• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
    • Contact
    • Photo Use Policy

Connoisseurus Veg logo

SUBSCRIBE

Sign up for email updates and receive a free copy of my veggie burger e-book!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Free Veggie Burger Book
  • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Salads / Classic Vegan Caesar Salad

    LAST UPDATED: June 15, 2022 • FIRST PUBLISHED: June 15, 2022

    Classic Vegan Caesar Salad

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    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!

    Bowl of Vegan Caesar Salad with loaf of bread in the background.

    You probably already knew that Caesar salads aren't vegan. Obviously that creamy dressing is loaded with dairy, and often eggs as well.

    But they're usually not even vegetarian! The Caesar dressing is typically made with Anchovies, and the Parmesan cheese that gets sprinkled on top could be made with animal rennet.

    So I'm guessing there are lots and lots of folks out there who really could use a good vegan Caesar salad recipe. I'm here to help!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients You'll Need
    • How It's Made
    • Leftovers & Storage
    • More Vegan Salads
    • Classic Vegan Caesar Salad

    Ingredients You'll Need

    • Olive oil.
    • Garlic.
    • Baguette. Feel free to substitute another type of crusty bread here, like Italian or sourdough. This is a great way to use up bread that's a day or more old.
    • Salt & pepper.
    • Raw cashews. They absolutely must be raw in order for the dressing to have the right texture and flavor. We'll also be soaking them in water for a few hours to soften them up for blending.
    • White miso paste. This adds salty, savory flavor to the dressing. Look for it in the international foods section of your supermarket.
    • Lemon juice. Use freshly squeezed juice for the best flavor.
    • Vegan Worcestershire sauce. Not all Worcestershire sauce is vegan, so make sure you use a brand that is, like Annie's or Edward & sons. You can also make homemade vegan Worcestershire sauce.
    • Dijon mustard.
    • Water.
    • Romaine lettuce.
    • Fresh parsley.
    • Vegan Parmesan cheese. Use homemade vegan Parmesan cheese, or your favorite store-bought variety.

    How It's Made

    The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!

    Make the Croutons

    Do this first, so you can whip up the dressing while they bake. 

    • Cut or tear your bread into small pieces, then add them to a bowl with olive oil and minced garlic. Toss everything to evenly coat the bread pieces.
    • Arrange your bread pieces on a baking sheet, sprinkle them with salt, and pop them into the oven until the turn golden brown and crisp up a bit.
    Baked Croutons on parchment paper.

    Make the Dressing

    • Place all of your dressing ingredients into a food processor or blender: cashews, garlic, miso paste, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, salt, and water.
    • Blend the mixture it's until smooth, give it a taste test and adjust any seasonings to suit your taste. You can also thin the dressing with some extra water at this point.
    Vegan Caesar Salad dressing in a blender.

    Does the dressing recipe look familiar? That's because I already shared my vegan Caesar dressing recipe in an earlier post. Check it out if you want some pro tips on how to make it.

    Bottle of Vegan Caesar Salad dressing surrounded by lemon slices, parsley, and fresh garlic.

    Assemble the Salad

    • Tear or roughly chop your lettuce into bite-sized pieces and place them into a large salad bowl.
    • Add your croutons, drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with Parm. Give everything a toss, and you're ready to serve your vegan Caesar salad.
    Hand pouring Vegan Caesar Dressing over a salad.

    Leftovers & Storage

    The fully assembled salad is best served immediately, as the croutons and lettuce will get soggy as they sit in the dressing.

    If you think you'll have leftovers, I recommend only assembling as much salad as you'll need so you can store the components separately.

    The dressing will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 5 days or in the freezer for about 3 months.

    The croutons will keep in a sealed container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.

    More Vegan Salads

    • Marinated Tofu Salad
    • Vegan Greek Salad
    • Strawberry Spinach Salad
    • Vegan Cobb Salad
    • Vegan Taco Salad

    Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!

    Vegan Caesar Salad with dressing being drizzled over it.
    5 from 7 votes
    Print

    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!

