Creamy Greek yogurt, sharp garlic and tangy feta cheese combine to make this smooth and delicious Mediterranean Caesar Salad with Feta and Dill.
Jump to Recipe
Creamy Greek yogurt, sharp garlic and tangy feta cheese combine to make this smooth and delicious Mediterranean Caesar Salad with Feta and Dill.
Did you know that on top of being Independence Day here in the United States that July 4th is also National Caesar Salad Day?? I had no idea, but I definitely know which one I’ll actually be celebrating this year.
My love of Caesar Salad is well known among my friends and loved ones, and I’ve shared my favorite Caesar recipe here on the blog in the past, but celebrating National Cae Sal Day required me to mix things up a little bit, and bring you something new. Something that I am VERY excited about.
This Caesar dressing is definitely not your traditional Caesar, although it has elements of it. The base is a mixture of Feta cheese and Greek yogurt, which makes for a smooth and creamy dressing with just the right hints of sharpness from the garlic and umami from the anchovy (yup…that’s still here…it’s a Caesar after all).
With a few modifications, this would be a great recipe to bring along with you to a 4th of July BBQ this year!
Ingredient List
- Feta Cheese: hard to make a feta based dressing without this. I recommend using the block feta type that comes in brine, but that’s the more expensive option, so if cost is a factor this will work really well with a pre-crumbled feta.
- Greek Yogurt: plain Greek yogurt is what the recipe calls for, and I prefer using the 5% yogurt because it’s the creamiest, but 2% will work just as well.
- Olive Oil: the emulsifier needed to bring the dressing together.
- Garlic: The garlic in the dressing will remain raw, and therefore more garlicky than if it were cooked, so err on the side of too little garlic.
- Anchovy Paste: I use paste because it’s easier. You can throw an anchovy filet in the dressing if you have them. You can leave it out and it will still be delicious, but I urge you to try it with the anchovy at least once. You really cant taste it, but it just adds something to dishes in general and this dish in particular that can’t be replicated with any other ingredient.
- Lemon Juice: a little bit of acidity to bring everything together.
- Dill: because everything is better with dill, isn’t it?
- Romaine: this recipe calls for grilling or pan searing the romaine hearts and while that’s a delicious option that brings a little something extra to the dish, it make it hard to travel with if you were wanting to take this with you to a get together. Feel free to sub in chopped romaine for a more traditional salad.
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t salt the dressing before you make it. The feta is salty as is the anchovy paste. Mix the dressing together first and then add salt if needed.
- This recipe doesn’t call for croutons, mostly because they’re hard to eat with the romaine wedges. If you make this a “regular salad” you can use the crouton recipe from my previous Caesar Salad post.
- This is a fork and knife salad as written, but if you’re eating in front of someone you don’t particularly need to impress, you can hold the lettuce “boat” as it were by the core end and basically eat the salad like a hot dog. You’ll look fairly ridiculous, but you wont even care because it’s that’s good.
Subscribe to Sara's Tiny Kitchen!
Get the latest updates and recipes straight to your inbox!
To Make Mediterranean Caesar Salad with Feta and Dill
In a food processor or blender mix together the feta, olive oil, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic and anchovy. Blend until smooth, thinning out with water if needed to reach your desired consistency. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Remove to a bowl and mix in dill. Set aside while you grill the lettuce.
Cut two hearts of romaine in half, and drizzle a little bit of olive oil over both sides, and season with salt and pepper. Heat a grill or grill pan over medium heat, and sear the romaine on both sides, 3-4 minutes per side until browned.
Remove the lettuce to plates, drizzle with the dressing and garnish with extra feta!
I'm so glad you found my site! Take a few minutes to look around and see what else we have to offer here at Sara's Tiny Kitchen!
Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE so you never miss a new recipe!
If you make this recipe don't forget to tag @sarastinykitchn on Instagram so I can see it!! For more great recipe ideas, follow me on Pinterest!
If you liked this recipe, please leave a review and a star review below! It really helps other people find my recipes!
Mediterranean Caesar Salad with Feta and Dill
Ingredients
- 3 ounces feta cheese + extra for garnish
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ teaspoon - 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- ⅛ cup - ¼ cup of water as needed
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons chopped dill
- 2 hearts of romaine
- ¼ cup toasted sunflower seeds
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender mix together the feta, olive oil, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic and anchovy.
- Blend until smooth, thinning out with water if needed to reach your desired consistency.
- Taste and adjust for seasoning. Remove to a bowl and mix in dill. Set aside while you grill the lettuce.
- Cut two hearts of romaine in half and drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil over both sides, then season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium heat, and sear dressing for 3-4 minutes on the first side then flip and sear for 3-4 minutes on the back side.
- Plate the seared/grilled lettuce and drizzle with dressing. Garnish with extra cheese and sunflower seeds.
Hey so tried this with 2 tsp fish sauce instead of anchovy paste and its brilliant
I'm so glad you liked it! it's one of my favorites!