Vegan Ceasar Salad with Cheesy Nut Crunch & Garlic Bread
I’ve been making variations of this salad for the past five years and it has become a staple at home, that I make at least every 2-3 weeks. It’s a vegan version that tastes just like the traditional salad from my childhood, with a creamy dressing made with whole plant-based foods.
You could add crispy chickpeas, tempeh bits, tofu cubes or even vegan sausage to make it a more complete meal, but I often eat it simply as is for dinner or lunch. I like to use a mix of kale and romaine lettuce here as the kale makes it a little more robust in flavour, but feel free to make it more traditional by using just romaine. The crunch from the cheesy cashew topping is super satisfying and such a nice addition here; don’t skip it.
I like to replace traditional croutons by serving this salad alongside a nice piece of toasted bread brushed with a simple mixture of olive oil, garlic and fresh parsley. Super easy to make and so good.
Notes: You could add crispy chickpeas, tempeh bits, tofu cubes or even vegan sausage to make it a more complete meal. I like to use a mix of kale and romaine lettuce here as the kale makes it a little more robust in flavour, but feel free to make it more traditional by using just romaine. The crunch from the cheesy cashew topping is super satisfying and such a nice addition here; don’t skip it.
You’ll have more than enough dressing and cheesy nut crunch so you’ll get extra for leftovers.
Vegan Ceasar Salad with Cheesy Nut Crunch & Garlic Bread
4 large or 6 small portions
Ingredients
For the Ceasar dressing:
1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews
2 tbsp hulled hemp seeds (hemp hearts)
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp tamari (or soy sauce)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or other mild vinegar)
2 tsp capers
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1-2 small garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
Black pepper
A pinch of nori flakes or other seaweed flakes (optional)
For the cheesy nut crunch and salad:
1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews
2 tbsp hulled hemp seeds (hemp hearts)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 small garlic clove
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of sea salt and black pepper
10 large leaves of each: romaine lettuce and kale (about 1 bunch of each)
For the garlic bread:
1 baguette or 2 small (7 or 8-inch) ciabatta breads
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
A handful of finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 2-3 tablespoons)
A sprinkle of sea salt
Instructions
For the Ceasar dressing:
Place cashews in a bowl and soak in hot water for 5-10 minutes to soften. Rinse and transfer to a high-speed blender.
Add all of the other dressing ingredients: hemp hearts, dijon mustard, tamari, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, capers, nutritional yeast, garlic (start with 1 clove), olive oil, sea salt, a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper and a good pinch of nori or seaweed flakes if you have them.
Add 1/4 cup of water and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Stop the blender, taste and add one more garlic clove if needed (I typically use 2 small), and add a bit more salt, lemon, or pepper to taste. If the dressing is very thick, add a bit more water, one spoonful at a time (I typically need about an extra tablespoon or so), and blend again until smooth and creamy - it should be thick but pourable.
For the cheesy nut crunch:
Add cashews, hemp hearts and nutritional yeast into a mini food processor (you could also use a large mortar and pestle) and pulse until you get coarse texture. Then finely grate the garlic clove over the bowl using a microplane. Add the olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper, and pulse again to combine. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.
For the garlic bread:
Turn the broiler of your oven on.
Place the olive oil and minced garlic in a small saucepan and gently warm over low-medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat when the garlic simmers (but before it browns). Add the chopped parsley and a small pinch of sea salt.
Slice the baguette or ciabatta in half lengthwise. Brush cut sides with the olive oil mixture, place on a baking sheet cut sides up and bake at broil for 2-3 minutes, until the sides are brown and crispy - keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn. Remove from the oven and slice into smaller pieces.
To serve:
Remove stems from the kale and chop the leaves in bite-size pieces. Chop the romaine leaves in bite-size pieces as well. Place in a large salad bowl, drizzle a generous amount of the Ceasar dressing on top (about half of it should be enough), and toss well to coat. Add more dressing as needed.
Transfer into serving bowls, sprinkle with a generous amount of cheesy nut crunch on top, and serve with a few pieces of toasted garlic bread. Keep the extra dressing and nut crunch in sealed containers in the fridge and use within 5-7 days.
