This was my first try at a vegan caesar dressing, and it was delish! Loved it. Great option for the vegans in your life, or if you just want to mix up your dressing routine. The cashews have healthy fats, so this salad has lots of great nutritional value with the protein and fats from the garbanzo beans, avocado and cashews.
Yum! A hearty lunch to get you through the afternoon feeling great!
For meal prep you can get your boxes ready for 3 days with torn salad greens, roasted garbanzo beans and nuts in the containers. Make the dressing for the week and store in the fridge. Then take half an avocado and your dressing with you to work. Slice the avocado with a butter knife at work and toss on your dressing. 🙂 Great with a piece of bread or a side of soup.
Vegan Kale Caesar Salad
Yields: 6 salads
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch curly leaf kale (about 8 cups kale leaves)
- 4 cups romaine lettuce leaves
- 1 cup Chili Powder Roasted Garbanzo Beans* (see recipe below)
- 2 avocados
- ½ cup walnuts (optional)
- 1 cup Cashew Caesar Dressing* (see recipe below)
Directions:
Separate the kale stems from the leaves and tear the leaves into bite sized pieces. Place in a serving bowl and pour a tablespoon or two into the bowl and massage the leaves with the oil. This makes them taste better and easier to chew.
Tear the romaine lettuce leaves and add to the kale. You can alternatively use buttercrunch lettuce or arugula.
Slice the avocado. Coat the salad with the amount of caesar salad dressing that you like. Top with walnuts and optionally the toasted garbanzo beans. Enjoy!
Chili Powder Roasted Garbanzo Beans
Yields: About 3 cups roasted garbanzo beans
Ingredients:
- 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas/garbanzo beans
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or grapeseed oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)Â
Optional
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Rinse and drain the garbanzo beans. Pat them dry with a paper towel or a clean kitchen towel.
Combine the oil, spices and salt in a large bowl. Add lemon juice and zest if using. Mix well.
Add garbanzo beans and toss to coat well. Spread them out evenly on a well-greased or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Bake until golden brown and crispy. This will take 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how crunchy you want them to be. You can shake the tray to toss after about 15 minutes, or stir with a heat-proof spatula.
Remove the garbanzo beans. from the oven and when cooled transfer them to a serving bowl or storage container. Â
The Empowered Kitchen Tips:
These are a great snack to keep on hand and go well with tahini sauce, baba ganoush or on a salad. They’ll keep well in the fridge for a week. Label and date before putting in fridge.
Cashew Caesar Dressing (Vegan)
Yields: 2 cups
Ingredients:
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1/4 cup avocado oil or olive oilÂ
- 5-6 tablespoons lemon juiceÂ
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 ½ tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauceÂ
- 2 tablespoons capers (optional)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeastÂ
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Dijon or other brown mustardÂ
- ½ teaspoon honey (optional)
- Salt & black pepper to tasteÂ
- ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakesÂ
Directions:
Boil water in a kettle. Place the cashews in a glass or metal bowl. Pour enough water over the cashews to cover them with about ¼ inch of water. Let soak for 10-20 minutes.
Combine all of the ingredients (including the water used to soak the cashews) in a blender until smooth.
Adjust salt, pepper, lemon, garlic powder and other ingredients to your taste. More cracked pepper is always great on a caesar salad. If you aren’t vegan, you can also add 2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese when you blend the ingredients together.
This dressing will keep for about 1 week in the fridge.