This vegan Caesar salad is made with crisp romaine lettuce, garlicky baked croutons and to-die-for rich and creamy cashew-based dressing. Rich, indulgent, and full of flavor!
Say hello to the classic Caesar salad...in vegan form! I've had requests, so I figured it was about time. Also, I just shared a recipe for vegan Parmesan cheese, which is the perfect topper for a dairy-free Caesar salad.
I'm always tempted to put crazy spins on things, but sometimes the classics are just that because they're great, and I think that may be the case with Caesar salads — you know, except for the whole dairy, eggs, and anchovy part. Maybe slightly modified classics are the best.
Elements of a Perfect Vegan Caesar Salad
Cheese: I already mentioned that we'll be using some vegan Parm.
Greens: Crispy romaine lettuce is the traditional Caesar salad green, so that's what we're using here.
Croutons: This recipe includes some garlicky homemade croutons. It's so worth it. Make a double batch because you will snack on most of them.
Dressing: Traditional Caesar dressing is made with Mayonnaise and anchovies, among other things. My vegan version uses creamy blended raw cashews instead of mayo, lots of garlic, seasonings, and miso paste to supply that umami flavor you'd normally get from anchovies.
Make the Croutons
Do this first, so you can whip up the dressing while they bake.
Tear up some loaves of bread (the crustier the better, and day-old bread works great), and whisk together some garlic and olive oil. Drizzle your bread with the olive oil mixture, and toss everything to distribute.
Arrange your bread cubes on a baking sheet, give them a sprinkle of salt, and bake until crispy and golden.
Make the Dressing
The dressing is super easy!
You'll need to soak your cashews in some water ahead of time to soften them up. Don't worry if you forget though — boiling them for 15 minutes works in a pinch.
Add them to a food processor bowl with your seasonings: Dijon mustard, lemon juice, miso paste, vegan Worcestershire sauce and garlic. Add a splash of water and blend.
Once you've blended your mixture to a smooth paste you can thin it out with some more water and season it with salt.
Assemble the Salad
Tear your lettuce into bite-sized pieces and stick them into a salad bowl. Add your croutons, drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with Parm. Give everything a toss, and you're ready to serve!
FAQ & Tips for Making an Awesome Vegan Caesar Salad
- Don't forget to soak your cashews! But if you forget, don't worry! Boiling them for 15 minutes works in a pinch.
- The dressing will keep in the refrigerator for about 4 days, or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
- You can easily turn this salad into a meal by adding some protein: try chickpeas, baked tofu, or (my favorite) the blackened tempeh from this recipe.
- Can this salad be made gluten-free? Yes! Just use your favorite gluten-free bread to make the croutons!
- Where can I find vegan Worcestershire sauce? Annie's and Edward & Sons brands are both vegan. Look for them at natural food stores, or online!
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Classic Vegan Caesar Salad
This vegan Caesar salad is made with crisp romaine lettuce, garlicky baked croutons and to-die-for rich and creamy cashew-based dressing. Rich, indulgent, and full of flavor!
Ingredients
For the Croutons
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- About half of a baguette, torn into bite-sized pieces (4 cups)
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4-8 hours, rinsed, and drained
- 2 garlic cloves, or even more if you like
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¾ to 1 cup water, divided
- Salt to taste
For the Vegan Caesar Salad
- 2 medium heads romaine lettuce, cleaned and torn into bite-sized pieces
- Finely chopped fresh parsley, optional
- Vegan Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Make the Croutons
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Preheat oven to 400°F.
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Stir the olive oil and garlic together in a small bowl.
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Place the bread pieces into a large bowl and add the olive oil mixture. Toss to coat.
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Arrange the bread pieces on a baking sheet and sprinkle them with salt and pepper to taste.
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Bake until the bread pieces begin to brown and crisp-up, 12-14 minutes.
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Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool.
Make the Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing
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While croutons bake, place the cashews, garlic, miso, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and ¼ cup of water into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade.
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Blend the mixture to a smooth paste, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
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Thin with ½ to ¾ cup of additional water, to desired thickness.
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Season the dressing with salt to taste and adjust any other seasonings to your liking.
Make the Vegan Caesar Salad
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Place the lettuce and croutons into a large bowl. Drizzle in the dressing (as much as you like), a bit at a time. Sprinkle with parsley and vegan Parmesan cheese. Toss.
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Sprinkle with parsley and vegan Parmesan cheese.
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Divide onto plates and serve.
Recipe Notes
The nutrition information assumes a serving includes one sixth of the greens and croutons, 2 tablespoons of dressing, and 1 tablespoon of vegan Parmesan cheese.
This recipe makes a large batch of dressing — probably more than you will need! I don't recommend scaling down the batch size unless you have a very small blending device. Save the leftovers for future salads, use as a dip, or stick it in an airtight container and freeze.
Hi Alissa, how much cashew butter would you use when subbing that for the raw cashews? Thanks!
I'd start with about a half cup, and increase by a few tablespoons if it seems like it needs more. One thing I should mention though - it'll probably have a much nuttier taste if you go with cashew butter, because most cashew butter is made from cashews that are roasted. I'm curious as to how it will taste though, so please let me know if you make it with the cashew butter. My other Caesar dressings use tahini and I really enjoy that, so maybe it will be similar. :)
I can't find Miso paste in any store near me. Is there anything I can use to substitute for it?
You could try some soy sauce. The flavors are a bit different, but it will add some savory/saltiness. You might just need to cut back on the amount of liquid in the recipe. :)
This was fantastic!!! Thanks for sharing:)
Glad you liked it! Thanks Emily!
Caesar salad was my favorite before going vegan. Im so glad I finally found a vegan version! This is delicious!
Such a great dressing. I can't stop eating it and love it as a dip for veggies also. The Worcestershire sauce really kicks it up and I love that it's not mayonnaise based and contains healthy miso. My 10-year-old daughter and her friend think it's amazing too!
I'm so happy to hear that it's a hit!! Thanks so much Heidi!
Loved this! I had a vegan Caesar salad at a restaurant a month ago and I'd been wanting one again. This was perfect!!
Yay! Glad it hit the spot! Thanks Megan!
My husband and I love this recipe so much, having made it multiple times already. Its hard to keep him from eating the croutons. The dressing is delish.
So yummy! Added extra garlic and lemon and used it on our kale caeser. Fantastic recipe.