The almighty caesar salad; this absolute classic is arguably the king of all salads. Yes, there are some pretty exciting and creative salad recipes out there, but none as iconic as the caesar salad. Its traditional form, with a creamy dressing, anchovies, croutons, chicken and bacon is still so popular, but unfortunately isn’t ideal for those who are plant-based. That’s why I wanted to recreate this classic, making it healthy, nourishing and vegan, whilst not compromising on any of that flavour. This Vegan Kale Caesar Salad is light, fresh, flavoursome and packed with plant powered protein.
There are a few different components to this recipe, all of which are super easy to make and only use natural, whole-food ingredients. You can prep these different elements ahead and have a delicious and nutritious caesar salad prepped and ready to go for your busy week.
Healthy and Vegan
Sometimes the ‘veganised’ version of a classic recipe can involve lots of processed swaps, like processed meat alternatives with more ingredients than you can count, that actually make the finished product less healthy than the original. The great thing about this Vegan Kale Caesar Salad is that it’s vegan *and* super healthy. So you don’t need to worry about what you’ve swapped those original ingredients for.
If you follow my instagram, you’ll know I’m a huge fan of kale in a salad. Not only does that dark green hue look gorgeous, but this superfood is a fantastic source of vitamins and minerals. My top tip to get your kale just perfect is to massage it first with a little olive oil and sea salt. This softens the leaves and makes them easier to digest, or you can just massage in this dressing. Basically, give it a bit of tenderly love… we all need a bit of that!
The Salad Components
The baked tofu crispies are a two-for-one affair. Not only are they a great flavour and texture replacement for crispy bacon, with that coconut aminos and paprika giving them that deliciously smokey flavour. These tofu bites are also oven baked for extra crispiness, and their crunchy-soft texture and cubed shape make them the perfect healthy and grain free alternative to croutons. ‘Bacon’ ish flavour, high protein tofu croutons? I think yes!
Those crispy chickpeas are another delicious texture-bomb! They’re a great, natural and unprocessed swap for chicken; a great source of plant protein and fibre too! I used queen chickpeas from the bold bean co for than extra wow factor. You can make these in the oven or in the air-fryer, whichever you prefer – just check out the recipe to see my top tips!
My recipe for the creamy vegan caesar dressing is the perfect way to pull together this masterpiece of a salad. It’s creamy, delicate and packed with flavour, as well as being a fantastic source of healthy skin-loving fats. There’s also a great low FODMAP option, because I can’t have those of you with IBS missing out.
Other healthy/vegan swaps in this recipe include using capers in place of traditional anchovies, to add in an element of salty tanginess. I really recommend that you don’t skip these, I think the capers just give this salad a really lovely flavour element.
I hope you guys enjoy this vegan caesar salad recipe. It’s the perfect spring/summer salad and works great as a meal prep for you busy bees. Feel free to top with some vegan parmesan shavings, feta or nutritional yeast as a finishing touch, or just enjoy as is. I threw in some avocado chunks for some extra healthy fats and creamy texture too.
Vegan Kale Caesar Salad
INGREDIENTS
- 1 batch vegan caesar dressing
- 1 batch tofu crispies
- 1 batch crispy chickpeas
- 250 g kale, stalks removed and roughly chopped
- 1 large avocado, cubed
- Optional 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
Method
- Prepare the Vegan Caesar Dressing (recipe linked in the ingredients list)
- Prepare the Tofu Crispies (recipe linked in the ingredients list)
- Prepare the Crispy Chickpeas (recipe linked in the ingredients list)
- Add kale and avocado to a bowl. Mix dressing through kale and toss with Tofu Crispies and Chickepas. Option to serve with sprinkle of nutritional yeast or vegan cheese. Vegan parmesan or feta is also nice. Option to add a drizzle of olive oil and add lemon zest.
Nutrition (per serving)
