Name: Creole Caesar Salad With Corn Bread Croutons
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 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); 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

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

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.
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.

TagsSalad Caesar Salad Southern American Cajun & Creole Okra Vegetable Corn Romaine Lettuce Leafy Greens Main Dinner Nut Free Vegetarian Juneteenth Fourth of July Cookbooks

Recipe notes

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