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Caesar salad is my jam! I love eating caesar salad with pizza, burgers…basically anything you can honestly think of. I grew up eating it and to this date – still one of my favorite comfort food salads. Trust me, that takes a lot to say since I don’t like a lot of salads.

When it comes to making a plant-based vegan caesar salad, my personal preference may differ (and that’s totally fine), a lot of the recipes would often be either gluten-free or call for vegan Worcestershire sauce. While I find that Worcestershire sauce makes a great condiment, I feel that the flavor is too overpowering for such a light salad.

There are three essentials that make a good caesar salad –

(1) Dressing has to be creamy, tangy, and fatty. So I used the basics from cashews, lemon juice, and olive oil.

(2) It has to have that umami flavor that traditionally came from anchovies. So I’ve decided to use the ultimate source for umami flavor – miso paste. Adding miso paste and smoked paprika to the mix gives the illusion of anchovies. Awkward combination but turns out well in the end.

(3) Cannot forget, crispy croutons! And there is no other better way to make croutons from home. Buy a loaf, tear it to pieces, drizzle with olive oil and bake it! You never have to buy store bought croutons ever again! The plus side of making croutons? You get more out of it compared to the pre-packed ones.

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Classic Caesar Salad

Enjoy this delicious salad classic that you can easily make from scratch start to finish. So good and comforting, you'll forget it's all plant-based. Crowd-pleasing salad, this sure is!
Course Salad
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword Caesar Salad, salad
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 5 pax

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Soaked raw cashews overnight or for 1 hour in hot water
  • 1.5 tbsp Miso paste
  • 2 tbsp Nutritional yeast
  • 3 tbsp Olive oil extra virgin
  • 2-3 tbsp Lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup Plain unsweetened plant milk
  • 1 1/4 tbsp Mustard
  • 1 tsp Smoked paprika
  • 1/4 cup Water
  • Salt & pepper to taste

FOR THE CROUTONS

  • 1 cup Diced or torn apart day old loaf of bread country loaf or sourdough works best
  • 2 tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 tsp Garlic powder
  • 1 tsp Onion powder
  • 1 tsp Dried oregano
  • 1 tsp Dried basil
  • Pinch of salt & pepper

VEGAN PARMESAN

  • 1/2 cup Chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup Nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp Salt & Pepper

FOR THE SALAD

  • Chopped Lettuce Romaine

Instructions

  • Soak cashews overnight or boil for 1 hour to soften. Drain cashews. In a high speed blender blend all ingredients until it is creamy in texture. Set aside or refrigerate for later use.

FOR THE CROUTONS

  • Preheat oven to 450°F.
  • On a mixing bowl, coat diced loaf with olive oil and seasonings until well combined. Spread on a baking sheet. Bake in oven for 15-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
  • Allow croutons to cool down. Store in a sealed container for later use or serve immediately. Croutons can be stored in sealed container / mason jar for up to 3 days before losing its crunch.

FOR THE VEGAN PARMESAN

  • Blitz in all ingredients in a food processor or high spead blender until walnuts are finely ground with nutritional yeast. Store in a small container for later use or use immediately.

FOR THE SALAD

  • Combine all ingredients with chopped lettuce (or with other desired veggies). Enjoy!