Vegan Caesar Salad

I used to work at an Italian restaurant, and at the time, one of the biggest reasons I hadn’t gone vegan yet was because of their irresistible caesar salad (well, and their pizza too). I was vegetarian at this point, and I was so excited to finally find a caesar salad that didn’t use anchovies in the dressing.

While I won’t reveal the restaurant’s secret ingredient, and honestly, I never even knew the recipe, I have tried my best to replicate the taste here without using any dairy and I’m so happy with how it turned out!

With plant-based meals, it’s always important to get some protein in where possible. That’s why I like to add baked chickpeas to top my caesar salads. They mirror the taste of bacon and give the salad that extra satisfying crunch.

You can find the recipes for both the Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing and the Crunchy Chickpea Salad Topper below:

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Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing

makes 1/2 mason jar of salad dressing

Time: Approx. 5 Minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cups of vegan mayonnaise

• 2 tbsp of olive oil

• 1 tbsp of lemon juice

• 2 tsp of capers (include the juice if they’re being soaked)

• 2 tsp of dijon mustard

• 1 tsp of minced garlic

• salt and pepper, to taste

To Make:

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl or mason jar and shake well.

2. Optional: When salad is tossed, sprinkle nutritional yeast on top for a parmesan cheese substitute.
   
   Note: I enjoy this recipe over a bed of mixed greens, but this dressing would also go well with kale or romaine lettuce.

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Crunchy Chickpea Salad Topper

Time: Approx. 5 Minutes to Prep, 25 Minutes to Bake

Ingredients

• 1 can of chickpeas

• 1 tbsp of avocado oil (sub for any vegetable oil)

• 1 tbsp of soy sauce

• 1 tbsp of maple syrup

• 1 tsp of paprika

• salt and pepper, generously sprinkled

To Make:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F

2. Rinse and drain chickpeas

3. Spread chickpeas evenly on a cookie sheet

4. Pour all ingredients on top of the chickpeas. Using your hands, mix all of the sauces and spices together until the chickpeas are evenly coated.

5. Bake at 350*F for 20-25 minutes, or until chickpeas are crunchy. The time may vary depending on your oven.

6. Toss with caesar salad and enjoy!

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