Black Truffle Caesar Salad
⏲ ~29 min total · prep 18 · cook 11 · 4 servings
Salads⏱ 45 min total🔥 19.1g net carbs
By the KFI Test Kitchen · Tested & approved by Jason Lieu, KFI recipe editor
Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Nov 2, 2026
Ingredients
- 2 heads romaine hearts, leaves separated, rinsed, and dried well
- 3 cups day-old keto almond-flour bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 anchovy fillets
- 1 small garlic clove, grated
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- 2 tsp black truffle oil
- 1 oz fresh black truffle, shaved thin (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Toss the bread cubes with the 2 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt on a rimmed sheet pan and bake 10-12 minutes, stirring once halfway, until deep gold and hard to the tap.
- Coddle the egg: lower it into boiling water for exactly 60 seconds, then crack it and use only the warm, barely thickened yolk.
- Chop the anchovies and garlic together and drag the flat of your knife across them until you have a smooth gray paste.
- Whisk the coddled yolk, Dijon, and lemon juice in a medium bowl, then drizzle in the 1/2 cup olive oil a few drops at a time, whisking constantly, until the dressing is thick, pale, and clings to the whisk.
- Whisk in the anchovy-garlic paste, the 1/3 cup Parmesan, and the truffle oil; taste and add pepper — the anchovies bring the salt.
- Drop the romaine leaves into the bowl and turn them with your hands until every leaf is coated; stacked in a wide shallow bowl rather than tossed loose.
- Shower with extra Parmesan, pile the warm croutons on top, and finish with shaved black truffle if using. Serve immediately so the croutons stay crunchy.
Why this recipe works
- A coddled yolk, not a raw one Lowering the egg into boiling water for exactly 60 seconds warms and barely thickens the yolk, and a warm yolk pulls the 1/2 cup of oil into a thick, pale dressing far faster than a cold one. The whisk does the work in a single bowl.
- Anchovies become a paste Chopped with the garlic and pressed flat with the knife blade, they dissolve completely instead of sitting in salty pockets. Every leaf gets the same seasoning.
- Croutons baked past softness The almond-flour bread bakes 10-12 minutes until it is deep gold and hard to the tap. That hardness is insurance, because the heavy dressing softens anything less within minutes.
Tips for making this recipe well
Dry the leaves for real
Rinsing is only half the job, because water clinging to romaine thins the dressing and makes it slide off. Roll the leaves in a clean towel until they stop dripping, then dress.
Trust the tap test
Croutons that bend at 10 minutes need another 2 or 3, no debate. They should sound hollow and feel hard, since they soften slightly the moment they meet the dressing.
Drizzle slower than feels necessary
The first oil goes in a few drops at a time while the yolk base is still whisking. Rush this stage and the emulsion breaks into streaks that no amount of whisking fully recovers.
Dress with your hands
Turning the leaves by hand coats both sides without shredding them, which tongs tend to do. Stack the coated leaves in a wide shallow bowl instead of piling them loose.
Finish warm on cold
The croutons come out of the oven and go straight on top. Warm bread against cold romaine is the contrast this salad is built on, so time the two to finish together.
Serving suggestions
Anchovies set the direction of this whole salad, and they cost you almost nothing: 2.9 net carbs a serving with the truffle doing the talking. Stack the dressed leaves in that wide shallow bowl, Parmesan and shaved truffle on top, and carry it to the table with nothing else. Whole leaves want to be lifted, not cut, so put out the good napkins. Serve within minutes of dressing while the croutons still crackle.
Storage and meal prep
Keep the parts separate and this prep stretches across days. The dressing holds 3 to 4 days in a covered jar in the fridge; it tightens when cold, so shake hard or let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before using. Dried leaves keep 3 to 4 days in a zip-top bag with a towel. Croutons soften in storage, so refresh them in the 375°F oven for a few minutes before serving. Once assembled, the salad should be eaten within the hour.
Variations worth trying
- Classic, no truffle Skip the truffle oil and the fresh truffle, and add a fourth anchovy fillet to the paste. You land on a straight Caesar that still carries the coddled-yolk body.
- Add grilled chicken Lay slices of warm grilled chicken breast over the dressed leaves to turn the salad into a full dinner.
- Freezer croutons Bake a double batch and freeze half for 2 to 3 months; recrisp the cubes from frozen in the 375°F oven before serving.
- Lemon zest finish Grate the lemon zest over the stacked leaves along with the Parmesan for a brighter edge.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make the dressing without coddling the egg?
You can whisk in 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise with the Dijon and lemon instead, and the dressing will be thicker and a bit heavier. The coddled yolk gives the lighter, glossier body the classic version is known for.
Do I need the fresh black truffle?
No. The ingredient list marks it optional, and the 2 teaspoons of truffle oil with the Parmesan carry the flavor on their own. Fresh shavings are a finishing flourish for when you find them.
Why did my dressing break?
The oil went in too fast at the start, or the yolk was too cold to hold it. Whisk a teaspoon of warm water into the bowl, then drizzle the broken dressing back in slowly to bring it together.
My croutons went chewy. What happened?
They came out of the oven before they were hard to the tap. Almond-flour bread needs the full 10-12 minutes at 375°F, and it should sound hollow when tapped.
Can I wash and dry the romaine a day ahead?
Wash and dry the leaves up to a day ahead and store them in a zip-top bag with a towel. Dress at the last minute, because dressed romaine wilts fast and the croutons need to stay dry.
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