The Best Vegan Caesar Salad

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💭 Why you’ll love this recipe

Vegan twist. Skip the classic Caesar salad and make this vegan version instead! This easy salad recipe is made with healthy and flavorful ingredients without any dairy, anchovies, or eggs.Quick and easy side dish. This recipe is super easy to put together! In less than 20 minutes, you’ll have a delicious side for three to five people.Make the dressing ahead. This recipe comes with the best vegan Caesar dressing that you can make ahead for easy meal prep throughout the week.

📋 Ingredients and notes

To make vegan Caesar salad recipe, you’ll need romaine lettuce, chickpeas, crusty bread, fresh parsley, chives, red onion, salt, and black pepper. To make vegan Caesar salad dressing, you’ll need raw cashews, water lemon juice, capers, dijon mustard, red onion, garlic, water, salt, and pepper.

Notes and variations

Lettuce. I like to use fresh and crispy romaine lettuce to add crunch to the Caesar salad, but you can also use kale.Chickpeas. I like to use raw chickpeas but you can also use roasted chickpeas to add flavor and more crunch to the salad. This doubles as a gluten-free option for the croutons. For a nut-free option, you can use any white beans such as cannellini beans or lima beans.Cheese. I didn’t use any cheese for this recipe, but you can sprinkle it with some vegan parmesan to make it more flavorful and cheesy!Raw cashews. For the dressing, I used raw cashews, but you can also use sunflower seeds to make the recipe nut-free.Dijon mustard. I used Dijon mustard for this recipe but you can also use spicy brown mustard or yellow mustard, if in a pinch. And if you want to keep the dressing vegan, don’t use honey mustard!

📖 Make the best vegan caesar salad!

Make the dressing:

In a blender or food processor, combine the soaked cashews, water, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, chopped capers, salt, and black pepper to taste. Blend the dressing ingredients until smooth and creamy. Place in the fridge to chill while you make the croutons. You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Assemble the salad:

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Cut or tear the crusty bread into bite-size pieces and place them on a baking sheet. If you don’t want to use bread here, you can also make roasted chickpeas as an excellent gluten-free alternative for croutons! Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the bread is crispy and golden. In a large mixing bowl, toss lettuce with the chopped parsley, chives, red onion, crispy chickpeas, and crusty bread pieces into the mixing bowl. Drizzle the homemade vegan Caesar dressing over the salad.

👩🏽‍🍳 Tips for the best vegan caesar salad

To make the best version of this vegan caesar salad, make sure to follow these expert tips!

Buy fresh vegetables before serving them for the best results. If you are not going to use them immediately, keep the vegetables fresh in the refrigerator until ready to serve. It’s best to keep the vegetables separate in secured containers.Mix greens for more crunch. Mix romaine lettuce with kale, arugula, or even butter lettuce for a crunchier bite. Check out this crunchy lemon garlic kale salad or these kale salads for other great salads with a bite! Chill the delicious dressing for at least one hour before serving to achieve a thicker consistency and a creamier texture.Adjust the acidity of the dressing. Add more lemon juice for a tangier flavor or add more water to dilute the acidity.Adjust seasoning to your taste buds. Season with sea salt and black pepper to your liking. Add as much vegan parmesan cheese, lemon juice or lemon zest, and olive oil as you like!Store them properly. To keep vegan caesar salad fresh for longer, make sure to keep the ingredients separate in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

🍴 Serve and store vegan Caesar salad

Serve vegan Caesar salad as an appetizer, side dish, or main entree. It goes well with almost any main dish that you enjoy. For instance, I love serving this with my vegan Shepherd’s pie, or mushroom Wellington as a side salad. Store the salad separately from the dressing in an airtight container until ready to serve. Place it in the refrigerator to last for up to 3-4 days. You can make the dressing ahead and store it in the refrigerator for up to five days. Once the salad is mixed with the dressing it will only last for a few hours since the lettuce tends to become soggy real quick. I do not recommend freezing caesar salad as the texture of the vegetables will change after they have been frozen and thawed. But you can freeze the creamy dressing for up to a month in an airtight container.

🥗 More salad recipes:

For more easy and delicious vegetarian / vegan salad recipes, check these out:

Lemon garlic kale salad Roasted beet salad with arugula and grapefruit vinaigretteVegan Niçoise salad Spinach avocado saladSummer tortellini salad Mango avocado salad