This Caesar salad is crisp and smoky since it’s made with grilled romaine! You’ll love the creamy vegan Caesar dressing, which is made with raw cashews instead of egg.
Serve this chicken crust pizza with a caesar salad for an easy dinner.
Grilled Romaine With Vegan Caesar Dressing
This vegan Caesar salad is a fun twist on the original, since it’s made with grilled romaine (a favorite in my Grilled Romaine Salad with Chicken, Corn and Salsa Dressing too!). I love how the lettuce gets charred and crispy on the edges, and the smoky flavor just can’t be beat. The other thing that makes this salad recipe a standout is the rich, creamy vegan Caesar dressing, which is made with cashews to replace the creaminess of the egg and capers to replicate the brininess of anchovies.
The Story Behind This Vegan Caesar
I love Caesar salad, especially with lots of anchovies like in this Eggless Caesar Salad Dressing, so I was very curious to try a vegan version. When I got my hands on the Love and Lemons Everyday Cookbook, which is gorgeous and filled with over 100 recipes, I had to try it!
I’ve hung out with Jeanine, the author of the cookbook and creator of Love and Lemons, several times and even had lunch with her at a vegan restaurant, so I was pretty confident this would be great. Her cookbook, which she photographed herself, is stunning and filled with so many seasonal plant-forward recipes. You don’t have to be vegan to enjoy them!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below are the ingredients for this vegan Caesar salad. See the recipe card for exact measurements.
For the Salad
- Whole-grain or gluten-free bread: Or if you’re in a time-crunch, use store-bought croutons. (Homemade are best though!)
- Garlic: Rubbed onto the bread to make the croutons garlicky.
- Olive oil spray helps crisp the croutons and grill the lettuce.
- Romaine lettuce: Grilling adds smoky depth that makes this salad irresistible.
- Radishes: Sliced very thin.
- Chives and capers add mild onion freshness and briny flavor.
- Hemp seeds add texture and plant-based protein.
- Lemon wedges: For serving.
- Microgreens and red pepper flakes (optional) for garnish and a little heat.
For the Vegan Caesar Dressing:
- Raw cashews are the base of the creamy dressing.
- Garlic adds bold flavor.
- Fresh lemon juice brightens the dressing with a pop of acidity.
- Dijon mustard adds tang and depth.
- Capers give the dressing its classic Caesar-style flavor even without the anchovies.
- Water: Helps blend everything smooth.
- Black pepper: For seasoning.
How to Make Vegan Caesar Salad
This vegan Caesar salad comes together in a few simple steps.
- Make the croutons: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Rub the bread with the cut side of a garlic clove, then cube it. Spray with olive oil and bake until crisp and golden.
- Blend the vegan Caesar dressing: Add the cashews, garlic, lemon juice, Dijon, capers, water, and black pepper to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Grill the romaine: Preheat a grill or grill pan to high heat. Slice the romaine heads in half lengthwise, lightly spray with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grill cut-side down until lightly charred, then flip to finish.
- Assemble the salad: Arrange the grilled romaine on a platter and drizzle with dressing. Top with radishes, chives, capers, croutons, and hemp seeds.
- Finish and serve: Add microgreens and red pepper flakes if using. Serve with lemon wedges and extra dressing on the side.
Vegan Caesar Salad With Creamy Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 slices whole-grain bread, or gluten-free bread, 2 oz total*
- ½ garlic clove
- Extra-virgin olive oil spray
- 3 heads romaine lettuce
- 2 radishes, sliced paper-thin
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- 2 teaspoons capers, drained
- 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- ¼ cup microgreens, optional
- Pinches of red pepper flakes, optional
For the Vegan Caesar Dressing
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons capers, drained
- ½ cup water
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Rub the bread slices with the cut side of the garlic clove and slice the bread into cubes.
- Spritz the bread cubes with olive oil and bake until crispy, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Make the dressing: In a high-speed blender, place the cashews, garlic, lemon juice, mustard, capers, water, and a few grinds of black pepper. Blend until creamy.
- Preheat a grill or grill pan to high.
- Slice the romaine heads in half lengthwise, then drizzle with a bit of olive oil and pinches of salt and pepper.
- Grill the romaine, cut-side down, until char marks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Gently flip the romaine and grill for 2 minutes more.
- Assemble the salads with the grilled romaine and a drizzle of the dressing.
- Top with the radishes, chives, capers, and croutons.
- Sprinkle with the hemp seeds, microgreens, and red pepper flakes, if using.
- Serve with the lemon wedges and the remaining dressing on the side.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Notes
69 calories, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1.0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 70mg, Carbohydrates: 4.5g, Fiber: 0.5g, Sugar: 0.5g, Protein: 2g For the dressing only: https://cmx.weightwatchers.com/details/MEMBERRECIPE:5cf8579598c7480238979d6f
Nutrition
Tips from Gina’s Test Kitchen
- Use a high-speed blender: This helps make the dressing extra smooth and creamy. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you can soak the cashews in warm water for 30 minutes to soften them.
