Vegan Caesar Salad
Vegan Caesar Salad features a homemade rich and creamy roasted garlic Caesar Dressing, fresh romaine, crispy chickpea croutons, almond parmesan, and avocado for the most amazing vegan salad!
Why We Love This Recipe!
Served as a small appetizer, side salad, or main entree, Caesar salad is one of my favorite go-to salads at the moment, and I think you’ll love it as much as we do!
- Healthy + well-balanced. This Caesar Salad is 100% vegan (dairy-free and egg-free), well-balanced, and made with healthy, wholesome ingredients!
- Easy to make. Everything you need for this salad is simple, accessible, and super easy to put together.
- Make it ahead. The Caesar dressing and chickpeas can be made in advance so you can have them handy anytime. Then all you need to do is chop up the romaine.
For something different, try this Caesar Pasta Salad mash-up. It’s just as healthy and delicious!
Ingredients You’ll Need
My Caesar salad recipe is a simple dish that can be easily customized to suit your taste. Here is everything you will need, including substitution ideas:
- Romaine: Fresh romaine lettuce is crisp and crunchy with a mild, slightly bitter taste that’s delicious.
- Chickpeas: Instead of using the typical bread croutons, we’ll be making homemade garlic chickpea croutons, which will add a crispy texture and protein to the salad.
- Cashews: Use raw cashews for a neutral flavor (see notes for nut-free options).
- Capers: Adds an overall briny flavor that replaces sardines found in traditional Caesar dressing.
- Garlic: We will roast it, which sweetens and mellows the flavor, but you can also use fresh garlic.
- Vegan Worcestershire: This adds richness to the dressing (see notes in the recipe card for substituting).
- Dijon: Adds a slight tang, sharpness, and spiciness to the dressing.
- Lemon: Add tanginess. Can sub with apple cider vinegar.
- Parmesan cheese: We’ll be using a non-dairy Almond Parmesan. If using store-bought, I love this Violife Vegan Parm.
How To Make Vegan Caesar Salad
Making Caesar salad is super easy – the only thing that takes time is the garlic chickpea croutons, but once those are done the salad is ready in 5 minutes!
- Chickpea Croutons: Make sure the chickpeas are mostly dry and remove any skins that peel away during the drying process. Roast them on a rimmed baking sheet with a drizzle of oil and spices. Add the garlic (for the dressing) with the chickpeas and bake for 35 – 40 minutes at 400 degrees F. Be sure to remove the garlic if it starts to brown too much; this will happen with smaller cloves of garlic.
- Vegan Caesar Dressing: Soak the cashews for 5 minutes in hot water (this will help soften them for blending). Place the cashews, roasted garlic, capers, dijon, vegan Worcestershire, lemon juice, salt & pepper, in a small blender (<affiliate link) and blend until creamy smooth. Taste for flavor.
- Assemble the Salad: Chop the romaine, add to a large mixing bowl, and toss with the dressing (you may have leftovers). Top with chickpea croutons and a healthy sprinkle of Almond Parmesan. Serve with optional sliced avocado and extra capers.
And that’s it! We hope you enjoy this fresh and savory salad often!
Serving Suggestions
Serve Caesar salad as a side dish or main entree. If making as a side, here are a few plant based main dishes and sides that will pair well for a full meal.
- Bread: Serve with homemade crusty Artisan Bread or gluten-free Socca.
- Pasta: Serve alongside this Spinach ‘Ricotta’ Cannelloni, Cheese Manicotti, Vegetable Lasagna, or Eggplant Puttanesca.
- Soup: Go for soup and salad with this Minestrone Soup or Tomato Basil Soup.
- Flatbread: It would make a great side salad for this Cannellini Bean + Fennel Flatbread with olive spread!
How To Store
- Salad: Leftover Caesar Salad can be kept in the refrigerator for 4 – 5 days in a covered container.
- Dressing: Caesar Dressing can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.
- Chickpeas: Leftover crispy chickpeas can be kept in an airtight container for up to 6 days.
Adjusting For Dietary Restrictions
- Gluten-free: In place of bottled Worcestershire sauce, use the suggested replacement noted in the recipe card.
- Nut-free: Instead of using cashews for the Caesar dressing, try subbing with 2/3 – 3/4 cup of plain, unsweetened, non-dairy yogurt or vegan mayo. Add a little water as needed to thin. It should be just as savory and delicious!
- Oil-free: Skip the oil when roasting the chickpeas, instead tossing them with a little canned chickpea juice or tamari instead.
More Healthy Salads!
- Apple, Beet & Carrot Kale Salad
- Super Spinach Salad
- Kale, Date & Almond Salad
- Classic House Salad
- Vegan Cobb Salad
- See all vegan Salad recipes on TSV!
If you try this easy salad recipe or have a question, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
PrintVEGAN CAESAR SALAD
This vegan caesar salad with garlicky chickpea croutons is so easy to make and absolutely the BEST! Recipe is dairy free, egg free and perfect for lunch, dinner or make ahead meals.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 40 min
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: Serves 3 – 4 1x
- Category: Salad, Entree
- Method: blend, mix
- Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
- 3 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 avocado, sliced (optional)
- Almond Parmesan
Chickpea Croutons
- 1 can (15oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- generous pinch mineral salt
Caesar Dressing
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons capers
- 1 tablespoon vegan worcestershire (I use Annie’s)
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- juice of 1 medium lemon or 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- generous pinch of mineral salt & fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.
Chickpea Croutons: Place rinsed chickpeas between a clean dish cloth, and gently rub them to dry, removing any of the loose skins. Place chickpeas on a prepared baking sheet, drizzle with oil and toss to coat, sprinkle with garlic powder and salt. Arrange chickpeas in a single layer, and garlic cloves (from the dressing), and bake for 40 – 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. Remove the garlic if they seem to be getting too baked (especially if they are on the smaller side). Once done, set aside.
Caesar Salad Dressing: Soak the cashew in hot water (not boiling) for 5 minutes, drain. In a high speed or personal blender, add the cashews, water, roasted garlic cloves, capers, worcestershire, dijon, lemon juice, salt & pepper, blend until creamy smooth. Makes about 1 cup.
Assemble Caesar Salad: Place the chopped romaine in a large mixing bowl, add as much or as little of the dressing as you like, you may have some leftover, and give a good toss. Top with chickpea croutons, avocado, and a sprinkle of Almond Parmesan.
Serves 3 – 4
Store: Leftover salad and dressing will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 – 6 days in covered containers.
Notes
If you don’t have capers, no worries, the caesar dressing is just as great without them!
If you can find vegan Worcestershire or are looking for a gluten free option, try using a mixture of:
- 2 teaspoons coconut amins or tamari
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon cane sugar or pure maple sugar
- dash of hot sauce
Alternatively, replace the worcestershire with 1 teaspoon of mellow miso and tamari for a delicious umami flavor. Add more of each ingredient as needed.
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT: I use my small blender NutriBullet to blend the caesar dressing. It works great for small jobs like this and cleans up easily.
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Just made this … tastes great but it’s very thick! What should I do to make it less like a dip and a bit more like a dressing. I used a different nut (it’s what I had) which may be the difference.🤷♀️
Thank you.
I would add more water, a little at a time, 1 tablespoon, until your desired consistency. That should do it! Do let me know how it goes.
The water helped, thanks…This dressing was a big hit! My son even asked for the recipe.