Crowd-Pleasing Vegan Caesar Salad

November 24, 2014 « Jump to Recipe »

My dad is coming to visit this week. This means two very important things are on my “what to make dad” menu. 1) Chili, always and 2) Caesar salad. Those are essential food groups for the guy. Anything else is icing on the cake. Plus, I always welcome the opportunity to use my huge bamboo salad bowl that we received as a wedding gift from our friends. When this bowl comes out, it’s something special!

Even though Caesar salad isn’t traditional holiday fare, I totally think you can serve it as part of a holiday menu. I love an unexpected twist on the table personally. Do you have any non-traditional dishes that are go-to’s for your family? My mother-in-law used to always serve Caesar salad as part of Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner and I swear it was one of the things that went the fastest, next to her famous croquettes. And my dad, well…let’s just say his famous Caesar salad and chili make an appearance at every Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve gathering.

I’ve made a couple vegan Caesar salad recipes over the years (one of which is in my cookbook), but I think this version is my best rendition yet. Recipes are always works in progress for me and I find each time I make it, I’m always trying new things. In addition to a new dressing, I also added roasted chickpea croutons and a nut and seed based parmesan cheese. I used a blend of traditional romaine lettuce with non-traditional Lacinato kale (destemmed of course). This way you have the classic flavour of romaine with the nutritional boost of the kale, without scaring anyone away (ahem, dad). I love the two tone greens in the bowl too. It’s a great make ahead salad because you can prep everything the day before (except for the roasted chickpeas) and then just mix it up the day of your event!

The first time I made this dressing, I actually used double the quantities you’ll see in the recipe below. However, I found that it made way too much (I had half leftover after mixing the salad), so I cut the dressing ingredients in half and it still worked out fine in the blender. I’m just mentioning this in case you are wondering about making a larger batch for a crowd – this dressing doubles beautifully!

I had a lot of fun with the photoshoot for this recipe, so I’ll let the photos do the rest of the talking.

And in case I’m not back again this week, I’d like to wish my American readers a lovely Thanksgiving! Thank you for coming here each week and eagerly trying out so many of the recipes I share. If you’re looking for my favourite Thanksgiving recipes, you can find them here. Also check out my 3 Course Step-by-Step Vegan and Gluten-Free Holiday Menu.

Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, no bake/raw, refined sugar-free

★★★★★
5 from 197 reviews

Yield
6 small bowls

Prep time
45 minutes

Cook time
35 minutes

Total time
1 hour, 20 minutes

This is a delicious, creamy vegan Caesar salad that will wow any crowd! Everyone who’s tried it goes absolutely nuts over it, and it’s my most popular salad recipe on the blog. To take it over the top, I garnish the salad with a generous amount of crunchy Roasted Chickpea Croutons and a delectable Nut and Seed Parmesan Cheese for the ultimate vegan Caesar salad. The dressing recipe easily doubles for a larger group and it’ll keep in the fridge in a sealed container for a few days so you can make it in advance. Dressing adapted from My Vega.

Ingredients

For the Roasted Chickpea Croutons:

1 (14-ounce/398 mL) can chickpeas (or 1 1/2 cups cooked), drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon (5 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

For the Caesar Dressing (makes 3/4-1 cup):

1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
1/4 cup (60 mL) water
2 tablespoons (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon (15 mL) lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon (7.5 mL) Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 small garlic clove (you can add another if you like it super potent)
1/2 tablespoon (7.5 mL) vegan Worcestershire sauce (I use Wizard's gluten-free brand)
2 teaspoons capers
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt and pepper, or to taste

For the Nut and Seed Parmesan Cheese:

1/3 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons hulled hemp seeds
1 small garlic clove
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
fine grain sea salt, to taste

For the lettuce:

1 small/medium bunch lacinato kale, destemmed (5 cups chopped)
2 small heads romaine lettuce (10 cups chopped)

