My Vegan kale Caesar salad is delicious and satisfying. When my daughter Isabelle decided to be vegan a few months ago, I knew I had to get in the kitchen and figure out how to convert some of her favorite things to eat into a vegan option. The first thing I decided to tackle was Caesar salad dressing. She loves the original and I knew it wouldn’t be that hard. After a few attempts, she gave her approval and now it’s on the blog so it must be good!
What makes this kale ceasar vegan?
If you are not familiar with the term vegan it essentially means a diet that excludes all meat and animal products. This is different than being a vegetarian which excludes all meat, poultry, fish & seafood.
In my vegan caesar dressing, I substitute a plant-based mayonnaise instead of the regular kind; which honestly I can barely tell the difference when it’s mixed with the garlic and lemon. There is no Worcestershire sauce or anchovy paste because that contains fish /fish sauce so I substitute capers to mimic the briny taste you would usually get. Lastly, I do not use any cheese in the dressing, instead, I only top the salad with plant-based parmesan cheese.
This Caesar dressing is dairy-free!
If you are not vegan but are just trying to cut out dairy this is a fantastic alternative that I highly recommend.
How to make this vegan kale caesar salad:
To begin with, wash, dry, and remove the center stems from your kale. Chop the kale into small pieces. Add to a large bowl and set aside. Next, prep the ingredients for the dressing.
First, Squeeze fresh lemon juice into a bowl large enough for all the dressing. Secondly, mince the garlic very finely and add that to the bowl with the lemon juice. Thirdly, roughly chop the capers and add them to the bowl as well. Fourthly, add the dijon mustard, salt, and pepper and whisk it all up until it’s combined. Finally, add the plant-based mayonnaise and stir until the dressing comes together and is creamy and smooth. Make sure to taste it in case you need to adjust the seasoning. That is all! The dressing is ready to go on top of any kind of greens.
How to make homemade croutons:
Homemade croutons are so easy to make, and taste so much better than store-bought. First, cube up a couple of slices of bread. Any bread will do, I like to use sourdough. Next, warm a frying pan with some olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add your cubed bread. After that, season the bread with your favorite spices. I usually use, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Dried rosemary or oregano would also be tasty. Stir the bread so it’s evenly coated with the oil. Continue to stir occasionally so the bread gets toasted on all sides and becomes crunchy. Keep an eye on it though because it can burn quickly. Once the croutons are golden brown and crispy remove them to a paper-towel-lined plate and set them aside until ready to toss and eat the salad.
Watch my REELS video here! https://www.instagram.com/p/CcqTLj8pfkK/
Other salads you might enjoy!
Pasta Salad with Spinach tossed with Soy Ginger Vinaigrette
Vegan Kale Caesar Salad
This vegan kale Caesar salad is full of flavor from the creamy dressing made with fresh garlic, lemon, and capers. Topped with homemade crunchy croutons and vegan parmesan cheese. You won’t believe it's vegan!
Ingredients
for dressing:
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 tbsps fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
- 1 cup of Veganaise (any plant based mayonnaise will work)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
for Salad
- 1-2 bunches of kale (washed, center stem removed, chopped)
- 1/4 cup plant-based parmesan cheese
for Croutons:
- 2-3 slices of any bread cut into cubes (I like sourdough)
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
Instructions
For Dressing:
Combine all ingredients into a small bowl. Whisk until smooth. Serve over your chopped kale and top with plant-based parmesan cheese and croutons.
For Salad:
Wash kale and remove the center stem. Roughly cut into bite-size pieces. Add to a large bowl.
For Croutons:
1. Cut bread into small cube-like pieces.
2. Warm oil up in a pan until hot. Add bread to the pan. Sprinkle your favorite seasoning on. I like garlic powder, salt, and pepper. ( You could try dried rosemary or oregano)
3. Stir to coat the bread with the oil. Let cook until bread is toasty, crunchy, and golden brown. Keep an eye on it because it can burn easily. I recommend stirring occasionally to make sure the bread toasts evenly and doesn't burn.
4. Remove croutons from the pan to a paper-towel-lined plate and set aside until ready to toss and eat the salad.
Notes
If you are not sure which plant-based mayonnaise to try I recommend Best Foods or Veganaise.
If you want to save time, consider buying a pre-washed bag of chopped kale.
