Capers

Traditional Vegan Caesar Salad

by:
October  4, 2022
4.3
6 Ratings
Traditional Vegan Caesar Salad
Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves 4 (but can easily be doubled)
Author Notes

I used vegan mayo because it will work nicely in all home kitchens—including those of people who don't have high speed blenders with which to grind up cashews for cashew cream. The croutons can be swapped with cherry tomatoes in the summer, or with cubes of roasted squash in the winter for a more veggie-forward salad. —Gena Hamshaw

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the salad and dressing:
  • 1 head romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and torn or chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 garlic, finely minced or grated on a microplane
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon drained capers
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional; it's less traditional, but I think it makes for the best flavor)
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • For the croutons:
  • 1/2 baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3-4 cups)
  • 1-2 tablespoons tablespoons olive oil (as needed)
  • 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
  • Coarse salt and freshly grated black pepper
Directions
  1. To make the croutons, preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment. Place the bread cubes in a mixing bowl and add the garlic and olive oil. Toss the cubes well to coat. Transfer them to the baking sheet and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the cubes are crisp, stirring the cubes on the sheet halfway through cooking to help them brown evenly.
  2. While the croutons are roasting, whisk together the garlic, oil, vegan mayonnaise, salt, lemon, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, capers, nutritional yeast, and mustard, if using. Taste the dressing and add freshly ground black pepper and additional salt as needed. (You can also add a bit of lemon if you're like me, and prefer very tart dressings.)
  3. Add the dressing to the romaine and toss well to combine. Fold in the croutons. Serve.
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5 Reviews

Ko T.
Ko T. August 15, 2023
This is it. I don’t think I will ever go back to regular Caesar dressing.
Thank you so much for this recipe!!
 
Mrs. R.
Mrs. R. March 7, 2018
Just made your dressing last night and wow, loved it! And so did my omnivore husband. Thank you so much. Am planning to use it as a dip for crudités next week when I host my bunco group and thinking of trying fresh bread crumbs to thicken it to dip consistency, unless you have an alternate suggestion...
 
bellw67
bellw67 January 2, 2017
I mean, why would you eat a Caesar salad any other way!!
 
Ali
Ali December 30, 2016
I've never met a vegan Caesar I didn't like, and am excited to have a new one to try. If only my husband liked croutons!
 
Blair
Blair December 29, 2016
Sounds excellent -I've been making a dairy free Caesar for years (instead of vegan mayo I use 1/4 c almond flour, a bit more olive oil, and ACV instead of red wine vinegar). Anchovies instead of capers, and I toss in an egg yolk for creaminess, and I haven't found I need the nutritional yeast, but may swap to this recipe so it lasts longer! I like it better than the original Caesar now!