Enjoy this plant based take on a classic with my Vegan Caesar Salad. The oil-free cashew based dressing is creamy and flavorful, and the salad is topped with my crunchy oil-free croutons. You’re going to love it!
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This just might be my best salad dressing yet! My husband definitely says it is.
I always loved Caesar salad, but Caesar dressing is not at all vegan. Traditional Caesar dressing gets its creaminess from eggs, its brininess and saltiness from anchovies, and its cheesiness from Parmesan cheese.
I’ve missed out on Caesar salad for a long time, but not any more!
This salad is so delicious! I could eat it every day!
It’s a great side salad to accompany your Italian meals, a bowl of soup, or anytime. Or make it into a main dish by adding some chickpeas, some falafel, or some vegan chicken.
How to Make This Vegan Caesar Salad
What goes into my Caesar dressing?
- Raw cashews for creaminess
- Garlic for classic taste
- Lemon juice and apple cider vinegar for tang
- Nutritional yeast for cheesiness
- Capers for the salty briny flavor
- Dijon mustard for zing
- A bit of maple syrup to smooth out the flavor
- Salt & pepper
To make the Caesar dressing, add all the dressing ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
If you don’t own a high speed blender, you will need to soak the cashews for at least 4 hours and drain them before making this dressing.
To make oil-free baked croutons, cut bread into 1/2 to 3/4 inch cubes. If you are sensitive to gluten, use gluten free bread for your croutons.
Place the bread cubes in a bowl and toss with onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika.
Spread them onto a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes at 375°F until they are dry and crunchy.
For the salad, chop up some Romaine lettuce. Add the dressing and the croutons.
For extra cheesiness, sprinkle the salad with additional nutritional yeast or a vegan Parmesan cheese substitute.
This Vegan Caesar Salad would be an excellent side with some pasta topped with my Oil-Free Marinara or my Easy Vegan Pesto, or with my Vegan Baked Mac & Cheese.
more Plant-based salads:
- Vegan Coleslaw
- Potato Salad
- Vegan Pesto Pasta Salad
- Mexican Coleslaw
- Macaroni Salad
- Southwest Salad
- Vegan Taco Salad
- Vegan Wedge Salad
- Cucumber Salad
More oil-free vegan salad dressings:
- Vegan Ranch Dressing
- Vegan Thousand Island Dressing
- Garlic Dressing
- Vegan Creamy Italian Dressing
- Green Goddess Dressing
- Vegan Honey Mustard Dressing
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Vegan Caesar Salad
Ingredients
For the Caesar Dressing
- 1 cup cashews
- ¾ cup water
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 2 teaspoons Vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Oil-Free Croutons
- 4 cups bread cubes diced (approx. 1/2" to 3/4" cubes)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
For the Caesar Salad
- 2 medium heads Romaine Lettuce chopped
- Nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
To Make the Oil-Free Croutons
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Cut the bread into 1/2" to 3/4" cubes. Place in a medium bowl.
- Mix together the seasonings and sprinkle over the bread cubes.
- Spread the bread cubes onto a baking pan and toast in oven for 10 minutes or until dry and toasty, stirring after 5 minutes.
To Make the Caesar Salad Dressing
- Place all the dressing ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
To Make the Caesar Salad
- Chop the Romaine lettuce and place in a large bowl.
- Add the croutons and dressing, as much as you like, and toss until well coated. There will be extra dressing.
- If desired, garnish with additional nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition calculations are approximate.
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This dressing is so close to the real thing! Best one I’ve tried yet. I made it with 1/2 cup white beans and 1/2 cup cashews to reduce fat, but it was still so creamy! Thank you for creating this recipe.
I have make a fair number of vegan caesar dressing recipes and this one is truly the best.
Deep rich flavors that give the salad a nice punch.
Added some stir fried vegan chicken with leeks and mushrooms.
Outstanding.
Made two changes to fit our needs:
Used 1/2 raw sunflower seeds instead of the 1 cup cashews
Used extra firm tofu in place of the bread
Thank you for sharing.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know!
Can you substitute anything for the cashews???? I am allergic to nuts!
You can try sunflower seeds – the flavor will be a little different; or white beans – it might not be as creamy. If you make it, be sure to let me know how it turns out.
This recipe is great! I even love putting it on falafel salad, even if it’s not the traditional way to eat ceasar dressing! Definitely will be one of my go to dressings to make!
Couldn’t tell the difference between the store bought/restaurant non-vegan Caeser dressing and this dressing. Its the closest I’ve made to your traditional dressing! and the croutons are just amazing! thumbs up!
Thanks for the wonderful feedback! So happy to hear that you liked it!
Amazing, and very easy to make with my Veggi-Bullet. How long does it keep for?
This dressing will keep for about a week.
It is definitely my all time favorite!
Thanks! It’s a favorite here, too!