Easy Vegan Caesar Salad

This easy vegan caesar salad recipe is delicious, nut-free, and meal prep friendly! Silken tofu creates a creamy but light base for the dressing and 9 simple ingredients like lemon juice, fresh garlic, and capers, add the unmistakable caesar flavor. Serve it as part of a plant-based dinner feast or bulk it up with all the toppings for a healthy comforting main dish!


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Ahhh, salad.  Often, when people hear you’re vegan, it’s the first food they think you must love.  Because what the hell else would a vegan eat, right?!

Wrong.  So, so wrong.

All you need to do is take a look at the recipes on this site to realize vegan cuisine goes far beyond the realm of a boring ol’ salad.  And no one is more excited about that than I am.

However, I’ve always felt differently about Caesar salad.  Don’t we all?

I feel like it’s the salad for salad-haters: no weird fancy lettuces, a thick flavorful dressing, and that tangy sprinkle of parmesan.  It’s something familiar and comforting, but unfortunately, it’s traditionally very un-vegan…or even vegetarian for that matter.

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This easy vegan caesar salad recipe is delicious, nut-free, and meal prep friendly! The dressing is made with a silken tofu base and flavored to perfection with only 9 simple ingredients. #vegan #caesarsalad #veganrecipe #mealprep #salad // plantpowercouple.com

Vegan Caesar Salad Inspiration

We’re lucky to live in a day and age where vegan versions of this classic dish are abound all over the internet.  

The first vegan caesar salad I made and the one by which this dressing was inspired is this one by Oh She Glows. It has been a staple on all our holiday tables and family dinners!

I’ve made a lot of tweaks to this recipe over the years – some turned out good, some not so good. But I’m so proud to share this recipe with you today. It’s truly my favorite vegan dressing we have ever made, and I just cannot get enough!

Overhead shot of the ingredients you need to make dairy free Caesar salad dressing: silken tofu, white miso paste, capers, fresh garlic, garlic powder, salt, pepper, a lemon, and olive oil.

Vegan Caesar Dressing Ingredients

First and foremost, I really dig using silken tofu over cashews to create the creamy, dreamy base for this caesar dressing. This means there are no cashews to soak! It also means you get a power punch of protein without an overload of fat. It’s light + healthy but also comforting and delicious.

Another key ingredient in this vegan Caesar dressing is capers. These are used as a seamless replacement for the traditional anchovies because fish are friends, and – even as an omnivore – I found it pretty gross that there were fish in my salad dressing.  Surely, I cannot be alone in this!

Next, comes some olive oil for a little fat + flavor, lemon juice + miso paste (or vinegar!) for that tangy zip, fresh garlic because garlic, and a few staples you probably already have in your pantry: salt, pepper, + garlic powder (yep, more garlic…TRUST).

Two side by side photos that are overhead shots of a Vitamix blender before and after blending the ingredients for a vegan caesar salad dressing.

The best part? You just blend all these ingredients in your blender or food processor on high for a minute, and that’s IT. Dressing is made, and you’re amazing.

How to Serve Vegan Caesar Salad

This would be such a great recipe to serve at family dinners. We love how it goes with just about any meal!

It’s also a killer meal prep option. Just make the dressing + toppings ahead of time and have big beautiful comforting Caesar salads all week long.

Vegan Caesar Salad Toppings

Arguably, my favorite part of eating a salad was always the toppings, and I never skimp on them here!

  • Homemade Croutons: Okay, you don’t have to make them homemade, but your life will probably change forever if you listen to my advice here – the homemade route is worth it!
  • Vegan Chik’n of choice: We’re big fans of our lemon pepper tofu cutlets here, but you can use any vegan chik’n you want! Chickpeas also work in a pinch. This really bulks up your salad to create a hearty meal.
  • Vegan Parmesan: We love using a sprinkle of our Cheesy Garlic Butter Blend here or even some nooch! Our favorite store-bought parm is that purple container by Go Veggie, but if you’re looking for more of a shaved parm sitch, the brand Violife makes a killer dairy-free version!
  • Crispy Onions: This choice is less traditional but a personal favorite in our house! Crispy onions can level-up just about anything.
  • Freshly ground black pepper because you can’t have a Caesar salad without it!
This easy vegan caesar salad recipe is delicious, nut-free, and meal prep friendly! The dressing is made with a silken tofu base and flavored to perfection with only 9 simple ingredients. #vegan #caesarsalad #veganrecipe #mealprep #salad // plantpowercouple.com

Vegan Caesar Salad + Wine Pairing

T and I love to serve this vegan caesar salad with a big side of fries or potato wedges and a glass of Verdejo or Sauvignon Blanc. For affordable vegan-friendly brands, we LOVE try:

The citrusy notes in both these wines taste like you’re squeezing a lemon over your vegan caesar salad. It’s like one big zesty party in your mouth!

If and when you make it this vegan caesar, let us know how it goes! You can rate the recipe and leave a comment below or tag us in your photos on Instagram. If you’re not already following along, we’re @theplantpowercouple with the “the”.

We hope you and your family enjoy this recipe as much as we have. Cheers!

More Silken Tofu Recipes:

Yield: 8 servings

Easy Vegan Caesar Salad

These Lemon Pepper Tofu Cutlets are the perfect meal prep staple! Frozen + thawed tofu is sliced and soaked in a bath of zesty lemon pepper flavor. Then, they’re slow-baked to achieve that perfect meaty texture. Slice ‘em up for salads, use them for sandwiches, or serve ‘em over a mountain of rice for a filling and easy vegan dinner!

This easy vegan caesar salad recipe is delicious, nut-free, and meal prep friendly! The dressing is made with a silken tofu base and flavored to perfection with only 9 simple ingredients. Serve it as part of a big holiday meal or bulk it up with all the toppings for a healthy comforting meal!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the salad:

  • 2 heads romaine lettuce, roughly chopped

For the dressing:

Optional Toppings:

Instructions

  1. First, make your dressing: Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.
  2. Assemble the salad: Wash, dry, and chop your lettuce. Toss in a large salad bowl with enough dressing to coat. Add the remainder of the toppings, and enjoy!
  3. TO STORE/SERVE: The dressing can be stored for up to a week in an air-tight container in the fridge. We do NOT recommend freezing the dressing, as it can affect the texture of the silken tofu. We love serving this salad with pizza, pasta, chik’n parm, or all on its own!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8 servings

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 161Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 474mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 9g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and may not always be accurate.

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This easy vegan caesar salad recipe is delicious, nut-free, and meal prep friendly! The dressing is made with a silken tofu base and flavored to perfection with only 9 simple ingredients. #vegan #caesarsalad #veganrecipe #mealprep #salad // plantpowercouple.com

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5 Comments

    1. We use the oil for some added fats to make the base a bit more rich. A great oil-free option would be subbing soaked raw cashews or sunflower seeds (if you have a high-powered blender). A bit of ripe avocado could be nice too! Or, you can skip it entirely for a slightly lighter texture. Would love to hear how it goes if you give one of these a try! :)
  1. I made this today with some cashew yogurt I had since I was out of silken tofu, and it turned out wonderful. I've been kind of let down by the vegan Caesar and ranch dressings out there, and I really appreciate finding one that finally tastes like the real thing. Thank you so much!
    1. Great sub idea, Ashley! So glad you liked, and thanks for reaching out to let us know. I know what you mean about some of the dressings out there. Have you tried our ranch dip/dressing yet? Would love to hear what you think if you have (or do!)

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