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This beauty of our vegan Caesar salad is that it’s made with whole foods. It’s not something you'd normally see as a plant-based option, but we're really pleased with how it's come out and the dressing tastes like the real deal.
We've used a cashew base, along with nutritional yeast, lemon and mustard, then to replace the anchovies we've used capers to get that tangy and salty flavour.
For the bulk of the salad we've kept it classic with romaine lettuce, croutons and a vegan chicken alternative (we'll share the recipe for that very soon) - with some bonus avocado and chickpeas, because why not?
The whole thing works really well together - the sauce is rich and creamy, and the combination of the vegetables, croutons and vegan chicken make it a really filling, satisfying lunch (or even a light dinner/side dish).
If you'd like to try another classic salad that's also vegan, give this Tuscan Panzanella Salad a go. Alternatively try something a little more adventurous with this Maftoul Salad (Vegan Cous Cous).
Vegan Caesar Salad
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This vegan Caesar salad is creamy and delicious, just like a traditional Caesar salad. Chickpeas and vegan chicken alternative add a delicious protein kick, and the baked homemade croutons are a real treat. This salad balances healthy and naughty perfectly!
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 2 romaine lettuce hearts - roughly chopped
- 4 thick slices of bread - cut into bite-size chunks
- 1 avocado - cut into chunks
- Half a tin of chickpeas
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt & pepper
Optional:
- A couple of handfuls of a vegan chicken alternative*
For the dressing:
- ½ cup cashews - soaked in water overnight (or in hot water for as long as you can if you're in a rush)
- ¼ cup water
- 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp capers
- 1 clove garlic
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5/190c.
- Chuck the bread and chickpeas in a large bowl, pour over a good the olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss to give everything a good covering.
- Put in a roasting pan and bake in the oven for around 10 minutes or until the bread is nicely toasted all over - check regularly to make sure you don't burn the croutons.
- While the bread and chickpeas are in the oven, add all the ingredients for the vegan Caesar dressing into a blender along with a generous amount of black pepper. Blend until it's completely smooth - give it a taste and add more salt, black pepper, nutritional yeast or lemon to taste.
- Once everything is ready, layer up the lettuce, avocado, croutons, chickpeas and vegan chicken on top of the lettuce in a large serving bowl.
- Top with the dressing and give it all a good mix to coat everything in the delicious dressing.
Notes
We used homemade seitan, but you could alternatively use vegan chicken alternative or smoked tofu.
- Category: Lunch
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Vegan Caesar salad, vegan salad dressing
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