Vegan Kale Caesar Salad Recipe

This vegan kale caesar salad recipe tastes just like classic caesar salad, despite being vegan! Enjoy it as a side dish, or as a meal with some bread on the side or whole grains on top.

I am obsessed with kale caesar salads lately. Something about the creamy, savory dressing and the hearty chew of the kale goes so well together. I’ve been buying vegan kale caesar salads out a fair amount lately (our local Mom’s Organic Market has one I LOVE) and finally decided it was time to make one myself at home!

This recipe is made even more awesome by the addition of some crunchy dijon-garlic roasted chickpeas, which act as a sort of crouton and add some protein (and more fiber) to the mix. (Thank you to the White House chef for the roasted chickpea crouton idea – see also the Mason Jar Kale Salad Recipe I shared a couple weeks ago!)

The dressing for this salad is super easy to throw together, too – all you need is a food processor, a blender, or an immersion blender! The secret to making it creamy but still vegan? Silken tofu – and some nutritional yeast to add a “cheesy” flavor. Yum!

Simply toss all the salad dressing ingredients together and blend. Ready in seconds!

The roasted chickpeas take a little longer to make, but they are worth it, trust me.

The full recipe and instructions are below. Enjoy this salad as a side dish, or enjoy as your entrée with some crusty bread on the side or whole grains on top! I made a double batch of the dressing and had variations on this salad for two of my packed lunches last week. It’s good with brown rice added, and feel free to add additional toppings, too – cabbage gives it a nice crunch, as would other veggies!

Vegan Kale Caesar Salad

by fANNEtastic food
Keywords: salad vegan gluten-free

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Ingredients (4 servings)

For the dressing:

1/2 cup silken tofu

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 clove garlic

2 teaspoons capers, drained

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

salt and pepper, to taste

For the chickpea croutons:

1 can chickpeas

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

For the salad:

1 large bunch tuscan kale, stem removed & thinly sliced

1/2 cup toasted pepitas

Instructions

Combine all dressing ingredients in a blender, food processor, or container to use with an immersion blender. Blend until smooth and set aside.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the chickpeas in the garlic, dijon, nutritional yeast, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Roast for 30-35 minutes, until browned and crispy.

Toss the kale with dressing to taste, massaging lightly to tenderize the kale.

Top with the chickpea croutons and pepitas and enjoy!

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