- Don’t over-grill the lettuce: You want light charring, not lettuce that’s completely blackened!
- Slice the radishes thin: A mandoline works great if you have one.
Variations
- Add tofu or Roasted Chickpeas for extra protein. (You can also use the chickpeas in place of the croutons for a gluten-free version.)
- Swap hemp seeds for sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds for more crunch.
- Use grilled kale instead of romaine for a heartier salad.
Storage Tips
This salad is best enjoyed right away, but if you’d like, you can make the components in advance. Store the dressing in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The croutons can be stored separately at room temperature for 3-4 days.
My favorite, I’ve made it a hundred times. I added a little bit of white miso and it definitely enhanced the taste!
I love this dressing, we use it frequently.
Question though, if the dressing is 2 pts per serving, how could the whole salad possibly be only 1 pt per serving?
I made this dressing 2 times so far , so delicious, thank you
Tahini would work well here
Thoughts on omitting the capers ?
Sure
Is Dijon mustard actually whole 30? Does it not contain white wine?
You would have to check your labels, some do contain wine, but there are brands that are compliant. 🙂
This was so good. I did soak the cashews overnight just to make the dressing smoother but other than that, I followed the recipe. I would serve this again!
This was a very DELICIOUS dinner. This Could pair nicely with a side of grilled chicken or even steak. This is a great alternative and very filling. My sister is vegan and had to share this yummy recipe! 😋
I’m not vegan but I stay away from Cesar salads because of the anchovies (not a fan). I was excited to try this recipe and OMG it’s so good! Made this twice so far and really love this recipe. We we a bit lazy and used packaged Cesar croutons and passed on the hemp seeds since I was not able to find them at the store. We added a grilled chicken beast and this made a great, filling dinner. Will be on our regular rotation.
I’ve liked every other recipe I’ve tried from SkinnyTaste, but this is not for me. Too runny, very gritty and didn’t taste like a caesar dressing to me.
It sounds like perhaps this did not blend up properly. If you do not have a super high powerful blender, like a Blendtec or Vitamix, you will likely need to soak your cashews, either overnight or via a quick soak method. I usually make a triple or quadruple batch and have made this up literally dozens of times. I use this dressing for everything: it is the salad dressing on my sandwiches, the crema on tacos/burritos, and drizzle it over tofu eggs. Yumm-E!
This is seriously delicious! I’m not vegan, dairy free, or egg free… but I am pregnant and have REALLY missed Caesar dressing! The dressing is the star, but I love the way this whole salad is built. Delicious
No need to soak the raw cashews?
WOW!!! i will NEVER eat regular Caesar dressing again!!! Just Fabulous!!! Thank you so much for sharing your creativity with us!! Brilliant!!
I’m sorry if I missed it but do you have to soak the cashews first?
Made this and LOVE IT! The cashews added that creaminess and as someone who is not vegan but dairy-free this filled a Caesar shaped hole in my heart! Thanks Gina!
Made this today, it was delicious. I opted for the Whole30 version. Definitely will make this again and again. But be warned, the raw garlic is strong and may stay with you long after you enjoy this salad. Definitely might need mints or toothpaste.
Absolutely loved this recipe! I didn’t even miss the chicken! Thank you!
I am a bit of a purist when it comes to Caesar Salad so I was skeptical before trying this dressing. Am I ever glad I took a chance – iIt is so delicious! It totally changed my mind about vegan dressings. It is creamy and flavourful and tastes like Caesar should taste. Thanks for sharing this…my new go-to recipe.
Not vegan….made with parmesan cheese!
Did you read the recipe? There’s no parmesan cheese.
It is vegan – Please take time to read the recipe, I did and I just got here found this recipe randomly
Hi GINA
I have longtime followed your blog and the recipes are all on spot. I so much appreciate these vegan recipes now that I am following a whole foods plant based diet!
Thank you for this delicious recipe. Any chance you’ll share where you had the vegan caprese salad? Ever since cutting out dairy, I miss fresh caprese salads the most.
Any advice how to thicken up the dressing if it came out too liquidy?
How long can I store the dressing in the fridge? Can it be made a day or two in advance?
About a week, and yes.
Why can’t this recipe unable to be saved in Pinterest?
How long will the dressing keep in the fridge?
Should be fine 1 week.
This recipe for the “Caesar” dressing is delicious. Do you have nutritional information for the dressing? I don’t know what the data for the serving of 1 wedge included. I love everything in the dressing and may consider using on all our salads, especially since my husband can’t eat eggs or gluten and he loved Caesar Dressing.
I will look into this for you!
if you don’t have a high speed blender can this be made in a food processor?
I dont think it will be smooth enough.
Any sub for the cashews? My kids are allergic to them.
I’m wondering this, too. My son is allergic to cashews. Would it work with almonds?
Not sure? Maybe with blanched almonds, you don’t want the skin.
I just made this as soon as it crossed my feed! It is so good. How many TBSP would you say is a serving of dressing? Thanks so much for all you do for us. I love your recipes so much,
Sorry I don’t know, you would have to measure it and divide by 6.