Ditch Your Caesar Salad's Croutons For Crispy Roast Potatoes

For salad heads, a Caesar salad is the crème de la crème. It's a classic blend of crisp romaine, lemon, tangy anchovies, and sharp parmesan, all tossed in a delicious dressing so creamy that it defies logic. The salad may be named for its dressing, but crispy croutons are one of the key ingredients of a Caesar salad. A bite just isn't complete without that crunch, but it doesn't always need to be made of toast.

That taste can be captured in a number of ways, but the best of all is with perfectly crisp roast potatoes. They may not be the most standard of garnishes, but the complex texture adds a whole new dimension to the timeless salad. Swapping croutons with a treasure trove of golden-brown potatoes can easily take the salad from the side dish to the main course, and with only a few more minutes in the kitchen. Whether you're fresh out of croutons, don't want to use up fresh bread, or just want to try something new, getting creative with substitutions can modernize an old favorite.

A real benefit of this Caesar-potato-salad hybrid is how leftover-friendly it is. Roasted potatoes are a pretty universal Tupperware filler, and there's only so much one can do with last night's potatoes. The bold, silky dressing brings the potatoes back to life and they quickly become the star of the salad. When just slightly heated up, they stay crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, adding yet another layer of zest. The lively dressing harmonizes with the potatoes' roasted, caramelized edges to create the ultimate salad mash-up.

The classics remain classics for a reason, and Caesar salad holds its own as a time-honored recipe. Although it's been a cornerstone of bistro menus for centuries, chefs are bound to grow tired of its popularity. That's where the culinary exploration comes in. With such a simple salad, there's plenty of room for innovation. Culinary coups like this are all about injecting new tastes and textures into the familiar. The humble crouton can sometimes fade into the background, outshined by savory, peppery bursts of flavor. It offers a fleeting crunch, whereas a crispy potato wedge delivers a lasting impression.