Dear reader,

With her cool and crisp romaine base, rich, briny dressing, savoury chickpeas, and crunchy homemade croutons – Caesar is queen, But, there are two elements that differentiate this Vegan Chickpea Caesar Salad from your ordinary Caesar salad.

1. The Dressing

Forget the raw egg yolks, oil, and anchovies. Instead, use a whole foods, plant-based combination of nuts, seeds, citrus, capers, and seaweed to achieve that same punch. If you have your doubts, sample them side-by-side, and try to spot the difference.

2. The Assembly

1. Spread the lettuce in a single layer across the sheet pan (bigger leaves on the bottom layer, smaller leaves on the top layer).
2. Dress each layer. No one wants a mouthful of undressed romain.
3. Croutons last. Keep it crunchy.

There you have it. Shareable layers of fresh, crispy lettuce, creamy dressing, savoury beans, and crunchy croutons.

If you’re craving more greens, try this Lemony White Bean and Asparagus Salad.

Until next time,

Bridget

Vegan Chickpea Caesar Salad

That dynamite Caesar bite complete with cool and crisp romaine, rich, briny dressing, savoury chickpeas and crunchy homemade croutons.

Servings 4 people

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Equipment

1 large sheet pan
Vitamix, or any high speed blender

Ingredients

Creamy Caesar Dressing

¼ cup tahini
¼ cup cashews
¼ cup nutritional yeast
3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon capers
2-3 teaspoons caper brine
1 pinch wakame or 1 small sheet of roasted seaweed
1 teaspoon white or yellow miso paste
¼ cup water, adding more as needed until the dressing has reached your desired consistency
salt and pepper to taste

Chickpea Caesar Salad Assembly

3 romaine hearts, leaves separated washed, rinsed, and cooled (keep it fresh and crisp!)
3-4 thick slices sourdough bread, tossed in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, baked at 375° for 10-15 minutes (until golden brown) or any rustic style bread
15.5 ounces chickpeas-cooked, drained, rinsed, and tossed with extra virgin olive oil and salt if you want them crispy: bake the chickpeas along with your croutons
flakey sea salt to garnish

Instructions

In your blender or food processor, pulse all salad dressing ingredients together (**except for the water and the miso paste) 10-15 times.
Then, add the water and blend on high for 20-30 seconds or until smooth and creamy.
Last, add the miso paste, and blend for an additional 5-10 seconds until it is completely incorporated into the dressing.
Store any leftover dressing in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Assemble the salad: First, spread the larger romaine leaves evenly across the sheet pan. Next, add a generous amount of dressing over the romaine leaves, then top with ½ of the chickpeas. Repeat this step using the remaining romaine, and top with those fresh, crunchy croutons.

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Caesar Dressing, Caesar Salad, Chickpeas, Croutons, Dairy Free, Vegan

Did you make these? Comment below and let me know what you think. Don’t forget to follow @sunnyandspiced on Instagram for more travel eats and plant based recipes.
s & S