Gluten-free, Vegan
Ceasar salads are simply the BEST, but if you need to change up the dairy and egg typically found in the dressing, you’ve come to the right recipe! And with Kale added into the Romaine you have yourself a nutritional powerhouse! BAM!
Kale Ceasars are all the rage at restaurants right now, some of them with standard ceasar dressing (which is YUM), but not as many offer vegan choices- or at least without the dairy. I don’t eat much dairy or many eggs so I wanted to create a recipe I can use on a regular basis that is just as tasty as the original one! And I think I did a pretty darn good job at it. We love this salad so much and I decided to make this recipe as a small batch for one meal serving around 2-3 people. If you want to save it in the fridge for another meal just double the recipe.
I love to mix kale and romaine together, as for me it tastes great and the texture is softer. Kale is considered one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet! Think Vit A and Vit K in abundance, among many more. You should consider adding Kale in whenever possible, and this recipe gives you a delicious way to do it! Kale is sooo good for you that you can even switch up the dressing if you don’t feel like garlic flavour, and try this EXACT same salad with my Basil Mint Dressing– another winner for sure.
What goes into this recipe to make it so creamy, cheesy and delicious??
Since this ceasar dressing recipe omits the eggs and parmesan cheese, what do we use to create a similar texture and taste? It’s actually so simple and just as nutritious- actually even more!!!! Here is what to use to get that similar taste and creaminess
- Cashews: using soaked cashews as your base creates an uber creamy dressing and offers a good amount of plant based protein. They are also rich in iron, copper, zinc, magnesium and phosporous.
- Nutritional Yeast: this is what gives it the cheesy flavour without the cheese- and it also lends to it richness. Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast that is full of nutrients- hence its name. Nutritional yeast is a complete protein containing all 9 essential amino acids and has 180% of RDA of B vitamins!
- Dijon, lemon and garlic: to make the best possible flavour, ensure to add in dijon, lemon and of course garlic! I use 1-2 cloves depending how strong we want the flavour. If you like a really garlicky ceasar dressinng then be sure to add 2 cloves of garlic.
- Coconut Aminos or Worcestershire sauce: this is a must add in for flavour, but what you choose depends on wether you can handle gluten or not. I often use worcestershire as it is a small amount and doesn’t bother me too much, however that is made form malt barley and therefore NOT GLUTEN-FREE. For a GF option please be sure to use coconut aminos!
The key to creaminess is to ensure you soak your cashews in boiling water for a long enough time to really soften them. I usually wait about an hour or so, but wait at least 15 mins if you are in a rush! By using boiling water it speeds up the process, however when planning ahead drop your cashews in regular water and let soak overnight. Either process works fine.
Finally just add all your ingredients into a high speed blender and blend really well for several minutes. This ensure the best texture and most creamy dressing ever!!!!
Let’s talk about the toppings!
To keep this Kale Ceasar dressing gluten free I choose to use crispy chickpeas instead of croutons. They are AH-MAZING plus they add so much extra fiber, calcium and magnesium and protein. What’s not to love about something that tastes great and adds so much nutritious to your diet. This is how I like to stay vibrant guys! Making the chickpeas is simple, toss them with the ingredients listed below and bake unit crispy. I choose to add marinated red peppers for taste and colour, raw peppers work well too. If you are dairy-free but not vegan, then go ahead and add some bacon (I sometimes use turkey bacon). However the peppers are my favorite for colour texture and nutritious!
Sometimes it’s nive to have a heartier salad on hand, therefore I think you will love my Mediterranean pasta salad instead!
I hope you love this salad as much as we do!!
Enjoy xoxox Pin It
Kale Ceasar Salad
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Loading...A nutritious version of a ceasar salad that is vegan and gluten free! Easy to make and simply delicious, this salad will be on repeat in your home.
Ingredients
- 1 400ml can of Chickpeas
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp siracha powder
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1-2 garlic cloves *
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 lemon, juice only
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp coconut aminos OR worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- salt & pepper
- Chopped kale and romaine for the salad
Instructions
For the Chickpeas:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Drain and rinse chickpeas and place on baking sheet.
Drizzle with the olive oil and add garlic powder, paprika, siracha and salt & pepper. Mix well to coat chickpeas
Bake in the pre-heated over for 20-25 minutes, until chickpeas become crispy. Remove from oven and let cool
Soak cashew in boiling water for 30 mins or overnight in regular water
Place soaked cashews in a blender with the olive oil, water, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon, coconut aminos, dijon and salt & pepper
Blend really well to make a creamy dressing- at least 4-5 minutes
Clean and chop you kale and romaine. Massage kale slightly before adding to your serving bowl. Top with dressing and mix well
Top with chickpeas, chopped red peppers or bacon of choice if not vegan
Notes
*number of garlic cloves depends on how strong you like
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