Lazy Caesar Salad & Wine Pairings for Salads
Do you know those nights when you want to pretend you’re being healthy but you also want garlic, cheese, and bread disguised as “salad”?
Yeah. That’s where my Lazy Caesar comes in.
It’s fast, it’s garlicky, it’s got just enough lettuce to convince you it’s a vegetable.
Add chicken, shrimp, or salmon if you want to feel virtuous.
Just…maybe don’t schedule a make-out session after dinner unless your partner is also down for eau de garlic cloud.
And yes, it plays nice with your diet-of-the-week. Low carb, keto, even vegan. (Vegans: sub your plant mayo, ditch the cheese and anchovy paste, dump in nutritional yeast, and bask in your smug glow.)
This recipe feeds two sensible humans or one person who doesn’t believe in portion control.
The Real Question: What to Drink With It?
Everyone thinks “salad = white wine.” Cute. But it’s not about the lettuce, it’s about the dressing.
Vinegar-based dressings can turn your wine into vinegar, which is tragic. Creamy, rich dressings? They demand something zippy enough to cut through the fat and keep you from feeling like you licked a jar of mayo.
So here’s the cheat sheet:
Caesar Salad
- Unoaked Chardonnay
- Pinot Noir (yes, red with salad—don’t panic)
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Pinot Grigio
- Verdejo
- Pouilly-Fumé
- Champagne or any bubbly
- Grüner Veltliner
Cobb Salad
- Beaujolais
- Pinot Noir
- Pouilly-Fuissé
- Rosé
- Clareté
Asian Crunchy Noodle Salad
- Riesling (off-dry, not the sweet tooth kind)
- Gewürztraminer
- Chenin Blanc
- Rosé
Waldorf Salad
- Riesling
- Gewürztraminer
- Chenin Blanc
- Pinot Grigio
- Soave
- Rosé
Niçoise Salad
- Rosé
- Sparkling Rosé
- Albariño
- Gavi
- Grüner Veltliner
- Blaufränkisch
- Côtes-du-Rhône (red or white, choose your adventure)
Kale Salad
You knew this was coming. “I’m having kale for dinner,” she says, clutching her Hydro Flask. Kale is a wine assassin. But if you toss in cheese, bacon, mushrooms, or pancetta, suddenly it stops acting like punishment food.
- Grüner Veltliner
- Gavi
- Unoaked Chardonnay
- Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc
Lazy Caesar Salad Recipe
Dressing (serves 4)
- ½ cup avocado or Duke’s mayo (or your fave)
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano (plus extra for topping)
- 1 ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp anchovy paste
- Cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Salad (serves 2)
- 1 head romaine
- Parmesan crisps or seasoned croutons
How to make it:
- Whisk mayo, mustard, anchovy paste, lemon juice, and pepper.
- Microplane in garlic and Pecorino Romano. Whisk. Adjust seasoning.
- Chill dressing until ready.
- Wash and chop romaine. Toss with half the dressing.
- Plate it, add croutons and extra cheese.
- Pour wine. Smirk. Eat.
