This Vegan Caesar Salad with Chickpea Crunch is just as garlicky, salty, and delicious as the traditional one. It’s super healthy and easy to make. I hope your family loves it as much as we do.
Of course, I couldn’t just toss this dressing with some romaine and call it a day. Up the antioxidants by adding in more colorful and nutrient-dense veggies like purple cabbage and shaved Brussels Sprouts.
How to Make Chickpea Crunch
To get the chickpeas as crunchy as possible, start by roasting them in the oven. We’re going to bake them at 350°F for 45 minutes, stirring every 15, to make sure they’re nice and crispy.
- Drain & rinse chickpeas
- Dry chickpeas by laying out a clean towel. Fold the bottom half of the towel over the chickpeas and gently roll them back and forth with your hands on top of the towel. Discard any skins that rub off in the process.
- Transfer dried chickpeas to a baking sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil and a generous sprinkle of sea salt and some black pepper.
- Bake the chickpeas for about 45 minutes, shaking the pan every 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let them cool for about 10 minutes as they’ll crisp up a bit during this period.
- Blitz chickpeas briefly in a food processor or blender.
The chickpeas give it a nice crunch, but you could always top it off with some croutons for extra crunch. Just make sure they’re vegan, as many store-bought versions contain milk or cheese. If you have day-old crusty bread, try making your own. Just cut into cubes, drizzle with some olive oil, sprinkle on some garlic powder, salt, pepper, and bake in 375°F oven for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Add Some Almond Parmesan!
Almond parmesan is super easy to make and is a great topper for this salad. Just blitz almonds, garlic powder, sea salt, nutritional yeast, miso paste, and hemp hearts (optional) in a small blender or food processor until you have a slightly chunky ‘parmesan.’
Vegan Caesar Dressing
It turns out anchovies and raw eggs are NOT essential for a rich, creamy, tangy caesar dressing! This vegan version is mostly cashews and water with some lemon juice, garlic (of course), and a few other ingredients. No mayo, no oil, no eggs, and no fish paste!! Just blend all ingredients in a small blender until creamy!
This vegan Caesar salad is hearty enough on its own and a great way to get a variety of plants, nuts, and seeds in one meal. But, you could always serve as a dinner salad before the main course to impress your guests!
Looking for other vegan salad recipes?
Spinach Salad with Citrus Poppyseed Dressing and TOFU FETA
Plant Power Salad with Maple-Miso Dressing
BBQ Southwest Powerhouse Salad
Vegan Caesar Salad with Chickpea Crunch
Ingredients
Salad
- 3 Cups Kale Stems removed and chopped
- 3 Cups Romaine Chopped
- 1 Cup Brussels Sprouts Shaved
- 1 Cup Purple Cabbage Shredded
Chickpea Crunch
- 1 15 Ounce Can Chickpeas Drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Caesar Dressing
- ½ Cup Soaked Cashews
- ½ Cup Water
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 2 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 Tbsp Capers + 1 tablespoon Brine
- 1 teaspoon Vegan Fish Sauce or Worcestershire
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- Salt & Pepper to Taste
(Optional) Almond Parmesan
- ½ Cup Raw Almonds
- 1 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast
- 2 teaspoon White Miso Paste
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 Tbsp Hemp Hearts Optional
Instructions
Chickpea Crunch
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Drain, rinse, and dry the chickpeas
- Spread evenly on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, sea salt, and pepper
- Bake for 45 minutes, shaking pan every 15 minutes
- Remove and let cool as they will crisp up during this time
- Add chickpeas to a small blender or food processor and pulse a few times to crumble
Caesar Dressing
- If not using a high-speed blender, soak cashews in water overnight or at least a few hours in hot water
- Place all ingredients in a small blender and blend on high until super creamy
(Optional) Almond Parmesan
- Place almonds in a blender and blitz until you have a coarse powder
- Then, add remaining ingredients and pulse a few more times to blend everything together
Salad
- Toss the dressing with kale, shaved Brussels sprouts, and shredded cabbage. Top with chickpea crunch and almond parmesan. Finish with cracked pepper and garnish with lemon wedges!
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