Enjoy the best vegan caesar salad made with crisp romaine, vegan parmesan cheese, crispy croutons, and a simple creamy caesar dressing that's free of anchovies and egg but still creamy, dreamy, and full of flavor! I've added some crispy chickpeas for added protein making it suitable for a heartier meal.
I love salads! Especially a caesar salad so believe me when I say I was thrilled to finally develop a recipe for a vegan and vegetarian caesar salad that would be suitable for anyone following a vegan diet or who's simply looking for more meat-free and dairy-free options!!
Looking for more vegan salads? Try my Grilled Peach Salad or Vegan Greek Salad.
What You'll Need to Make This Vegetarian Caesar Salad Recipe
There are three main components to my recipe! The salad base, a homemade Caesar dressing, and some crispy chickpeas. Let's look at the highlights. You can find the full list and quantities in the recipe card further down on the page.
- Romaine lettuce: The classic lettuce used to make Caesar salad. You can certainly use other types of leafy greens but they won't have the classic crispness found in romaine.
- Vegan parmesan: Choose your favorite brand!
- Chickpeas: Crispy chickpea croutons are added to the salad for more protein.
- Nutritional yeast: Used to coat the chickpeas and gives cheesy flavor to the vegan Caesar salad dressing.
- Bread: I used sourdough bread to make my homemade croutons but you can use any bread you enjoy.
- Tahini: It's the secret to making a creamy dressing that's close in texture and color to a traditional caesar dressing except that it's completely vegan.
- Olive oil: Thins out and emulsifies the dressing. You also need a drizzle over the chickpeas too to help them crisp up.
- Lemon juice: Provides acidity and brightness to the caesar dressing. I highly recommend using fresh lemon juice if possible.
- Capers: Capers have a unique brininess that really adds flavor to the dressing made without fish products.
- Dijon mustard: This helps emulsify the dressing and keep it from separating but it also adds flavor. You can use other types of mustard but they do not have the same flavor profile.
- Garlic
- Maple syrup: Just a bit of sweetness to balance out the acidity and flavors in the vegan caesar dressing.
Variations
Looking to change up this vegan caesar salad recipe? Here are some quick ideas:
- Kale Caesar Salad: Swap the crisp romaine lettuce to make a version with curly kale.
- Crispy Garlic Chickpea Croutons: Add a teaspoon of garlic powder to the chickpeas before roasting in the oven.
- Add More Protein: Throw on a handful of baked tofu to make your salad heartier.
- Traditional Caesar Salad: Skip the chickpeas if you want but I love the little extra add to the salad!
- Gluten-free: Use your favorite gluten-free bread to make the croutons.
- Add More Veggies: Feel free to add any of your favorite salad veggies! Tomatoes, olives, sliced avocado, and red onions are a few that work well.
How to Make Vegetarian Caesar Salad
This recipe goes together quite quickly! There are a few steps but it's mostly combining the simple ingredients with very little prep. Here are the highlights but the full instructions are in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Combine the chickpeas with olive oil, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. Toss them together and then bake until crispy.
- Spread out the cubed pieces of bread in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in the oven until golden and crispy.
- Combine the homemade dressing ingredients in a blender.
- Blend together until the dressing is smooth.
- Add the chopped romaine to a large mixing bowl and drizzle the top with the dressing. Add the chickpeas and croutons to the top and finish with a sprinkle of vegan parmesan.
How to Store
Vegan caesar salad is best enjoyed fresh after all the ingredients are tossed together. The lettuce, chickpeas, and croutons will soften the longer they sit with the dressing added to it.
However, you can store everything separately and store it as I've noted below:
- Romaine lettuce: Make sure it's very dry. Then store it in an airtight container or bag lined with a paper towel. Cut and washed lettuce is best eaten within 2-3 days.
- Dressing: Transfer it to a jar and store it in the fridge for up to a week.
- Crispy chickpeas and croutons: Store them separately in containers and keep them at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Recipe Tips
- Dry Lettuce. This is the secret to any good salad as any additional moisture may water down your salad dressing. I suggest using a drying mat or salad spinner after washing your lettuce to ensure it's dry.
- Adjust the Dressing. It's a pretty creamy dressing but if you prefer a thinner dressing you can add some extra water to thin it out.
- Enjoy as a Side Salad for Meals or Main Dish: It's pretty flexible! It goes especially well with my lemon garlic pasta, pasta with homemade pasta sauce, and vegan fettuccine alfredo.
Video
Frequently Asked Questions
It's not vegan because a classic Caesar dressing contains anchovies and eggs while the salad contains parmesan cheese. This recipe does a pretty good job of making a flavorful vegan version of the traditional salad with a tangy dressing that tastes great!
There are some good brands of vegan parmesan cheese that work well to replace the parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top of the salad. My favorite is VioLife but there are definitely other brands that also work well. Nutritional yeast is another way to add some cheesiness but I find it works better in the dressing that is sprinkled over the top of the salad.
More Vegan Salad Recipes
Vegan Caesar Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz fresh Romaine lettuce
- vegan parmesan
Crispy Chickpeas Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas drained and dried
- 1 drizzle olive oil
- nutritional yeast
- salt & pepper to taste
Croutons Ingredients
- ½ loaf of bread I used sourdough
- 1 drizzle olive oil
Dressing Ingredients
- ½ cup tahini
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup water
- juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup capers
- 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/ 200*C.
- In a bowl, combine the chickpea ingredients. Transfer to a baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Slice the bread into squares. Transfer to a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, and bake for 10 minutes, until golden and crispy.
- In a blender, combine the dressing ingredients and blend until smooth.
- To assemble the salad, add the greens to a large bowl, top generously with the dressing, add the chickpeas and croutons and top with vegan parmesan.
Notes
- Dry Lettuce. This is the secret to any good salad as any additional moisture may water down your salad dressing. I suggest using a drying mat or salad spinner after washing your lettuce to ensure it's dry.
- Adjust the Dressing. It's a pretty creamy dressing but if you prefer a thinner dressing you can add some extra water to thin it out.
- Enjoy as a Side for Meals or Main Dish: It's pretty flexible! It goes especially well with my lemon garlic pasta, pasta with homemade pasta sauce, and vegan fettuccine alfredo.
Lucinda
A really good vegetarian option.
Gaby Dimova
Really glad you liked it!🥰