The keys to a good plant-based Caesar salad in my book are a garlicky, creamy, lemon dressing paired with fresh lettuce or kale and a delicious, salty vegan Parmesan. While this salad definitely isn’t a classic Caesar, it’s still wildly delicious and only takes 20 minutes to throw together!
If you’re looking for a delicious 20-minute salad recipe that’s healthy, hearty and easy, this is it! I love making this for a light lunch on its own or to pair with pasta for dinner. We use ingredients that you probably have on hand to make a homemade vegan caesar salad dressing and pair it with white beans for protein and fiber, a delicious sunflower seed vegan parmesan and massaged kale for a well-rounded meal!
This is a recipe from my cookbook, The Simple Vegan Kitchen! If you’re looking for lots more healthy, delicious, vegan recipes grab your copy, and don’t forget to leave a review on Amazon, Indigo or Barnes and Noble!
How to make this Vegan Caesar Salad
1. In a high-speed blender, blend the tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, nutritional yeast, maple syrup, salt, pepper and water to make the dressing. Add more water to adjust the consistency to your liking.
2. Using a small food processor, coffee grinder or blender, blend the sunflower seeds, salt and nutritional yeast until the vegan Parmesan has the texture of sand.
3. In a large bowl, sprinkle the kale with apple cider vinegar. Using your hands, massage the kale and apple cider vinegar together until the kale is slightly wilted and darker green, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add the onion, white beans, 2 tablespoons (30 g) of the vegan Parmesan and the salad dressing to the kale. Toss well to combine everything. Feel free to serve it with additional vegan Parmesan, pepper and lemon juice.
5. Refrigerate salad leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Refrigerate leftover vegan Parmesan separately in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Recipe Substitutions
If you don’t have any tahini on hand, sunflower seeds would also work well. I recommend using the same amount of sunflower seeds to tahini- You may need to add more water. Make sure that the dressing is well-blended.
Feel free to substitute the maple syrup with any type of sugar that you have on hand! If you don’t have any apple cider vinegar, you can use more lemon juice to massage the kale.
Storing Leftovers
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Store leftover vegan parmesan and caesar salad dressing separately.
Recipe Notes
- You can definitely use romaine lettuce in this recipe if you’d prefer it over kale!
- You’ll likely have leftover dressing and vegan Parmesan. Feel free to use the parmesan in pastas, salads and even on popcorn!
I hope you love this Miso-Dijon Glazed Tempeh Bowl as much as I do! If you make it make sure to share with me on Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest!, and don’t forget to grab your copy of The Simple Vegan Kitchen!
Lemon Tahini Vegan Caesar Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing
- 1⁄4 cup (60 g) tahini
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) lemon juice about 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tbsp (22 g) nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) maple syrup or other sweetener
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper or to taste
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) water plus more as needed
For the vegan parmesan
- 1/3 cup (44 g) raw, hulled, unsalted sunflower seeds
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (22 g) nutritional yeast
For the salad
- 4 cups (268 g) kale
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 red onion, sliced
- 1 (19-oz [540-g]) can white beans, drained and rinsed
Optional additional toppings
- Additional vegan Parmesan
- Cracked black pepper
- Fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender, blend the tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mus- tard, garlic, nutritional yeast, maple syrup, salt, pepper and water to make the dressing. Add more water to adjust the consistency to your liking.
- Using a small food processor, coffee grinder or blender, blend the sunflower seeds, salt and nutritional yeast until the vegan Parmesan has the texture of sand.
- In a large bowl, sprinkle the kale with apple cider vinegar. Using your hands, massage the kale and apple cider vinegar together until the kale is slightly wilted and darker green, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the onion, white beans, 2 tablespoons (30 g) of the vegan Parmesan and the salad dressing to the kale. Toss well to combine everything. Feel free to serve it with additional vegan Parmesan, pepper and lemon juice.
- Refrigerate salad leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Refrigerate leftover vegan Parmesan separately in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
More of easy vegan recipes you’ll love
Warm Winter Vegan Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing
Vegan BBQ Soy Curl Bowl with Creamy Ranch Dressing
Want more recipes and plant-based nutrition information? Check out my cookbook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest and Youtube !
Want to learn how to thrive on a plant-based diet? Check out my online program, Thriving on Plant-Based Fundamentals!
Need some guidance on your journey with a vegan, vegetarian, or plant-based diet? We can work together virtually! Book your FREE 15-minute consultation to see if we’d be a good fit!
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