July 12, 2021

The Ultimate Vegan Caesar Salad with Crispy Chickpea Croutons

Name: The Ultimate Vegan Caesar Salad with Crispy Chickpea Croutons
Prep time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 cup Cashews (soaked ); 6 tbsp Lemon Juice; 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard; 1 clove Garlic; 1½ tbsp Capers; 2 tbsp Caper Brine; Water to thin (about ⅓ cup); Salt & Pepper to taste; 1 can Chickpeas (strained); 1 tbsp Olive Oil; 2 tsp Dill; 2 tsp Onion Powder; ½ tsp Garlic Powder; ½ tsp Salt; 1-2 heads Romaine Lettuce (or a mix of romaine and kale); ⅓ cup Sundried Tomatoes (without oil); 5 Minute Tempeh Bacon Crumbles; Vegan Parmesan Cheese; ¾ cup Cashews (or hemp hearts); ¼ cup Nutritional Yeast; ¾ tsp Salt; ¼ tsp Garlic Powder

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This Vegan Caesar Salad Recipe is a game changer! The dressing is so rich and creamy you won’t believe it is dairy free! This salad is perfect as an appetizer, side dish, or to bring to a potluck! It is paired with crispy air fried chickpeas in place of croutons making this salad gluten free, dairy free and vegan! It is the perfect balance of salty, tangy and rich all in one!

What Ingredients do I need for my vegan Caesar salad

For the Dressing you will need raw cashews, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, fresh garlic, capers, and salt and pepper.

To make the crispy chickpea croutons you will need a can of chickpeas, olive oil, dried dill, onion and garlic powder and salt and pepper.

For the veg you will need romaine and/or kale and sundried tomatoes without oil (click here for the ones I use).

How to make this vegan Caesar salad

Start with the Crispy Chickpeas: Start your salad by making your crispy dill flavored chickpeas. Strain a can of chickpeas and shake out the excess water. Air fry for 12-15 minutes until golden and crunchy. Click here for the air fryer I use. Transfer to a bowl, season with olive oil and spices, mix well then set aside. If using the oven bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes tossing halfway. Watch carefully the last 5 minutes so they do not burn.

Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing: Next start your Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing by adding all of the ingredients into a high speed blender. I use my Vitamix for everything and it works great I’m obsessed! Here is the one I use! If you do not have a high speed blender you will need to soak your cashews in boiling water for 15 minutes to soften.

Assembling the Salad: Prepare your romaine lettuce by washing and roughly chopping and add to a large bowl. Pour the Caesar salad dressing over the lettuce and toss well until all the leaves are well coated. Slice the sundried tomatoes thinly and add on top of the lettuce along with the crispy chickpeas and some vegan parmesan cheese.

Some tips from Steph

Make it a Vegan Kale Caesar Salad by swapping the romaine for kale, or better yet mix the two! The dressing is so rich and flavorful it masks the taste of the kale very well!

Make it a Vegan Chicken Caesar Salad by adding some vegan chicken or seitan on top.

Make it nut free by swapping the cashews for vegan mayo hemp hearts or silken tofu.

Use an Air Fryer for the chickpeas! I have made these crispy chickpeas both in the oven and in the air fryer and they turn out much better in the air fryer. Though they will cook in the oven they tend to burn easily and come out a little drier.

Don’t have capers? You can use a tablespoon or two of crushed nori (seaweed)

Prepping ahead of time

The Dressing: This dressing can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 1 week! It will become thicker in the fridge but you can thin it out with some water.

The Chickpeas: You can also prep the crispy chickpeas ahead of time for easy assembly. Keep in mind if you are in a hotter/more humid climate they may go a little soft and loose their crunch.

Other recipes you will love

Did you make this recipe? I would love to see your recreation! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @that.veganbabe and leave a comment or review!

The Ultimate Vegan Caesar Salad with Crispy Chickpea Croutons

This Vegan Caesar Salad is a game changer! The zesty cashew based dressing is oh so creamy and is just as good as a dairy based dressing! This salad is perfectly rounded with sundried tomatoes for saltiness and crispy crouton chickpeas for crunch. This is sure to be your new favorite salad recipe!

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 0

Course Lunch, Salad

Cuisine American, Italian

Ingredients

For the Dressing

1 cup Cashews soaked
6 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 clove Garlic
1½ tbsp Capers
2 tbsp Caper Brine
Water to thin about ⅓ cup
Salt & Pepper to taste

Crispy Chickpeas

1 can Chickpeas strained
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tsp Dill
2 tsp Onion Powder
½ tsp Garlic Powder
½ tsp Salt

For the Salad

1-2 heads Romaine Lettuce or a mix of romaine and kale
⅓ cup Sundried Tomatoes without oil
5 Minute Tempeh Bacon Crumbles
Vegan Parmesan Cheese

For the Vegan Parm

¾ cup Cashews or hemp hearts
¼ cup Nutritional Yeast
¾ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Garlic Powder

Instructions

Start by making your crispy chickpeas. Strain your can of chickpeas and shake out excess water. Air Fry at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes until golden. Add the chickpeas to a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, add your spices and mix well. If using an oven bake at 450 for 30 minutes tossing halfway, watching carefully the last 5 minutes so they do not burn.
Next make your Caesar dressing dressing. Put all the ingredients into a high speed blender and blend until smooth adding water as needed to thin. If you do not have a high speed blender you will need to soak your cashews in boiling water for 15 minutes to soften them.
Chop your romaine and/or kale and add to a large bowl and toss in your vegan Caesar dressing, ensuring all leaves are coated well. Slice up the sundried tomatoes and add them on top along with the crispy chickpeas and some vegan parmesan cheese.
For your vegan parm add all ingredients to a blender and pulse until it becomes a fine powder.