Who likes ranch dressing? Who likes Caesar salad dressing? Well, great news: chef Michael Symon has created a dressing that’s a mashup of both — creamy and tangy like ranch, with the umami punch of Caesar.

During his Grilled Shrimp with “Ranchovy” Salad class on Food Network Kitchen, Symon reveals how to make the dressing. He combines sour cream, mayonnaise, buttermilk, lemon juice, garlic, tons of chopped dill and parsley — and wait for it — a few anchovies.

Yep, that’s right, anchovies give Caesar salad dressing its signature rich flavor, even though you barely know they’re there. According to Symon, the key is to turn them into a paste by finely chopping them and then using the flat side of your chef’s knife to drag them along the cutting board. Whisk this paste into your dressing, and its texture will melt away, but its briny flavor will meld with everything else, imparting a lovely touch of meatiness.

Symon tosses the ranchovy dressing with chopped romaine hearts, grilled shrimp, croutons and some freshly shaved Parmesan cheese — a dish that clearly takes its cue from classic shrimp Caesar salad. But you can really use it on any sort of salad: it’s a perfect way to transform a simple bowl of greens into something exciting that you’ll want to devour. Or, try serving it alongside sliced raw veggies or homemade wings for dunking.

In conclusion, we’ll leave you with a profound takeaway: you’ll probably want to double or triple the ranchovy recipe and keep it in the fridge all week long. And if you just so happen to eat double the number of veggies you normally do? Weird!

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Healthy Dinner Salads

Healthy Salad Dressings

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