Recipe: Everyone's favorite Caesar salad gets a Mediterranean twist with tahini dressing and pita croutons

Boston Globe

2 days ago

3. Arrange half the dressed leaves on a large serving platter in one layer. Sprinkle with some of the pita croutons. Arrange another layer of leaves on top. Add a generous amount of grated Parmesan. Add a few more croutons and sprinkle with red pepper. Serve extra dressing and croutons on the side.
2. Remove the outer leaves of the romaine hearts (set them aside for another salad). Separate the crispy inner leaves and place them in a large bowl. Toss with 1/2 cup of the dressing to coat the leaves all over.
1. In a food processor, work the garlic, lemon juice, and anchovies until smooth. Add the tahini, yogurt, Parmesan, and 2 tablespoons of the water. Pulse again until smooth. Add more water, if needed, 1 teaspoon at a time, to thin the dressing to a pourable, but still slightly thick, consistency.
3. Bake for 5 minutes. Turn with tongs and bake for 5 minutes more (check the rounds after 3 minutes), or until the bread is golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Break the rounds into irregular 1-inch pieces.
2. Using scissors, cut the pita pockets in half along the seam to create 4 bread rounds. Brush each round on both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle one rough side of each round with salt and za'atar. Place them on the baking sheet.
Give the all-time favorite Caesar salad a Mediterranean twist with a tahini dressing and crunchy pita croutons. This is a knife and fork kind of salad, with large, crisp leaves of romaine hearts coated in a dressing made with plenty of all the things we love about a Caesar salad. Lemon, anchovies, and garlic turn creamy when buzzed in a food processor with tahini, yogurt, and Parmesan. Caesar was invented in the 1920s by Italian immigrant brothers who had restaurants in southern California and Tijuana, Mexico. The early salads were served with slices of toasted baguette. Today, Caesar salad wouldn't be complete without croutons. Here, you replace the plump bread cubes with thin shards of pita, painted with olive oil and sprinkled with za'atar, a Middle Eastern spice blend made from a mix of thyme, tart sumac powder, and sesame seeds. Toast them briefly in a hot oven until they turn pleasingly brittle, easy to break into rustic pieces. For a more substantial meal, add shredded chicken to the bowl, but this salad is a standout all by itself.
Serves 4
Give the all-time favorite Caesar salad a Mediterranean twist with a tahini dressing and crunchy pita croutons. This is a knife and fork kind of salad, with large, crisp leaves of romaine hearts coated in a dressing made with plenty of all the things we love about a Caesar salad. Lemon, anchovies, and garlic turn creamy when buzzed in a food processor with tahini, yogurt, and Parmesan. Caesar was invented in the 1920s by Italian immigrant brothers who had restaurants in southern California and Tijuana, Mexico. The early salads were served with slices of toasted baguette. Today, Caesar salad wouldn't be complete without croutons. Here, you replace the plump bread cubes with thin shards of pita, painted with olive oil and sprinkled with za'atar, a Middle Eastern spice blend made from a mix of thyme, tart sumac powder, and sesame seeds. Toast them briefly in a hot oven until they turn pleasingly brittle, easy to break into rustic pieces. For a more substantial meal, add shredded chicken to the bowl, but this salad is a standout all by itself.
PITA CROUTONS
2 pita pockets (about 7 inches each) 3 tablespoons olive oil Salt, to taste ½ teaspoon za'atar
1. Set the oven at 400 degrees. Have on hand a rimmed baking sheet (no parchment paper necessary).
2. Using scissors, cut the pita pockets in half along the seam to create 4 bread rounds. Brush each round on both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle one rough side of each round with salt and za'atar. Place them on the baking sheet.
3. Bake for 5 minutes. Turn with tongs and bake for 5 minutes more (check the rounds after 3 minutes), or until the bread is golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Break the rounds into irregular 1-inch pieces.
SALAD
1 clove garlic, finely chopped Juice of 2 small lemons 4 anchovies packed in oil, drained
⅓ cup tahini
⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons water, or more if needed 2 hearts romaine lettuce Extra grated Parmesan (for sprinkling) Pinch of Aleppo or Maras pepper or crushed red pepper (for sprinkling)
1. In a food processor, work the garlic, lemon juice, and anchovies until smooth. Add the tahini, yogurt, Parmesan, and 2 tablespoons of the water. Pulse again until smooth. Add more water, if needed, 1 teaspoon at a time, to thin the dressing to a pourable, but still slightly thick, consistency.
2. Remove the outer leaves of the romaine hearts (set them aside for another salad). Separate the crispy inner leaves and place them in a large bowl. Toss with 1/2 cup of the dressing to coat the leaves all over.