By No skimping on flavor with this Greek yogurt Caesar dressing! Way fewer calories than traditional Caesar dressing, but all the flavor and more protein. The Greek yogurt and cottage cheese keep the perfect balance of richness and tang but also produce a lighter sauce you can use on everything.
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Most Greek yogurt Caesar recipes I tried went one of two ways: either they skipped the anchovies entirely and ended up tasting flat, or they kept the anchovies but also kept the mayo, which kind of defeats the purpose. The other thing I kept running into was tang. Greek yogurt alone has a lot of it - too much for a Caesar. Adding cottage cheese smooths it out completely without diluting the flavor.
two ways to add parm
Traditional Caesar dressing grates in fresh parmesan, so you can do this after blending everything else. Or, just blend it with everything. I find it best to blend the cottage cheese and everything without the parm first to get it smooth, then grate in the parmesan (slightly less gritty texture than when blended).
key ingredients & swaps
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted. See the recipe card for quantities.
- Greek yogurt: Use any plain one you like and any fat level. I use fat-free.
- Cottage cheese: Again, use any kind you like.
- Parmesan: freshly grated is always best!
- Anchovy: DO NOT SKIP IT! You can swap with capers to make it vegetarian, but anchovies are the bacon of the sea. You know when they aren't there but you don't know when they are (cause it tastes so good!).
- Caesar basics: You also need Dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic, and Worcestershire (maybe not traditional but I love it).
- Milk: Just a bit to thin it out to your desired consistency.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
use it on...
The obvious answer is a classic romaine Caesar, but this dressing is worth keeping in the fridge for more than salad. It works great as:
- A dip for raw vegetables or pita
- A spread for wraps and sandwiches
- Drizzled over grilled chicken, shrimp, parmesan crusted walleye, or air fryer walleye.
- A sauce for roasted vegetables - especially broccoli or cauliflower
troubleshooting
- The dressing tastes too tangy. Your Greek yogurt might be particularly sharp, or the cottage cheese ratio was off. Add another tablespoon of cottage cheese and blend again. A small pinch of sugar also balances it without being noticeable.
- It's too thick to pour. Add milk one tablespoon at a time. Whole milk Greek yogurt varies a lot in thickness by brand -- Fage in particular runs very thick and usually needs the full 3 tablespoons.
- I can still taste the cottage cheese. Blend longer. Cottage cheese curds need a full minute of blending to fully disappear. If your blender is underpowered, a high-speed blender or immersion blender works better for this.
- I'm afraid of the anchovies. Try them once. Two filets in a batch of dressing is not a lot -- they dissolve completely during blending and add a depth of flavor that's hard to describe and impossible to replicate. Anchovies are the bacon of the sea. They make everything taste better without you knowing it.
quick recipe video
testing notes
I tested this with Greek yogurt only first -- too tangy, noticeably so. Adding cottage cheese at a 2:1 yogurt-to-cottage-cheese ratio fixed it completely. I also tested adding the parmesan during the main blend vs. stirring it in after -- blending it made it a bit gritty but a more cohesive dressing that clings better to lettuce. Stirring it in gives you more Parmesan presence in each bite. Both are good; it just depends on what you're going for.
Recipe
greek yogurt caesar dressing
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt (any fat level)
- 2 tablespoon cottage cheese (any fat level)
- ¼ cup parmesan (fresh)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (or bottle)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 anchovy filets (drained)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2-3 tablespoon milk of choice (for desired consistency)
Before you start!
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Instructions
- Add 3 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoon cottage cheese, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 garlic clove, 2 anchovy filets, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce to a blender. Blend until completely smooth - no visible curds.
- Grate the ¼ cup parmesan (or just blend it in but will be a bit gritty).
- Add milk one tablespoon at a time until the dressing reaches your preferred consistency.
- Taste and adjust - more lemon for brightness, more pepper for kick, more milk to thin.
- Use immediately or refrigerate. Flavor gets better with time!
Video
Notes
Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
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