I bet you didn’t know this about the famous Caesar salad
The salad is named after its creator, Caesar Cardini, an Italian-American restaurateur, in Tijuana, Mexico, in the 1920s. No, not after Julius Caesar, the Roman emperor. The Caesar salad was originally created as a way to use leftover ingredients at Cardini’s restaurant during a Fourth of July rush.
The original recipe consists of romaine lettuce, croutons, parmesan cheese, a dressing made of egg yolks, garlic, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, and anchovies, and some black pepper.
Let’s veganise it.
Recipe
For a standard-size salad (2–4 servings), you will need
- 1 head of romaine lettuce, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup of vegan croutons (you can make them at home or find store-bought vegan options)
- 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast (Parmesan replacement)
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- For some extra protein, you can make some crispy tofu on the side or add it to the salad
For the dressing, you will need
- 1/4 cup of raw cashews, soaked in water for a few hours, drained
- 2 tbsp of lemon juice
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- 2 tbsp of Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp of capers
- 1 tbsp of soy sauce or tamari
- 1/4 cup of water
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
Dressing first: In a blender or food processor, combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. Adjust to your desired consistency by adding more water if needed. Give it a taste test and season accordingly.
Now the salad: In a large salad bowl, place the romaine lettuce and toss with the dressing until evenly coated.
Add the croutons and toss again. If you choose to make them yourself, simply cut 2 pieces of bread into small cubes or squares and place them in the toaster or in the oven for 10–15 minutes until crispy.
Sprinkle the nutritional yeast over the salad for that cheesy flavour.
Finish with a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.
Enjoy on a hot summer day :)
Thank you for reading and supporting our love for vegan nutrition
If you want to know more about our nutrition programs, visit activeplantbased.
─ activeplantbased 🐇
