Inspiration

This recipe is inspired by my trip to Vancouver 2 years ago. I recall a dish I found on the menu of nearly every restaurants, no matter vegan or non-vegan ones – Vegan Caesar salad. Ever since I came back from Vancouver, I wanted to recreate it recipe at home. However, most vegan caesar dressing recipes I found was too heavy to my liking, as they are made mostly of cashews. Also, there are still some flavors lacking in those recipe which I cannot really tell what that is.

Vegan Caesar Salad with tempeh & edamame

Vegan Caesar Salad with chickpea tuna salad

Secret Ingredients

In search of the perfect vegan Caesar dressing, I have been experimenting with different ingredients. After several trial and errors, I found that adding dill to the recipe gives a depth of flavor. Moreover, I also used aquafaba in this recipe to help emulsify the recipe. For those of you who are not familar with aquafaba, it’s the liquid inside a can of chickpeas. The reason why it works is because of its high protein and starch content, which are beneficial in emulsification.

All Natural Ingredients

As usual, I prefer creating recipes with all-natural whole food ingredients. And this recipe is no exception. In order to reduce the heaviness of this vegan Caesar dressing, I use tofu in substitution for part of the cashews. In fact, for most of the recipes, tofu and cauliflower works well in replacing cashews in a recipe. Tofu is a perfect substitution because it is not only naturally low in fat and high in protein, but it also provides lightness and fluffiness the a recipe.

Serving Suggestions

Of course, as its name suggests, you can make a delicious vegan Caesar salad out of it. I topped mine with some Vegan Chickpea Tuna Salad and it was so good! Another way I like to serve this sauce is to enjoy them with some sweet potato fries, tempeh fries or simply as a topping on a nourish bowl. 🙆🏻‍♀️Also, sometimes if I am lazy, I will just mix this sauce with some pasta/ kelp noodles and beans and call it a day.