and chives offer a ton of flavor.

Our Roasted Squash and Beets Salad is bursting at the seams with flavor! Additional texture and flavor are provided by fat slices of delicious fresh grapefruit, chunks of soft, creamy blue cheese, and chopped Pistachio nuts. This delicious salad only requires a simple drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Toasted sourdough bread, tender chicken, crisp lettuce, and creamy Caesar dressing come together to make a filling and delicious chicken Caesar sandwich.

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Close up view of Little Gem Caesar Salad on a plate with a fork

Little Gem Caesar Salad

Crisp heads of Little Gem lettuce are the perfect size for individual servings.  They make a lovely presentation when sliced in half and drizzled with our easy Caesar salad dressing, shards of Parmesan cheese and crushed, crunchy croutons.  
4.50 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 410kcal
Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

  • 4 cups of Little Gem lettuce
  • 1 cup Caesar Salad Dressing
  • 4 ounces Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup croutons lightly crushed
  • Freshly ground salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Rinse the Little Gem lettuce heads under cold tap water, drain and pat dry with a paper towel. Slice each head in half and place two halves on each of 4 chilled salad plates.
  • Spoon 2 tablespoons of Caesar Salad Dressing onto each serving, add shards of Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons of croutons to each serving.

Notes

To drain the water from the rinsed lettuce heads of lettuce, tip them upside-down in a soup bowl lined with a thick pad of paper towels and let drain for 5 minutes.
Smaller croutons work better in this salad than the large chunks of croutons. To lightly crunch, add to a sandwich bag and whack with a rolling pin or can of tomatoes.
The Caesar salad dressing is a quick 5-minutes in a blender or jar with the stick blender.

Nutrition

Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 40g | Sodium: 60mg | Sugar: 7g

Pat Nyswonger

Pat is a wife, mom of four adult children, and grandmother to seventeen beautiful children. She is a self-taught home cook and loves creating delicious meals for her family and friends. Her kitchen is the hub of activity in her home, and she loves to entertain.

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Recipe Rating




angiesrecipes

Wednesday 29th of December 2021

One of my favourite salads and I always love it with lots of Parmesan :-)

Pat Nyswonger

Wednesday 29th of December 2021

Thanks, Angie!

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