    Course Salad
    Cuisine American, Italian
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    Soak Time 4 hours
    Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
    Servings 6
    Calories 351 kcal
    Author Alissa

    Ingredients

    For the Croutons

    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 garlic clove, minced
    • About half of a baguette, torn or cut into bite-sized pieces (6 cups)
    • ¼ teaspoon Salt, plus more to taste

    For the Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing

    • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4-8 hours, rinsed, and drained
    • 2 garlic cloves
    • 2 tablespoons white miso paste
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • ¾ cup water, plus more as needed
    • ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

    For the Vegan Caesar Salad

    • 2 medium heads romaine lettuce, cleaned and torn into bite-sized pieces
    • Finely chopped fresh parsley
    • Vegan Parmesan cheese
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    Make the Croutons

    1. Preheat oven to 400°F. 

    2. Place the bread pieces into a large bowl and add the olive oil and garlic. Toss to coat the bread pieces

    3. Arrange the bread pieces on a baking sheet and sprinkle them with salt.

    4. Bake until the bread pieces begin to brown and crisp-up, 10 to 12 minutes. 

    5. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer it to a cooling rack to cool.

    Make the Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing

    1. While croutons bake, place all of the dressing ingredients into a blender or food processor bowl. (Note 1)

    2. Blend the mixture to a smooth paste, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed.

    3. Thin with additional water until the dressing reaches your desired thickness.

    4. Season the dressing with additional salt to taste and adjust any other seasonings to your liking.

    Make the Vegan Caesar Salad

    1. 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.

    2. Divide onto plates and serve.

    Recipe Notes

    1. If your blending device isn't high-powered, I recommend starting with only ¼ cup of water. Blend the ingredients to a paste, the add the remaining water and blend again.
    2. This recipe makes a large batch of dressing (about 1 ½ cups), and 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.
    3. 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.

     

    Nutrition Facts
    Classic Vegan Caesar Salad
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 351 Calories from Fat 165
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 18.3g28%
    Saturated Fat 3g15%
    Sodium 784mg33%
    Potassium 811mg23%
    Carbohydrates 37.8g13%
    Fiber 3.5g14%
    Sugar 4.1g5%
    Protein 14.1g28%
    Calcium 10mg1%
    Iron 2.3mg13%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    « Easy Mediterranean Pasta
    Vegan Blueberry Cake »

    Sharing is caring!

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email

    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

    Subscribe

    Subscribe for email updates and receive a free copy of my veggie burger e-book!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Dave says

      August 03, 2016 at 9:12 pm

      Hi Alissa, how much cashew butter would you use when subbing that for the raw cashews? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        August 04, 2016 at 8:48 pm

        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. :)

        Reply
    2. Ashley says

      September 22, 2016 at 1:19 pm

      I can't find Miso paste in any store near me. Is there anything I can use to substitute for it?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 22, 2016 at 9:47 pm

        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. :)

        Reply
    3. Emily says

      March 07, 2017 at 6:12 pm

      This was fantastic!!! Thanks for sharing:)

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        March 08, 2017 at 9:57 am

        Glad you liked it! Thanks Emily!

        Reply
    4. Amy says

      May 31, 2018 at 10:32 am

      5 stars
      Caesar salad was my favorite before going vegan. Im so glad I finally found a vegan version! This is delicious!

      Reply
    5. Heidi says

      October 26, 2018 at 2:31 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 28, 2018 at 4:00 pm

        I'm so happy to hear that it's a hit!! Thanks so much Heidi!

        Reply
    6. Megan says

      October 07, 2019 at 12:47 pm

      5 stars
      Loved this! I had a vegan Caesar salad at a restaurant a month ago and I'd been wanting one again. This was perfect!!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 13, 2019 at 11:10 am

        Yay! Glad it hit the spot! Thanks Megan!

        Reply
    7. Desiree says

      December 29, 2019 at 2:54 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    8. Morgan Reid says

      April 26, 2020 at 2:54 pm

      5 stars
      So yummy! Added extra garlic and lemon and used it on our kale caeser. Fantastic recipe.

      Reply
    9. Teresa says

      June 18, 2022 at 9:43 pm

      5 stars
      Probably the best Caesar dressing I’ve made in my 10 years of being plant based. Love this dressing!

      Reply
    10. Mint says

      June 23, 2022 at 5:45 pm

      5 stars
      Tastes so good I want to lick the blender. OMG.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Alissa Holding a Coffee Cup

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

    More about me →

    Popular

    • The Best Vegan Banana Bread
    • Crispy Baked Teriyaki Tofu
    • Creamy Vegan Rice Pudding
    • Classic Lentil Soup

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up for emails and updates

    Contact

    • About
    • Contact
    • Photo Use Policy

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more here.

    Copyright © 2013-2022 Tofu Press LLC & Alissa Saenz

    1078 shares
    • 357