Name: Southwestern Caesar Salad
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Cuisine: Southwest (Tex-Mex)US & Canada
Ingredients: 1 cup olive oil; 2 teaspoons minced chipotle chiles in adobo plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce; 4 garlic cloves , minced; 6 slices hearty white sandwich bread , cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups); 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese; 1/2 cup sour cream; 3 tablespoons lime juice; 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce; 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard; 3 romaine hearts , torn into bite-sized pieces (about 12 cups)

Why This Recipe Works

Caesar salad recipes are pretty straightforward, but we wanted to jazz up this classic recipe with unexpected Southwestern flavors. Replacing the anchovies and lemon juice in our favorite Caesar dressing recipe with canned chipotles chiles and lime juice balanced its richness and gave us a cohesive dressing for our recipe. We also used sour cream for the dressing’s base instead of raw eggs—it tamed the chiles’ punch and added the requisite creamy consistency. Making croutons using some of the adobo sauce from the can of chipotles gave us a smoky, garlicky garnish that paired perfectly with the bright flavors of our Southwestern Caesar Salad.

Before You Begin

Mild olive oil (not extra-virgin) works best here. Chipotle chiles are smoked jalapeños; look for them canned and packed in adobo sauce.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk 1/4 cup oil, adobo sauce, and half of garlic in large bowl. Toss in bread cubes and season with salt and pepper. Spread bread cubes on rimmed baking sheet and bake, shaking pan occasionally, until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely.

Whisk 1/4 cup Parmesan, sour cream, lime juice, Worcestershire, mustard, chile, and remaining garlic in bowl until smooth. Whisk in remaining oil in steady stream and season with salt and pepper.

Toss romaine, remaining Parmesan, and dressing in large bowl. Toss in croutons and serve.

Make Ahead: The croutons and dressing can be made up to 2 days in advance. Store the croutons at room temperature; the dressing should be refrigerated.