The Best Vegan Caesar Salad

If you’re looking for a vegan caesar salad, look no further, because I cracked the code to making the best vegan caesar salad at home. 

The vegan caesar salad dressing tastes so good you won’t even believe it’s vegan. 

And unlike most caesar salads, this version utilizes whole foods and tons of plants, making it nutrient dense and filling — no mayonnaise, sugar or added oils. 

Plus, this salad is great for meal-prep! 

Ok, enough about how good this salad bowl is, we all know caesar salad is bomb. Let’s get into the recipe. 

Vegan Caesar Salad Ingredients

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this vegan caesar salad recipe. 

• Romaine lettuce
• Sourdough bread: Sourdough works best for making breadcrumbs, especially a rustic country sourdough bread. The earthy flavor just tastes so good with the creamy cashew caesar salad dressing and fresh lettuce. 
• Cashews: Make sure to use raw cashews
• Capers
• Worcestershire sauce: The best brand of Worcestershire sauce that I’ve found is the Wan Ja Shan organic worcestershire sauce. It doesn’t have any artificial colors or flavors, plus it’s fully vegan. It does have some cane sugar, but since we’re using just 1 tbsp in the entire dressing recipe, I think it’s negligible.
• Honey or Maple syrup: I like using honey, but maple syrup also works if you want to make this salad completely vegan 
• Seaweed: This will help mimic the fishy flavor that anchovies usually lend to caesar salad dressing
• Vegan parmesan: This is optional, but I like to get the vegan parmesan from VioLife just to jazz up this salad a bit. If you eat dairy, obviously go with regular parmesan cheese. 
• Lemons
• Garlic: Use either fresh or powdered, both work here. Although, fresh garlic will definitely be more strong in flavor.
• Kosher salt
• Olive oil
• Spices: These are  solely used on the homemade croutons and you’ll just need an italian herb seasoning, garlic granules and onion granules

Cheat Sheet to this Caesar Salad

Listing out a few pointers to help you make this recipe perfectly. Obviously, the full recipe is in the recipe card below with measurements and detailed directions. 

• Make fresh croutons. I know it seems like an extra step, like why not just buy croutons from the store? But trust me, homemade croutons taste infinitely better, especially if they’re fresh outta the oven. 
• Once done soaking, rinse the cashews in cold water thoroughly. The base of my vegan caesar salad dressing recipe is cashews, which need to be soaked in boiling water before you can blend them. However, I highly recommend rinsing them thoroughly in cold water after they’re done soaking, which will wash off the bitter outer coating of the cashews. 
• Use dulse flakes if you have them instead of seaweed. Not only do the dulse flakes have a more pronounced fishy flavor, they’re also much more nutrient dense. But obviously, just use seaweed if that’s easier for you! 
• Blend the dressing for at least 2 minutes. This will not only make the dressing extra creamy, it’ll also help thicken the dressing. The lemon juice reacts with the other ingredients in this dressing and thickens it up naturally. 
• Mix the salad dressing into the lettuce and croutons with your hand. Yeah, I know it seems “dirty” but it helps coat the leaves and croutons so much better than just using salad tongs. You do you, but I like using my  hands. 
• Top with extra capers, freshly cracked black pepper and parmesan cheese. This is a must to finish off this salad and make it extra tasty! 

Frequently Asked Questions

• How can I add more protein to this salad? Highly recommend either adding raw chickpeas or making crispy chickpeas to go with this vegan caesar salad. You can also add Italian spiced-chicken breast if you eat meat. 
• Can I meal-prep this caesar salad for later? Absolutely, make the salad according to the directions, but then store each component in a glass tupperware (croutons should be stored in the pantry). Then just mix everything together when you’re ready to eat it. This salad does serve 4 people, so you can easily make this recipe and have it for lunch for a few days of the week if you’re eating this on your own. 
• Do I have to use cashews for the dressing? Yep, cashews are essential to making this dressing creamy, thick and replicating the mayonnaise texture that makes this the best vegan caesar salad dressing. 
• How do I make homemade croutons? I created a dedicated recipe all about making croutons at home. Linking it for you right here. 

Even More Vegan Salad Bowl Recipes

• Spring Orzo Pasta Salad
• Crunchy Thai Peanut Salad
• Crunchy Green Cabbage Salad 

If you make this recipe, make sure tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @munchingwithmariyah so I can share on my stories! Love seeing when you make my recipes!!!

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