Vegan Caesar Salad with Chickpea Croutons

It’s been a while since I’ve actually had a Caesar salad so who knows if this is anything like the original but this plant-based version is tasty, satisfying and easy to throw together. Once you have cashews in the house you can make any creamy plant-based dish you want and this one is no different. Instead of traditional croutons for this dish I added roasted chickpeas to give that lovely crunch.

Chickpeas are an excellent source of fibre, plant-based protein and are packed full of vitamins and minerals such as folate, manganese and iron.

Kale one of the most nutrient dense foods you can eat loaded with antioxidants, vitamin C and one of the best sources of Vitamin K (critically important for blood clotting).

Caesar Salad
Caesar Salad Side View

Ingredients:
Roasted Chickpea Croutons

  • 1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed

  • 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

  • Pinch sea salt

  • Pinch black pepper

  • 1/2 tsp paprika

Caesar Dressing

  • 50g raw cashews

  • 60ml water

  • 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce

  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

  • 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 garlic clove

  • Pinch sea salt and black pepper

  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast

Salad

  • 2 large stems of kale, chopped

  • 1/2 small head romaine lettuce, chopped

Method:

  1. Boil cashews for 15 minutes until softened. Drain and rinse.

  2. Use an air-fryer or oven for the chickpea croutons. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan oven). Drain, rinse and dry the chickpeas. Place into a bowl and drizzle the oil on to coat. Then add the rest of the seasonings and toss to coat. Air-fry for 10 minutes or roast in the oven for 20 minutes until golden brown.

  3. Prepare the dressing: Add the cashews and all other dressing ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend until the dressing is smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

  4. Chop the kale, rinse, drain then add to a large bowl. Squeeze a little lemon juice & a dash of oil over the kale and massage for a few minutes breaking down the kale so it’s more tender to eat. Chop the lettuce into small pieces, rinse, drain and add to the kale.

  5. Add dressing onto the kale/lettuce mix until completely covered & option to pop it into the fridge for 10/15 minutes to cool.

  6. When you’re ready to serve add on the crunchy chickpeas and mix.

  7. Serve immediately. I added some quinoa and marinated tempeh to my plate.

Serena O'Reillycaesar salad, plant-based lunch, plant-based lunch idea, vegan food, plant-based food, healthy lunchComment