Vegan Caesar Salad
This deconstructed caesar salad features lightly grilled romaine lettuce heads, a creamy dressing, a handful of crunchy croutons and a sprinkling of "cheesy" vegan parmesan. It's a beautiful and delicious variation on the familiar classic salad.
Ingredients
Vegan Caesar dressing:
- ½ cup 65 g raw cashews, soaked overnight, drained
- ⅓ cup 80 mL water
- 3½ Tbsp 8 g nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 lemon zested, juiced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp 15 mL extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp 15 mL apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp 6 g capers
- 1 tsp 5 mL dijon mustard
- 1 tsp 5 mL sodium-reduced soy sauce
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
Vegan Parmesan:
- ¼ cup 32 g raw cashews
- 1 Tbsp 2 g nutritional yeast flakes
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp garlic powder
Salad base:
- 4 mini romaine lettuce heads pre-washed, thoroughly dried
- 2 Tbsp 30 mL olive oil
- ½ cup 15 g croutons
Instructions
- To a blender, add all of the dressing ingredients. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Add the vegan parmesan ingredients to a small food processor and blend into a coarse sand. Alternatively, mince the cashews with a knife and mix the ingredients together in a bowl.
- Preheat a griddle pan on high heat. Cut the romaine lettuce heads in half lengthwise. Lightly brush olive oil over the cut sides. Place the heads cut-side down on the pan for 10 - 15 seconds, or until there are light grill marks on the lettuce, then remove from the heat.
- To assemble, place the lettuce heads grilled-side up on a platter. Drizzle over some dressing, and add a sprinkle of croutons and vegan parmesan. Serve the remaining dressing, croutons, and parmesan on the side. Enjoy!