This vegan caesar dressing is absolutely delicious and done in only 5 minutes! It has a classic version and is perfect for so many things.
I received a free copy of Love and Lemons Every Day to review, all opinions and text are all mine.
This post was originally published on May 12, 2019.
While salad tends to be more of an appetizer to me, I do love a loaded salad with lots of texture and flavor. This Caesar dressing is the perfect tangy addition!
Making a dressing that is usually composed of ingredients including anchovies, egg yolk, and cheese with only plant based foods may seem like a challenge, but this recipe hits it out of the park! The absolute perfect flavor with a creamy texture, if there’s any left from making salad, you’re going to want to eat it with a spoon!
Ingredients
In order to make the perfect vegan Caesar salad, you need the perfect vegan Caesar dressing! For this you’ll need:
- Raw cashews
- Garlic
- Lemon juice
- Dijon mustard
- Capers
- Black pepper
This awesome Caesar dressing comes from the cookbook Love and Lemons Every Day by Jeanine Donofrio.
I love the simplicity and whole food ingredients it uses, it’s basically a dump and blend kind of recipe. Loads of flavor and a bonus, my kids loved it!
Her book overall is absolutely gorgeous. Other than the vibrant yellow color, the recipes inside induce serious drool. I also love that she has some helpful sections at the beginning.
How to Make Vegan Caesar Dressing
I love easy dressings you can through into a blender and have ready in less than 5 minutes! Especially super flavorful ones like this. Here’s what to do:
- Put all the ingredients into a blender.
- Blend until creamy smooth!
Serving suggestions
My favorite way to use this dressing is to make an incredibly loaded and flavorful Caesar Salad, here are all the things that are recommended in the book:
- Romaine lettuce
- Chives
- Capers
- Radishes , sliced paper-thin
- Hemp seeds
- Microgreens
- Homemade croutons
- Lemon wedges
- Seasonings
To keep things easy, you can make up a quick salad in minutes:
- Toss romaine with dressing.
- Top and enjoy!
Or, for even MORE flavor make a grilled salad!
- 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.
- Remove from the grill, top and enjoy!
Tips and tricks
When making your dressing and salad, keep the following in mind:
- For extra flavor in the salad, roast the radishes.
- If you choose to grill your romaine, make sure it’s really dry first otherwise it can get wilted. You can also refrigerate for a bit to chill the lettuce back down again.
- Prep all the toppings and dressing in advance so when it comes time for dinner all that’s left to do is assemle!
- The dressing will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week in an airtight container.
- You can also freeze the dressing for up to three months. Just defrost in the refrigerator and shake well before serving.
Common Questions
Traditional Caesar is made from the following main ingredients blended together: anchovies, garlic, egg yolks, oil, parmesan, dijon, and lemon.
Three of the ingredients above are not part of a vegan diet: anchovies, eggs and parmesan. So what replaces those flavors? There are many ways to use plants to recreate them!
In this recipe, she uses cashews and capers to recreate the traditional flavors. I also love that she uses water instead of oil. Cashews have plenty of whole food fat and oil is not needed.
More Vegan Condiments
When it comes to adding flavor to meals, sauces and dressings are where it’s at. These flavorful plant based recipes will have you licking the plate:
- Homemade Vegan Ranch Dressing
- Coconut Butter
- Vegan Buffalo Sauce
- Healthy BBQ Sauce
- Creamy Sriracha Sauce
- Vegan Thousand Island
5 Minute Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons capers , drained
- ½ cup water
- Freshly ground black pepper
To make the salad (with optional toppings):
- 3 heads romaine lettuce , chopped or grilled
- 2 tablespoons chives , chopped
- 2 teaspoons capers , drained
- 2 radishes , sliced paper-thin
- 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
- ¼ cup microgreens
- Pinches of red pepper flakes
- homemade croutons
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- In a blender, place the cashews, garlic, lemon juice, mustard, capers, water, and a few grinds of black pepper. Blend until creamy.
- Assemble the salads with the romaine and a drizzle of the dressing. Top with toppings of choice.
To grill romaine
- 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.
Notes
- I roasted the radishes for extra flavor.
- The nutrition facts are for the dressing and lettuce only since toppings are optional.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Brenda Madden says
Thank you for sharing this delicious salad! Me and my family love it, especially the grilled radishes! FYI: Caesar salad was created in Mexico by an ITALIAN immigrant!
veggiesdontbite says
Aren’t the radishes so amazing?! Who knew how great their flavor was when cooked. We roast them a ton and love them. I’m so happy you liked it!! And YES! I knew that about the dressing. So crazy!
Linda Burrell says
OK, it looks like a lovely romaine salad recipe, but i have a couple of issues. First, Caesar Salad is NOT Italian, it was invented in Tijuana Mexico during the 30’s when a lot of Hollywood stars visited the restaurant. Second, any aspiring vegan Caesar salad would be wrong as a tribute or play on the original with the adding of the radishes. (We vegans who recall the original and switched to the vegan version are particular!). A genuine Caesar has only the basics. Because the original anchovies are not used, we forgive the addition of capers to provide a little bite, but the radishes take this out of the realm of vegan modified Caesars. Romaine, a creamy dressing heavy on lemon, croutons and some semblance of a grated (not powdered) sharp dry cheese like Parmesan constitute a Caesar salad. Anything added makes it something else!!
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Linda! Since this is my website and recipe, I will stick to calling it a Caesar salad and share my version of it. But thanks for your input!
Mary Brown says
I made the dressing this weekend it was YUMMY!!! I made with 100g (2/3 cup) of cashews as this was the package size I had. I soaked the cashews in hot water for 20/30 mins, drained and then blended. I did not have capers so did not add them. I used 2 cloves of garlic as I LOVE garlic, it certainly was garlicky!!!! Everyone LOVED the dressing, it was reminiscent of a dressing I made in my pre WFPB “life” that was made with egg and oil. The dressing was ultra easy to make, creamy and delicious. I will definitely make again!!!
veggiesdontbite says
I’m so happy you liked it Mary!! And I love garlic so that sounds delish!
Alison says
This looks delicious! I love the way you’re able to make plant-based substitutions and still get the amazing flavors of a Caesar dressing. Looking forward to trying this one this summer on the grill.
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks Alison! She did a great job at remaking this classic!
Cap'n Dave says
Definitely saving this one. I usually use hearts of romaine, rather than individual cut leaves from a head. For a garnish/side, I like halved heirloom cherry tomatoes and pickled shallots. I like the idea of the radishes and capers!
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks Dave! I’m glad you like it! And pickled shallots sound delicious!
steviefbillman says
I am always on the lookout for the best Caesar dressing recipe and I will definitely have to try this one out!