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.
I just made this! Incredible. I am so grateful for your blog! Thank you.
I finally got around to making this after ages of it sitting on my Pin board and it totally did not disappoint! My 7 year old daughter said it was awesome so I think that’s a slam dunk :) I added marinated seitan, steamed asparagus and pine nuts and I did not soak my cashews as I had not prepared in advance to make this, but in my Vitamix it all blended up perfectly.
Thank you for a very well written recipe <3
I had to get right up and make those chickpea croutons. They’re not gonna make it to any salad….they may not even live to cool off! And I’m dreaming up the next flavors: curry, garlic+onion, lemon-garlic…m-m-m! My new protein treat!
Angela! Girl!. This caesar salad dressing was soooo good! It’s better than the “real thing”. Just made it tonight for work tomorrow. I had a little taste and I’ve never been so excited to eat salad for lunch the next day! My family liked it (we are non vegans) but I’m trying to put some health into our Caribbean diets. Lol just wanted to say thanks and may God continue to bless your work dedication and creativity. : )
P.s. this is one of my first times commenting on anybody’s recipe or anyone’s anything on the internet… and that’s saying something! Lol
Well I’m so happy to hear I got your first internet comment ever! haha. Thank you for the review!
Made this salad and it was a huge hit! The dressing is unreal. How long does the dressing last in the fridge? Thanks!!
This is my favorite salad. I have made this recipe several times and everyone loves it!
Love this recipe! I’m making it for dinner tonight. The chickpeas are roasting as we speak! I double the dressing recipe so I can use it after in the month for a quick dinner. :)
I’ve recently bought your cookbook and am in love with it. I have a question borne from ignorance: can roasted cashews be used in place of raw cashews in the dressings and sauces? I am allergic to raw cashews (burning sensation in my gums and digestive tract) but have no issues with roasted.
Made this last night. It was delicious! My finicky 11yr. old liked it and even my 2.5 year old tried it and wanted to eat it, but unfortunately was too garlicky for her. So, next time a little less raw garlic for us. Thank you
This was delicious! How long is the dressing good for in the fridge?
This is my first time using one of your recipes and making a dressing from scratch. It was absolutely amazing! My un-vegan fiance was obsessed with it and said its better than the regular dairy-based dressing! I am not a fan of salads but after this,I’m going to try all of your salad recipes!
I haven’t had ceasar salad in a LONG time, but I used to love. I don’t make it simply because I don’t keep mayo around anymore. I try to make most of our condiments and mayo was one that went by the wayside.
This tasted like real dressing! I was really surprised. Both my bf and I really liked it. I realized halfway through throwing things in the blender that I didn’t have Worsh. sauce. But I read that you could sub 2 tsp of soy sauce/tamari and a pinch of lemon juice and sugar, so I did that. I’m not vegan, so I realized after I could have used anchovy, but it was great as is. I’d love to try it with roasted chickpeas.
Is there a reason you can’t make the roasted chickpeas the night before? I am traveling 2 hours on thanksgiving day and it would help me immensely if I could roast them the night before and put into a covered container for travel. I would like to get to my destination and just be able to assemble it without having to use the host’s oven.
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe. I made it as part of our Thanksgiving meal and everyone loved it. It looks so pretty too! My husband says it tastes like a “real” cesar salad from a fancy restaurant. I will be making it again!
Amazing. Made it two nights in a row. I love Caesar salad and this is by far the best one I ever had!
So very good! Will be making this often! :)
Fabulous!!! I was missing my old ceasar dressing! I substituted balsamic for the worcestershire. Highly recommend trying that modification as well. Thanks so much!
I made this as part of a vegan Thanksgiving, for my vegan daughter. The “fake cheese” was the big hit. We had plenty left over, since it was just the two of us, and we’ve found a dozen ways to use it. I’m back here not to leave a comment but to get the recipe again so we can make another batch. THANK YOU!
BEST Caesar dressing ever- vegan or no!
Omg! I made this tonight for a quick dinner and HOLY S#^+ was it amazing! I’m new to the vegan world and am still testing the waters, i.e. seeing what I can pass off as a non vegan dish to my husband, and this was perfect! He never new the difference and even thought thi was the best version yet. Thanks bunches!!