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.
Crowd-Pleasing Vegan Caesar Salad
Yield
6 small bowls
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
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.
Best Caesar salad ever, vegan or not! I didn’t realize how much I had missed this type of salad. Now I want to eat it every day. I love garbanzo beans but was craving croutons instead. I tossed cut up bread pieces in the leftover oil that sundried tomatoes come packed in and baked them. I always hate to waste it. Turned out awesome. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!!
Hey Amy, I’m so glad it was such a hit! We can’t get enough of it too :) I love your crouton idea…genius!
This looks amazing. I was wondering if the dressing would keep well if I wanted to make a larger batch for the week. Thank you!
Hey Danielle, I don’t think I’ve had the dressing in the fridge more than a couple days before using it, so I can’t say for sure. But it was fine in the fridge a couple days in advance. The dressing thickens when chilled, so be sure to leave it at room temperature to soften before using. If you try storing it in the fridge for the work week I’d love to know how it goes!
Soooo good. Even better than I remember actual caesar salad being. And the non-vegans loved it too. More time consuming to prep but amazing for guests or a fancy dinner.
Totally agree with you on that…I make it for special occasions when we have people over. That vegan parm on top is just divine!
Can I use something else aside for capers? I don’t have that in my pantry right now
Hey Sharona, I haven’t tested anything else, but I read online that sometimes an equal amount of chopped dill pickle or green olive may work. I’m not sure though, it would be an experiment. You can try leaving it out and seeing if you can amp up the other flavour enhancers instead.
Oh my heavens HOW I ADORE THIS SALAD!!!!!! Thank you for this and the rest of your gorgeous blog!!!!
Aww thanks Carol!!
omg, best vegan salad ever! Made this for a holiday party and it was a huge hit! I just made another batch of the dressing to use on my regular salads. Thanks Angela!!!!
Amanda that’s so great to hear :) thanks for trying it!
this is incredible!! I made a big bowl for my family for dinner but ended up eating the whole thing by myself it was so good (oops!)
I’m so happy to hear that Maiya! Thanks for your review :)
GREAT recipe! Can it be frozen? Thanks!
Hi Andrea, Do you mean the dressing? I’m sorry I’m not sure!
The best Caesar dressing I’ve ever had, even my teenagers loved it!!
That’s wonderful news, thank you!
I strangely didn’t love the dressing – I thought mine was very bland and I had a hard time getting it smooth in my vitamix (maybe because it was such a small quantity?). Loved the chickpeas and the vegan parmesan cheese, though!
Lil, So sorry to hear about the dressing, but so happy you enjoyed the other components! You can try adding more capers, lemon, Worcestershire, or Dijon to punch up the flavours to your taste.
Can you tell me the nutrition for the ceaser dressing and the cheese?
Hey Becca, Just wanted to let you know the nutritional info is now included in the recipe (just hit the + sign to drop it down). Hope this helps!
I just made this recipe for lunch, and I can’t thank you enough! It was genuinely amazing, and I followed the recipe to a “T.” I have never been a huge fan of Caesar Dressing bc the store bought ones are always so tangy and “mustardy” tasting. Your dressing blended perfectly and I didn’t mind the Dijon mustard at all. Next time I’ll add some tomatoes and avocados, bc there will for sure be a next time. Thank you again!!
Jules, I’m so happy to hear the vegan Caesar surpassed your expectations! I love your idea of adding tomatoes and avocado next time. Sometimes I like to make a Caesar wrap stuffed with this salad and my Crispy Breaded Tofu Strips (sometimes I add some BBQ sauce for a kick); it’s really out of this world!
Hi! I am late to the party here but planning to make this over the weekend. Just wanted to clarify: do all the cashews need to be soaked or just the ones for the dressing? I’m guessing the latter, and that the ones for the Parmesan do not need to be soaked. Thanks!
Hey Sophie, Thanks for clarifying! You only have to soak the cashews for the dressing. I hope you love the salad as much as we do!
Thanks so much, Angela!
Urban Remedy definitely uses this recipe for their vegan Caesar salad. I hope they paid you !!
Thanks for the heads up! I haven’t heard of them before so they haven’t reached out to me.
Help please! Made the dressing as per measurements, and for my it taste I found it tastes too much like the dijon mustard..like it’s all I can really taste. How can I fix this? I don’t want to waste the whole batch of dressing. Cashews are expensive :( The parmesan came out perfectly and so did my chickpeas. I’m just having trouble with the dressing. Thank you in advance!
Hey Sarah, I’m sorry to hear about the dressing not suiting your tastebuds! I would probably add a touch of water to see if that helps lessen the flavour a bit. Also, I find that salad dressings mellow out once mixed into the greens, so you may find this too. So glad you loved the parm and chickpeas! :)
Thanks for the recipe! This was simple and absolutely delicious!! Will definitely be making again!! I ended up adding more lemon and spicing it up a bit because it seemed to plain/cashew-y at first, but with a few adjustments it was amazing how close to the real thing it tasted!
