This vegan Caesar Salad is even better than the original! It includes an irresistibly creamy vinaigrette, capers and crunchy croutons.
Nothing beats a good Caesar salad. So there’s no reason why there shouldn’t be an irresistibly delicious vegan version in your life. Meet: our perfect Vegan Caesar Salad! Of course we feast on a big classic Caesar salad. But this one comes extremely close: in fact, Alex even said he liked it better than the original! It’s got an irresistibly creamy and flavorful vegan Caesar dressing, crunchy croutons and salty hits of flavor from the capers. In fact, capers are the secret to making it taste so flavorful and delicious, you’ll hardly notice it’s entirely plant-based.
ingredients for the better vegan Caesar salad
This vegan Caesar Salad is a huge favorite at our house: especially the dressing. In fact, we’d rather do that than the original. Here are the elements that make it perfectly delicious:
- Vegan Caesar Dressing: This dressing is so incredibly flavorful, you’ll forget there’s no mayo, parmesan, or anchovies like the real thing.
- capers: Yes, capers are key! They add a savory kick of flavor to each bite that mimics the salty punch of parmesan shavings.
- Homemade Croutons: If you have the time, homemade croutons are awesome. Tear the bread into irregular pieces to create soft, crunchy balls.
- Avocado and Lemon Zest (optional): Use avocado to add even more richness and lemon for a kick.
- Tuscan and Roman cabbage: Use a mix of vegetables to add variety and flavor contrast. Or opt for plain romaine lettuce!
The Secrets to Homemade Vegan Caesar Dressing
The hardest part about making a vegan Caesar salad is… the dressing! A classic Caesar dressing is based on mayonnaise, parmesan and anchovies to make a umami– Feeling of packaged taste. A plant-based Caesar dressing doesn’t have any of these easy shortcuts to seasoning. What is it used for ?
- Chickpeas AND aquafaba make it creamy! Aquafaba is the liquid in a can of chickpeas, and it’s an amazing way to add a silky texture to sauces (like avocado mayonnaise). You can even use it for things like vegan meringues! It just gives the dressing the right silky richness here.
- miso paste adds massive savory flavor. Miso is a Japanese fermented soybean paste that adds great flavor to vegan dishes. Look for yellow or white miso paste; Red or brown is not recommended.
- Dijon mustard also brings a spicy and savory taste. Dijon is the key here!
- garlic, lemon and oil round it up. Speaking of oil…
Why use a mixture of olive oil and neutral oil?
This vegan Caesar dressing uses a blend of olive oil and neutral oil. Why is it necessary?
- All the olive oil makes a bright yellow dressing. You can definitely use 100% olive oil in this dressing, especially if you like to cook with olive oil for health reasons. Olive oil is one of the healthiest cooking oils in the world. But it makes the color pretty bright!
- The neutral oil keeps the color closer to a Caesar dressing. It also adds nuance to the taste. Use grapeseed oil or organic canola or vegetable oil: anything lighter in color and neutral in flavor.
Capers are key!
capers are part of the magic behind this vegan Caesar Salad: they really mimic the explosion of flavor that comes from shaved Parmesan cheese. Here’s some more information on this beautiful ingredient if you’ve never worked with it:
- capers are a caper berry native to the Mediterranean region. They are round and dark green-grey, about the size of a peppercorn. You can find them in Italian and Mediterranean recipes.
- How do capers taste? They have a light, brackish and salty taste.
- Where are capers? Capers are served pickled, so you’ll find them in small, thin jars near the olives in the grocery store.
- What recipes use capers? Make more caper recipes like pasta with roasted eggplant, salmon with capers or tartar sauce.
Variations: Make this a main dish!
If you’re going to take all that time to make a Caesar salad, why not make it an entree? At least that’s what we think here! We love it as a side, but it’s also fun as a main course. To add plant-based protein and turn it into a meal:
How would you serve it? Let us know in the comments below!
This Vegan Caesar Salad Recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based and dairy-free. For gluten free, omit the croutons or use gluten free bread.
The description
This vegan Caesar Salad is even better than the original! It includes an irresistibly creamy vinaigrette, capers and crunchy croutons.
For the vegan Caesar dressing (for 1 cup)
- 1 medium clove of garlic
- 1 cup Canned chickpeas, drained + ¼ cup aquafaba (canned liquid)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons yellow miso paste (or any miso paste labeled clear or white*)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 tablespoons neutral oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the salad
- 1 cup Croutons, store-bought or homemade
- 1 roman head 2 Roman hearts
- 1 Tuscan cabbage
- ¼ cup capers, drained
- 1 ripe avocado (optional)
- lemon zest (optional)
- Prepare croutons (optional): If you use it, make homemade croutons by tearing the bread into pieces before baking instead of dicing it. Or use store-bought croutons.
- Prepare dressing: Peel and coarsely chop the garlic. Drain the chickpeas into a liquid measuring cup: reserve ¼ cup liquid (aquafaba) for the dressing. In a large blender, combine garlic, chickpeas, aquafaba, lemon juice, light miso paste, Dijon mustard, olive oil, neutral oil, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Mix until you get a creamy dressing. Makes 1 cup; Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 month; Bring to room temperature before serving.
- Prepare the fresh ingredients: Chop the romaine and Tuscan cabbage. Chop avocado if using.
- Surcharge: To serve, place the vegetables in serving bowls and garnish with drained capers, avocado, croutons, lemon zest (optional), and a couple tablespoons of dressing.
Remarks
*Do not substitute brown or red miso as the flavor will be too strong and will make the dressing too dark. Yellow, light, or white miso is best here.
- Category: salad
- Method: Raw
- Kitchen: vegan
- Diet: vegan
Keywords: Vegan Caesar Salad
