Creamy, tangy, salty, and delicious. Four words that perfectly describe Caesar Salad Dressing. Well, we have one more word for you: vegan. Yes, we’ve created the most amazing copy-cat dairy-free Caesar dressing!
When I was in high school, Caesar salads were my favorite salad of all time. Of course, I wasn’t vegan at that poin,t so the dressing was loaded with dairy, anchovies, and even sometimes eggs. Basically culminating in the most unhealthy salad dressing you could ever create. Once I discovered just how unhealthy this dressing was, I began ordering the signature salad without it’s gloppy dressing. And just sprinkled some lemon juice on top. Guess what? It wasn’t good anymore, and it wasn't a Caesar.
Flash forward ten years. I’m thoroughly vested in this vegan lifestyle but can’t help but shake the desire for a Caesar salad from time to time. As you all know, I’m not just going to give in and have that animal product filled goop, instead I decided to recreate my favorite dish that even the cows will thank me for.
HOW TO MAKE A VEGAN CAESAR DRESSING
I began by looking at the classic Caesar salad dressing recipe. I grabbed my soaked cashews and added the classic ingredients, such as lemon, garlic, and Dijon mustard. While it tasted good, it wasn’t exactly a Caesar dressing, because it just wasn’t tangy enough.
Back to the drawing board.
I thought that a little bit of vinegar might help to get that tanginess I was looking for.. I went through about every type of vinegar in my pantry until I found the perfect one: aged white wine vinegar. It creates the perfect tangy flavor and really transforms an ordinary cashew dressing into Caesar dressing.
Not only is this dressing incredibly thick and delicious, it pairs with just about anything that calls for a tangy and flavorful vegan salad dressing.
I played around with the vegetables for the salad you see above. Instead of the traditional simple lettuce, which is in there, I also fried up some crispy Brussels sprouts to take this dish to a whole other dimension!
Until we share our Crispy Brussels Sprout Salad, may we suggest pairing this dressing with our Protein Superfood Bean Salad or pour it on top of our Spicy Black Bean Quinoa Burger! Get creative with dressings and don't just stick them on a salad.
Make this and let us know what you wind up doing with the recipe We love to hear from you! And, don’t forget to take a picture of your gorgeous creation and tag us @veganosity on Instagram.
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Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews
- 2 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- ½ lemon juiced
- ½ cup almond milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon aged white wine vinegar
- 1 blanched garlic clove
Instructions
- Boil the cashews in water for approximately 20 minutes, or until they’re soft and puffy.
- Drain and rinse the cashews and put them in a blender with the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth and creamy
Niara says
I just made this dressing this afternoon! It’s wonderful! Absolutely authentically DELICIOUS!!! Thank you so much!
Linda & Alex says
Hi Niara! Thank you so much, we're so happy you enjoyed the recipe.
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
Yum, this looks wonderful and I am a fan of homemade dressings. Thanks!
Linda Meyer says
Thanks so much! We hope you like it.