The Secret Store-Bought Ingredient for the Best-Ever Caesar Dressing

Caesar dressing is an iconic condiment . The rich, savory dressing is the ingredient that turns a bowl of romaine lettuce, crunchy croutons and Parmesan cheese (and maybe some grilled chicken ) into the one and only Caesar salad. It's creamy, peppery and tangy and will forever be a staple among salad lovers.

Purists will say that a good Caesar dressing can't be made without using raw egg yolks or coddled eggs, but we're happy to report that there's an easier way when you're short on time and/or don't want to mess with raw eggs. We recently learned that there's a store-bought ingredient that can help you make a super easy, super creamy, super delicious Caesar dressing: hummus .

Related: The Absolute Best Hummus at the Grocery Store, According to Registered Dietitians

Why You Should Make Caesar Dressing with Hummus

We first came across this idea via the great folks at the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen. Hummus brings a light and zesty flavor to your Caesar dressing and makes whipping up a batch so easy. Using raw egg yolks or coddled eggs or homemade mayonnaise requires a lot of elbow grease, patience, skill and time, which are all things we have in short supply on the average weeknight. The dressing comes together in just a few minutes with a handful of refrigerator staples. Bonus: Hummus-based Caesar dressing also happens to be vegan.

Related: Hoda Kotb's Favorite Way to Make Caesar Salad

How to Make Caesar Dressing with Hummus

In a medium bowl, add a ½-cup scoop of plain hummus followed by the juice of ½ a lemon and 1 grated garlic clove. Add a bit of Dijon mustard and a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce , then season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk the mixture until combined, then whisk in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil . At this point, you can adjust the seasoning to your preference or add a splash of water if the dressing is too thick. Although the recipe doesn't call for anchovies, you can definitely whisk in a bit of anchovy paste if that's your thing.

Once you have the dressing dialed in, drizzle it over your salad and dig in. Any leftovers would make a tasty sandwich spread or veggie dip .

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