Good call on ramping up the lemon/seasonings…I’ve been doing that too. So glad you loved it!
hi Angela since jan dairy free egg free wheat free and many more since my food sensitivity test. I wish I could have nutritional yeast as well. but was told thats under brewers yeast which was on my list as well. :(
question is as first time soaking nuts, do I soak in a specific amount of water overnight? do I use the water in the recipe or does that water actually go in the dressing when making it?
thanks a bunch. I’m trying to soak them now If anyone else knows the answer please share :)
sue
Hey Sue, Thanks for your question! Happy to help :) And so glad you’re trying this out…I hope I’m not too late!
I don’t measure the amount of water I soak nuts or seeds in…I just make sure to cover the nuts/seeds by about an inch of water as they’ll expand/plump a bit when they soak. After soaking, I always rinse the nuts/seeds and then drain the water off before proceeding with the recipe. I hope this helps and please let me know how the Caesar dressing goes!
Wow, this salad was fantastic! My vegan daughter found the recipe and I made it the next day. Everyone loved it, even the non-vegans! I omitted the hemp seeds and it still turned out perfect. Many thanks!
Hey Cindy, Such great news that you all loved it so much…thanks for your review!
I am not one to normally leave reviews but I had to on this recipe! I’ve been vegan for 19 months and my favorite salad before going vegan was Caesar. I’ve tried at vegan food places to find something that would satisfy the craving but nothing was the same … UNTIL THIS! Omg I could have cried when I tasted that dressing. Thank you!!!
Aww Chavonne, thank you so much! Your comment made my day.
Really wasn’t sure whether this would be able to live up to my standards (I LOVE Caesar salad) but this is pretty great. Was really happy with the result and would definitely recommend others give this a try. The Caesar dressing recipe is really great!
So glad it was a hit, Jennifer! Thanks for your review.
I love this dressing, not much of a salad person but I am with this dressing. Wanted to know though, how long is the dressing good for if it’s in a sealed container in the fridge?
Hey Daniella, So glad this salad won you over :) The dressing should keep in the fridge for 5-7 days.
This was so damned delicious that I literally dreamt about it after having it for dinner. I made more for lunch today!! I used roasted cashews – briefly soaked – but then pulverized the heck out of them in the vitamix. It worked well ??
Thank you Shannon! So glad you loved it!
Hi! I’m so excited to have found this recipe, but am a little frustrated with my results :( I’ve tried this recipe twice now, soaking the cashews 8 hours on the first try and 12 hours on the second. I use. Vitamin and don’t typically have any issue with blending cashews to a smooth texture. Both times I’ve tried though, my dressing comes out gritty and the cashews won’t blend fully, even after 5 minutes of blending time. The flavour is great but the texture isn’t right. What can I do?! Please help!
Hi Amy, I’m sorry for the delay in reply! I had replied to your comment when I first saw it, but now I see that it never went through. I’m so sorry you are not having ideal results with the dressing! I was going to ask if you are using a Vitamix and it looks like you are. I find I have to also use the tamper stick while blending to get the mixture to blend as it’s a thick sauce! Are you using the tamper by chance? That would be my best tip…otherwise I’m not quite sure what is going on. I hope you still enjoyed the sauce even if it wasn’t as smooth as you hoped. :)
Could this recipe be made with almonds or another alternative to the cashews? I’m allergic and every vegan Caesar dressing recipe I’ve tried hasn’t been great so I really want to try this one! I’ve heard amazing things about it.
Hey Jamie, I’ve been meaning to try this with soaked blanched almonds or even soaked sunflower seeds, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet! I think if you do try almonds it’s important to soak them to soften and use blanched (skinless) almonds so the dressing is smooth and not gritty. I’d love to hear how it goes if you try it out!
After the 10th time of making this recipe I just had to tell you how much I love it! It’s my favorite salad dressing, and turns out perfect every time. I normally tweak recipes but for this one, I don’t change a thing! My husband devours it every time and it’s pretty much the only salad he’s happy to eat as “dinner”. We aren’t vegan (but I’m DF and GF) so I sometimes put salmon or chicken on it, and it’s amazing. Thank you! (Typing as I enjoy a bowl!)
Hey Brigitte, thank you so much! I’m so glad you and your husband enjoy the Vegan Caesar Salad…it’s definitely one of my family’s favourites too. :)
I could eat this salad every day-it’s sooooooo delicious! I usually use more kale and add avocados sometimes too. Thanks!
I love adding avocado sometimes too…extra creaminess is never a bad thing. *heart eyes*
Hi! I am a new vegan and loving your recipes (I have both oh she glows books as my go-to on my counter).. I have not made this yet but I am curious about storage- would this freeze well? I was thinking of doubling the batch and freezing in an ice cube tray so I can pop one into salads in the mornings and have it ready to eat by lunch time? any thoughts? thanks!!
