We can't get over the nutty, creamy dressing.

Published on January 9, 2026

Credit:

Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling: Annie Probst

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Take a straightforward Caesar salad on a visit to the Mediterranean with this recipe from the cookbook Pretty Delicious. Alia and Radwa Elkaffas, the sisters behind the Food Dolls brand, have your salad course handled. Chickpeas and pita bread “croutons” drive home the theme.

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Ingredients

Pita Bread Crumbs

  • 1 (8-in.) day-old pita, roughly torn

  • 1/4 cup walnuts

Tahini-Caesar Dressing

  • 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

  • 1/4 cup (well-stirred) tahini

  • 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

  • 1 medium clove garlic

  • 1 tsp. anchovy paste or 2 anchovy fillets finely chopped or mashed

Salad

  • 8 cups loosely packed lettuce (romaine, Bibb, and/or Boston)

  • 1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

  • 2 medium avocados, sliced

  • 3 radishes, thinly sliced

Directions

  1. Make the Pita Bread Crumbs

    Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper.

  2. In the bowl of a food processor combine pita, walnuts, and 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil. Pulse until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Spread mixture over prepared pan.

  3. Bake until crispy and lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool while you make the rest of the salad. (Pita bread crumbs can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.)

  4. Make the Tahini-Caesar Dressing

    In the bowl of a food processor or blender combine 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup of the Parm, the tahini, lime juice, garlic, anchovy paste, 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, and 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt. Process until dressing is completely smooth. (Dressing can be made ahead and chilled up to 1 week.)

  5. Assemble the Salad

    In a large serving bowl, create a bed of greens followed by chickpeas, avocados, and radishes. Sprinkle with pita bread crumbs and drizzle with about 1/2 cup dressing. Add more dressing, if you like, and finish with the remaining 1/4 cup Parm and a couple cracks of black pepper; toss and serve.

    To Tote: Layer dressing and chickpeas in the bottom of your serving dish, then layer with vegetables and greens. Keep pita bread crumbs separate and toss together to serve.

Credits

Excerpted from the book PRETTY DELICIOUS: Simple, Modern Mediterranean, Served with Style by Alia Elkaffas and Radwa Elkaffas. Copyright © 2025 by Alia Elkaffas and Radwa Elkaffas. Published in the United States by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.