Lobster Caesar Salad

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Turn your Caesar salad into an elegant main course with the addition of tender lobster chunks. Lobster Caesar Salad is a dinner party home run! And a perfect seafood supper for any day of the week.

Lobster Caesar salad with serving utensils.

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Why we love this recipe
Where and how to get cooked and shelled lobster meat
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Here’s how you make this recipe
Recipe FAQs
What to serve with this recipe
Other main meal salad recipes we love!
We want to know what you think! 🤔
Lobster Caesar Salad

Why we love this recipe

Caesar Salad is an easy to make favorite both when we are out to dinner and at home, and I’m here to tell you that I have a bottle of Caesar Salad dressing in our multigenerational fridge At All Times. Because you never know when a craving for the world’s best Steak Caesar Salad is going to hit.

And while Caesar Salad is a side dish that goes with pretty much everything, when I make it at home I tend to make it a main course. I’m talking cool, extravagant, you-only-go-around-once Lobster Caesar Salad for dinner.

This swanky recipe involves making your own homemade Caesar Salad dressing (I promise it is super easy!), making your own croutons (also easy!) and then it’s just a matter of mixing up some cooked lobster (more on that below) and some lettuce and Parmesan cheese and you are about to sit down to your own fine dining dinner.

The dressing is completely key to the wonderfulness of this salad, and you can keep this one in your back pocket for regular Caesar salad days as well. It’s a glorious, sassy concoction of egg yolks, garlic, lemon juice, lemon, Parmesan cheese and just enough fresh ground pepper to give it some bite.

The lettuce should ideally be romaine, and you should tear (not cut) it into nice ragged bite sized pieces.

The croutons should also be torn into pieces before you bake them up (yes, you are going to make your own croutons for this one…it’s super-easy and so very worth it!), and the same goes for the lobster.

All these torn up ingredients mean you will have lots of edges and nooks that will hold your fabulous dressing.

Where and how to get cooked and shelled lobster meat

You can get your lobster meat a bunch of different ways.

You can cook your own, and this article on how to cook the perfect lobster is very handy if you decide you want to go for it!

Another option is to buy a whole lobster and ask your supermarket fish counter to steam it (do this before you start the rest of your shopping and then pick it up at the end – that way you won’t have to wait for it).

You obviously still need to shell it, but I just look hopefully at the Southern husband and he springs into lobster shelling action!

Another option is to buy lobster tails – depending on their size, you will need either one or two. These usually come frozen and uncooked, so you will need to cook them up in advance (here are a few ways to cook up lobster) and these come out of the shell much more cooperatively than a whole lobster.

But when I want to take the easiest (and still delicious) way to getting myself some lobster, I go for frozen cooked lobster meat. Zero shells to deal with along the way!

My favorite kind is Cozy Harbor Of Maine, which I get at my local Wegmans, and I always have an extra pack in the freezer for when the lobster craving hits. Here’s where you can find Cozy Harbor lobster near you.

Ingredients you need

Ingredients needed for Lobster Caesar Salad.

Ingredient notes and substitutions

Lobster: You need about 8 ounces of cooked lobster which you can get a variety of ways – you can cook your own lobster, you can ask the seafood counter at your supermarket to steam it for you, or you can use frozen. You need two 1.5 pound lobsters to get 8 ounces of lobster.
Lettuce: Romaine lettuce is traditionally used for Caesar salads, but you can use any lettuce you like.
Bread pieces: We recommend a sturdy country-style bread to make the best croutons.
Egg: A raw egg yolk is also traditional in Caesar dressing, but you can swap in 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise if you prefer. It will give your dressing a creamier consistency and a little tang, both of which are just fine with us!

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.

Here’s how you make this recipe

STEP 1: Make the dressing! Give the egg yolk a good stir and then pour it through a fine mesh strainer into a small jar to catch any squishy parts of the egg. Now add all the remaining dressing ingredients, put the lid on and give it a good shake.

STEP 2: Make the croutons! Tear up a piece or two of sturdy bread, lay the bread pieces in a single layer on a foil-lined baking pan with olive oil, sprinkle them lightly with salt and pepper and bake them at 350 until they are nice and golden, about 10 minutes.

STEP 3: Assemble your glorious salad by placing lettuce, lobster and croutons in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over and toss gently with washed hands. Gently scoop up from the bottom and mix things up until all your perfect ingredients have a nice amount of that aromatic dressing. (And yes, you can use tongs if you would rather!)

Divide your lovely salad among plates, garnish with shaved Parmesan and more ground pepper and serve.

Recipe FAQs

What is the best way to get cooked lobster meat?

You can cook your own, and this article on how to cook the perfect lobster is very handy if you decide you want to go for it! Another option is to buy a whole lobster and ask your supermarket fish counter to steam it (do this before you start the rest of your shopping and then pick it up at the end – that way you won’t have to wait for it). A third option is to buy lobster tails – depending on their size, you will need either one or two. These usually come frozen and uncooked, so you will need to cook them up in advance (here are a few ways to cook up lobster) and these come out of the shell much more cooperatively than a whole lobster. Or, you can use frozen cooked lobster meat. My favorite kind is Cozy Harbor Of Maine. Here’s where you can find Cozy Harbor lobster near you.

Can I make this ahead of time?

You can definitely prep everything ahead of time – the dressing, the croutons, the lobster – but toss it all together at the last minute so the croutons and lettuce don’t get soggy.

What is the best way to separate eggs?

There are millions of ways and gadgets to separate eggs, but here is how I always do it: Wash your hands good, then break the egg into your hand so that the white spills into a mixing bowl and the yolk stays on your fingers. Slip the yolk into a separate bowl and voila! Perfect separated eggs.

What can I use instead of a raw egg in Caesar Salad dressing?

You can use a tablespoon or two of mayonnaise…it will give you the same creaminess and a little extra tang.

Can I use bottled Caesar Salad dressing in this recipe?

We love the fresh taste of homemade dressing, but yes! If you are in a time crunch or simply love the taste of your favorite pre-made dressing then go for it.

Have a question that we didn’t cover?

Leave your question (or comment or suggestion) in the Comments box below the recipe and I will answer pronto!

This is of course an amazing special occasion treat, but I tossed it together for the Southern husband on an ordinary Thursday a little while ago, just because he is so dang good to me every single day.

That and a string of 90 degree sultry summer days are reason enough for me!

What to serve with this recipe

A sandwich is a perfect accompaniment to a salad, and in the summer we love these juicy Open Faced Tomato Sandwiches. If your lobster salad is happening in the colder months, these Roast Beef and creamy Brie Sandwiches are luxury on top of luxury. Soup is also a great side to this salad, and we love this hearty Winter Vegetable Soup or this classic recipe for Quick and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup.

Other main meal salad recipes we love!

We want to know what you think! 🤔

If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below the recipe.