Hi Stephanie, That is such a fun idea!! I love it. To be honest, I haven’t tried freezing the dressing yet so I’m not sure. My suggestion would be to try freezing just a small amount (maybe 1 “ice cube”!) and thawing it to see how it is. I’d love to hear how it goes :)
hello!
this is my go-to salad & we are not vegan and all the guest i serve it to LOVE it and are so impressed by it.
question for you…any suggestions on the chickpeas? i am making this for a teacher conference meal for the teachers & have to drop if off at school at 3:30, but the teachers are not eating it until 5. Just curious if you had an suggestions on keeping the chickpeas nice & roasted since they will be sitting for a bit.
thank you- kristen
I’m so happy to hear that it’s such a hit Kristen! :) Thank you. As for storing roasted chickpeas, unfortunately I don’t know of a way to keep them crispy aside from reheating them in the oven just before serving. I wonder if you might have access to a toasted oven as a way to crisp them back up? If you don’t have any reheating means then I might suggest cooling them on the baking sheet and then placing them in a paper bag that allows air to escape (so it doesn’t trap moisture). They will definitely soften as they sit though. I’d love to hear what you try!
I love this recipe! I seem to have overblended my Parmesan however. It is all balled up – any tips on undoing that?
Thanks in advance and happy holidays :)
Hi Jillian, Hmm Im not sure you can undo that, hah. My advice would be to pulse it next time and check on it every several pulses to advice overprocessing. I hope it was still enjoyable!
Just made the ceasar dressing and it was a hit! I followed the exact recipe except my vegan worchester was Annies. Delicious and my mother and adult daughter agreed.
When measuring out the capers, do I need to drain the liquid or do I include liquid and all?
Hi Cat, I usually spoon it directly from the jar and tap my spoon on the side to strain it slightly, but I’m not too fussy about it!
This is the most amazing vegan caesar salad. Love it. Thank you so much for sharing it. This will be my go to salad. I am kind of addicted now!!!
Aww that makes me so happy! Thanks Carolyn
This was delicious! How long will the dressing last in the refrigerator?
Hey there, it should last up to a week. Hope this helps!
This was amazing! I added some avocado and parsley because I had it, but it was delicious and even my non-vegan family loved it. It works great for meal prep!
Any alternatives for the hemp seeds?
This is SO good. SOOO GOOD. I’ll admit, my hopes weren’t super high, but this is now a staple in our house. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! 5 stars from me and my clan.
My family loves this salad! Best Cesar recipe I have ever tried. The “croutons” really kick it up! Thanks for sharing.
I can not say enough about how Good this Salad is! I love salads and I make a lot of them but just being new to the Vegan diet (1 month) I feel like it can get a bit challenging at times. Thank goodness for Blog sites like this one. I love, love, love this salad. The Flavors are amazing. I was skeptical of the ‘cashew’ dressing but I am convinced. It taste just like a Caesar salad dressing. Toasted Chick peas and parmesan cheese. The Romaine and Kale combination. Just Awesome!
Hi Angela, we’re allergic to cashews at our house. Wondering if you’ve ever subbed in sunflower seeds for the dressing? Thank you! Excited to make this for Easter dinner.
I made the caesar dressing only and had it with romaine by itself. This dressing was AMAZING with so much flavor. My husband loved the dressing and he usually doesn’t like any type of creamy dressings.
Worcester sauce has anchovies in it…so….not vegan
Hey Terese, Yes that’s right. I buy the vegan kind by The Wizard’s -it’s fantastic!
This Caesar is life. Thank you for this recipe that will now be my go to.
Thank you for gifting us this amazing recipe. I could eat the chickpeas alone as a snack all day long. My CSA provided me with romaine, frisee endive and garlic scapes which I will use for this recipe. Oh so delicious!
This recipe is the BOMB!!! Wow, so delicious !!! Who needs non-vegan Caesar salad anyway??!! I just made this and my kids and I devoured it!!
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful tasty ? recipe!!!
Made this last night and it was a a hit with the family! Came out looking like your picture and it is my new favorite recipe. I never make comments on the recipes I make, but yours was so delicious that I had to let you know – thank you!
Could I use cashew milk to simplify the process of making the dressing rather than soaking cashews overnight? Thanks!
Wonderful! Very close to traditional Cesar. I halved the olive oil in the dressing to cut back on unnecessary fat. Could probably cut back more with no noticeable issue. I would confidently serve this to meat eaters. Yum. Thank you for this recipe!
Thanks Amanda, Im so happy you loved it :) Glad it worked even with the cut back oil too!
I have never commented on a recipe in my life, but I needed to tell you how DELICIOUS this salad is.
I cannot wait to use it as a meal prep for school!
aww thank you so much Hannah!
Great recipe. I did however take some short cuts. I did not soak my cashews but did double the amount of water and blended it all in my nutri bullet and it was a great consistency even a few days later after refrigerating. Also instead of making the Vegan Parm I tossed the fresh garlic, hemp seeds and nutritional yeast in with my chickpeas before roasting and it gave them a cheesy taste. Either way it’s delicious!
I have been making this recipe for over 6 years now-it is my favorite Cesar salad and one of my favorite all around salad-vegan or not.