Little Gem Caesar Salad with Calabrian Chili Dressing + Pretzel Croutons

I don’t remember when I had my first calabrian chili.

But I do know that it was love at first bite, and I’ve been finding ways to incorporate them into recipes ever since . Pizza, pasta, dressings, eggs…you name it, I’m game to try some calabrian chilis on it {fyi, I get mine at Eataly but you can also find them on Amazon}. While I’ve never been much of a spicy pepper person, there’s something different about these little fire crackers. Don’t get me wrong, they’re definitely spicy, they’ve definitely got a kick, but they’re also a little sweet, and the flavor is one that is smooth, not harsh, like most peppers. In other words, it’s a spice you can actually enjoy versus a spice that burns so badly you can’t taste any flavor at all and you’re really just wondering when the fire department is going to show up to put out whatever peppery fire situation is happening with your tastebuds.

Little gem lettuce, on the other hand, is just as sweet and delicious as can be, and I remember exactly where and when I had it for the first time- Jon & Vinny’s, first time eating there, right after we had moved to LA. Just like the calabrian chilis, the little gem lettuce was love at first bite and I’ve been solidly hooked ever since. When I saw it recently at one of our farmer’s market stands, I didn’t even think twice about buying it. Whatever the price, I knew it was worth it (but it just so happened to be less expensive than the other lettuces, so basically it was like I won the lettuce lottery).

Suffice it to say, you better believe that any recipe involving not only Calabrian chilis BUT ALSO little gem lettuce is going to be bomb.diggity.com. For this little gem caesar salad with calabrian chili dressing, in particular, they both provide a nice lil’ spicy, fresh spin on the classic caesar salad. The sweet little gem lettuce balances nicely with the spicy peppers and creamy dressing. And the buttery pretzel croutons? Well, I threw those in just for fun, because I figured, we’re already giving the caesar salad a makeover so what’s one more switch thrown into the mix? Tbh, pretzel croutons are a seriously solid life decision that you will never regret. And they make this ridiculously delicious salad even more delicious. Trust me, even people who aren’t salad people, will become salad people when they dig into this one.