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Creole Caesar Salad With Corn Bread Croutons

By Alexander Smalls

4.6

(6)

Romaine lettuce with cornbread croutons fried okra corn kernels tomatoes and a side of dressing.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton

My love for okra began as a child and continues to border on just this side of insanity. I love okra.

As a young boy, I would smuggle a brown bag full of fried okra into the movies as my better-than-popcorn snack. On Sunday nights, I was famous for making fried okra and creamed corn sandwiches with fresh slices of tomato and loads of Duke’s mayonnaise. Years later, while studying in Italy, I realized that Italians also took leftover vegetables and made sandwiches. All you need are cold vegetables, bread, and mayo.

The Caesar salad treatment makes this lighter than a sandwich, although if you want to give it more heft, you can add shrimp, chicken, or duck.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    6 servings

Ingredients

For the salad:

2 cups Fried Okra
2 heads romaine lettuce, leaves separated
1 cup cooked fresh corn kernels, chilled
2½ cups cubed corn bread, toasted
½ cup sliced grape tomatoes
½ cup sliced seedless cucumber
¼ cup sliced red onion
Creole Caesar Dressing (recipe follows)

For the Creole Caesar dressing:

⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ roasted red bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped celery
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Preparation

  1. For the salad:

    Step 1

    Place half the fried okra in a large bowl and add the romaine, corn, corn bread, tomatoes, cucumber, and onion. Add the dressing and toss until well coated.

    Step 2

    Divide the salad among six serving plates and top evenly with the remaining okra. Serve immediately.

  2. For the Creole Caesar dressing:

    Step 3

    In a small saucepan, combine the oil, garlic, and onion. Cook over low heat until the garlic and onion are golden and tender, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic and onion to a food processor; reserve the oil.

    Step 4

    Add the vinegar, bell pepper, celery, sugar, cayenne, mayonnaise, Parmesan, and a pinch each of salt and black pepper to the food processor. Pulse until smooth. With the machine running, add the oil in a thin stream and process until emulsified. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

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From Meals, Music, and Muses: Recipes from My African American Kitchen © 2020 by Alexander Smalls. Reprinted with permission from Flatiron Books, a division of Macmillan. Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.
TagsSaladCaesar SaladSouthernAmericanCajun & CreoleOkraVegetableCornRomaineLettuceLeafy GreensMainDinnerNut FreeVegetarianJuneteenthFourth of JulyCookbooks

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