This is a delicious, creamy vegan Caesar salad that will wow any crowd! 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.
Makes 6 small bowls
Ingredients
- 1 small/medium bunch lacinato kale, destemmed (5 cups chopped)
- 2 small heads romaine lettuce (10 cups chopped)
For the Roasted Chickpea Croutons
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (or 1 ½ cups cooked), drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp. fine grain sea salt
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- 1/8 to ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
For the Nut and Seed Parmesan Cheese
- 1/3 cup raw cashews
- 2 Tbsp. hulled hemp seeds
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- fine grain sea salt, to taste
For the Caesar Dressing (makes 3/4 – 1 cup):
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 small garlic clove (you can add another if you like it super potent)
- 1/2 Tbsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp. capers
- 1/2 tsp. fine grain sea salt and pepper, or to taste
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 400F. Drain and rinse chickpeas. Place chickpeas in a tea towel and rub dry (it’s OK 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 400F 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. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until the mixture is combined. Salt to taste.
- Prepare the lettuce: Destem the kale 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 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. Sprinkle on the roasted chickpeas and the Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Nutrition facts per serving: Calories 622; protein 29g; fat 21g; carbs 93g, fibre 18g.