Directions

Soak cashews in a bowl of water overnight, or for at least a few hours. Drain and rinse.
Roast chickpea croutons: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Drain and rinse chickpeas. Place chickpeas in a tea towel and rub dry (it's okay if some skins fall off). Place onto large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle on oil and roll around to coat. Sprinkle on the garlic powder, salt, and optional cayenne. Toss to coat. Roast for 20 minutes at 400°F (200°C), then gently roll the chickpeas around in the baking sheet. Roast for another 10 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden. They will firm up as they cool.
Prepare the dressing: Add the cashews and all other dressing ingredients (except salt) into a high-speed blender, and blend on high until the dressing is super smooth. You can add a splash of water if necessary to get it blending. Add salt to taste and adjust other seasonings, if desired. Set aside.
Prepare the Parmesan cheese: Add cashews and garlic into a mini food processor and process until finely chopped. Now add in the rest of the ingredients and pulse until the mixture is combined. Salt to taste.
Prepare the lettuce: Destem the kale and then finely chop the leaves. Wash and dry in a salad spinner. Place into extra large bowl. Chop up the romaine into bite-sized pieces. Rinse and then spin dry. Place into bowl along with kale. You should have roughly 5 cups chopped kale and 10 cups chopped romaine.
Assemble: Add dressing onto lettuce and toss until fully coated. Season with a pinch of salt and mix again. Now sprinkle on the roasted chickpeas and the Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Tip:

Be sure to check the label to ensure your Worcestershire Sauce is gluten-free (if necessary) as not many are. I use Wizard`s Gluten-Free Organic Worcestershire Sauce.
The dressing thickens when chilled, so be sure to leave it at room temperature to soften before using.

Nutrition Information

(click to expand)

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580 Comments

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Jackie D

2 years ago

Recipe Rating :

Made his yesterday for a family lunch and it was so good. Made exactly to the receipe.
I will certainly be making this again. So easy and really nice the next day with tofu crumble and olives.

Miriam

2 years ago

Ceasar salad is my long time favorite salad and this had been my favorite ceasar salad recipe for several years. I miss being able to eat most ceasar salads since I no longer eat meat, but now that I’ve found this recipe, I no longer feel like I’m missing out. Love, love, love this recipe.

Miriam

2 years ago

Recipe Rating :

This has been my favorite ceasar salad recipe for several years and with ceasar salad being my favorite type of salad, I have high expectations for any recipe that omits the dressing’s defining characteristic – anchovies. Since finding this recipe, I no longer feel like I’m missing out on ceasars by no longer eating meat. I don’t ordinarily prefer kale but I love it in this recipe. Love, love, love this recipe; I’d give it an additional star if possible.

April

Lisbeth Firmani

2 years ago

Recipe Rating :

I’m not even vegan and this is what I make for a Caesar salad now!! It’s amazing!

Mel

2 years ago

Recipe Rating :

The only Caesar salad I’ll ever make! It truly is a crowd pleaser!! ♥️

Marley

2 years ago

Are all the cashews soaked overnight? Or just the ones for the dressing? I wasn’t sure for the parmesan cheese bit.
Thanks!

Dawnae

Reply toMarley

9 months ago

I don’t soak the cashews for the parmesan or add the oil, which makes it a drier, shakeable texture, closer to real parmesan. The cashews for the dressing should be soaked to make sure the dressing turns out smooth and creamy.

Susanne

1 year ago

Do you use all of the Parmesan or….seems like a lot.

thanks!

Jill

1 year ago

Recipe Rating :

I make this salad at least 1X/month for the past several years. It is so much better than traditional Caesar salad. Of course, we’ve made our own tweaks over time: I omit the chickpea croutons. They are good but my family *loves* the ‘parmesan cheese’ which we nickname ‘the crumble’. Our adjustments: double the dressing recipe, triple the parmesan recipe, and omit the chickpeas. I can whip this up fairly quickly with dressing in the NutriNinja and the parmesan crumble in the food processor.
EVERYONE (non-vegans included) I have served this to absolutely loves this salad.

Jill

1 year ago

Yikes, I meant to mark 5 stars! Not sure why it is showing one star. Please adjust the stars to match my rave review.

Denise

5 months ago

This Caesar salad recipe is absolutely amazing, and my family can’t get enough of it! The dressing is simple to make and far superior to anything you can buy at the store. Plus, it’s a healthier option too. Thank you!

Casey

5 months ago

Recipe Rating :

this has been a favorite of mine (and my family and friends) for years! The parm and dressing are great for other dishes as well. Absolute 100/5

Jay

4 months ago

Recipe Rating :

This is my favorite vegan caesar salad recipe, and a big hit with my friends! They would like me to make it for a gathering this weekend, but we will have a guest with a nut allergy – does anyone have recommendations for a good substitute for the cashews? Thank you in advance!

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