Make Store-Bought Caesar Salad Dressing Taste Restaurant-Quality With One Ingredient

Caesar salad is one of those dishes you just can't help but love. Comforting and refreshing in equal measure (and never better than when paired with french fries), it's a beloved classic. But there's a problem we rarely talk about when it comes to Caesar salad, and it's a big one: store-bought Caesar dressing sucks. You know we're right. It's creamy, sure, and yes, it's convenient — but it's never as good as homemade dressing, let alone one you find in a restaurant.

Luckily for you, dear reader, we've got a fix. If you can't make your own Caesar dressing and are relying on the store-bought version, it only takes the addition of one simple ingredient to take it up a notch: freshly grated Parmesan. Parmesan is an instant flavor booster for pretty much any dish, not to mention a crucial ingredient in a traditional Caesar salad. It's packed full of umami and big, bold saltiness, and that does wonders for lifting the flavors of your store-bought dressing. Much like other flavor enhancers, such as MSG, Parmesan naturally boosts glutamates, which enhance the flavors of whatever they're added to. It won't ever be as good as the real thing, but it certainly gives your store-bought dressing a serious upgrade.

The crucial aspect to consider when adding Parmesan to your Caesar dressing is the level of salt. While it's an absolute flavor bomb, Parmesan can be intensely salty. If not used properly, it can overpower a dish. The golden rule is to start small, and always taste as you go — think of adding Parmesan as just adding more salt, if it helps.

For the best results, use the freshly grated stuff. Stay away from store-bought, pre-grated Parmesan if you can. Then, get all the dressing you're planning on using into a bowl (don't add the cheese to a bottle of dressing; it's harder to distribute it), add a little of your Parmesan, whisk for a good 20 seconds or so to make sure it's well distributed, and taste. Whether you add more depends on preference; more Parmesan means more salty, nutty, umami flavor while less gives you a slightly brighter dressing with less intensity.

If you find you've added too much, you have two options. You could add more dressing, which would dilute the flavor of the cheese. Alternatively, put your chef's hat on and balance those flavors out. Lemon brings acidity, which is a great way of countering the intense savory kick the cheese brings (and cuts through the richness of the dairy, too). If things become a little too sharp, add a pinch of sugar, which helps round out those pokier flavors and complements the nuttiness of the cheese.

Once you've dialled in the perfect ratio for your dressing, it's time to build your salad. Start by seasoning your dressing with a little freshly cracked black pepper, which gives a lovely spicy finish and adds layers of complexity and freshness to the sauce. This, and some freshly squeezed lemon juice, complement the richness of the creamy dressing, making the whole thing feel more coherent and restaurant-quality. If you want to add even more flavor, consider folding in some anchovy paste (or freshly chopped anchovies). This adds even more of that precious umami flavor, with a lovely briny note that complements the creamy dressing. Plus it brings some lovely textural contrast, and it gives you some restaurant-worthy presentation when shaved over the finished salad, too. Your dressing should keep in the fridge for three to four days when correctly sealed — perfect for adding some zing to your leftovers!

The leaf you use also matters. Crisp, slightly bitter romaine lettuce is the best option. The crunch of the lettuce contrasts with the smooth, creamy dressing while the bitterness and freshness play well with the comparatively rich, subtly sweet flavors of the cheese. There are, of course, some more unorthodox combinations that also work well: A kale Caesar salad, for example, is a great way to get some heartier greens into your meal, and anchovies help fortify the dressing's flavor against the bitterness of the leaf.