5 Minute Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing

Name: 5 Minute Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: ½ cup raw cashews; 1 clove garlic; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard; 2 teaspoons capers (, drained); ½ cup water; ½ teaspoon sea salt (, optional); Freshly ground black pepper; 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

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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.

Grey plate with a dressed salad in front of bowls of toppings and dressing

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

Ingredients needed for a cashew based Caesar dressing in bowls

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.

Cover of a white cookbook with a photo of grilled cauliflower on it

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

Wooden tray with chopped lettuce and toppings for a Caesar salad

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!

Grilled hearts of romaine lettuce topped with ingredients and dressing

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

What is Caesar dressing made from?

Traditional Caesar is made from the following main ingredients blended together: anchovies, garlic, egg yolks, oil, parmesan, dijon, and lemon.

Can vegans eat Caesar dressing?

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: