Vegan Caesar Salad with Chickpea Croutons
The crunch, the garlic, the creamy dressing and the lettuce and the yummy chickpea croutons! This vegan take on the classic Caesar is delicious !
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Course: Salad, Snack
Cuisine: American, Vegan
Keyword: caesar salad, chickpea, salad, salad dressing, Smoked tofu
Servings: 2
Calories: 704kcal
Author: Louise-Claire Cayzer
For the Dressing
- 3 tablespoon tahini
- 3 tablespoon capers finely minced/smashed
- 1 tablespoon Caper brine the liquid that the capers comes in!
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice, (or to taste) around ½ lemon
- ½ teaspoon maple syrup (or coconut nectar)
- 3 tablespoon fresh minced garlic 4-5 cloves
- warm water to thin as needed
For the Salad
- 500 g Cos Lettuce (About 1 head) Washed, dried & torn to bite size pieces
- 200 g smoked tofu sliced into 1cm slices (about 1 pack)
- 3-4 tablespoon chives and parsley- chopped optional, but pretty and tasty
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
For the Chickpea Croutons
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas mark 4
Drain the chickpeas and tip onto a baking tray
Drizzle over the oil, paprika and garlic powder. Add a little salt. Mix them all around well so all the chickpeas are covered in the oil & seasoning.
Bake for 20 mins, then stir and put back in the oven. Bake for a further 15 mins or until crispy. Depending on the day & your oven you might need to bake longer. Keep stirring until the chickpeas are crispy but avoid burning them.
For the Salad Dressing
In a jar with a lid, mix together all the ingredients and shake well.
Add a little water and mix- add more if needed so the dressing is creamy, yet pourable.
Taste the dressing. Add more salt, lemon juice or maple syrup to balance the flavours as needed
For the Salad
Brush a griddle or fry pan with a tiny bit of oil. Griddle or fry the tofu on each side
Tear the lettuce. Then on a nice plate arrange the lettuce & tofu. Sprinkle with herbs. Drizzle over the dressing and toss some chickpea 'croutons' over.
Serve with extra dressing on the side.
Calories: 704kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 384mg | Potassium: 1612mg | Fiber: 25g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 23583IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 370mg | Iron: 12mg