I have dreamed of a good vegan caesar dressing and for years it seemed to have escaped me. Cashews are often one of my go-tos for creating a creamy dip or dressing, but coating light greens with heavy cashew cream never felt like my cup of tea. Thinking through what could take the place of cashews, my mind immediately went to white beans. Creamy and neutral in flavor – we have a winner! But on that night, like many nights, I wanted to whip up dinner without pulling out my food processor. Instead, I opened my fridge and a jar of homemade lemon hummus was staring me in the face. Skeptical but lazy, I tried it as the base of this dressing, adding assertive caesar flavors and I knew I had a winner. You can use hummus from the store or make a big batch of homemade for the week and scoop out a bit for this dressing. Don’t skip the capers – it gives the dressing all it’s caesar quality.

Ingredients
Serves 2 - 3
  • 2 slices gluten free sourdough bread
  • OmegaOil or olive oil
  • Pink salt
  • 1 head romaine, chopped
  • 3 cups of arugula
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

For the dressing:

  • ¼ cup hummus
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • Juice of 1 lemon, plus ½ tsp zest  
  • ½ tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
  • 1 clove of garlic, grated
  • 2 teaspoons capers, finely minced
  • 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
  • Pink salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the turmeric chickpeas (optional):

  • 2 cups or 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1 tablespoon OmegaOil or olive oil
  • Dash of turmeric
  • Dash of garlic powder
  • Dash of onion powder
  • Pink salt or sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Vegan Parm 

Method

For the croutons: Preheat oven to 375F. Brush bread with oil and sprinkle with salt. Toast directly on the rack until hard yet still slightly chewy, about 10 – 15 minutes. This will depend how fresh your bread is – the fresher, the longer you will need to toast.

Meanwhile, in a large jar mix together all ingredients for the dressing. If the dressing is not a pourable consistency, whisk in a little bit of warm water. Taste and season as needed.

In a large bowl, toss together the romaine, arugula, half of the nuts, half of the croutons, and half of the dressing. Add more dressing as needed. Top with the remaining toasted almonds, croutons, and a sprinkling of vegan parm. Serve immediately.

For the chickpeas: Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking pan with parchment. Toss the chickpeas with the oil and spices and roast in oven until crispy, about 25 – 30 minutes.

Boost it

Add crispy chickpeas (above) or shredded roasted chicken for more crunch and protein.

Stretch it

Double the dressing to dip your sweet potato fries, put on more salads, grain bowls, and roasted veggies all week long. I promise you this dressing will not go to waste!