Vegan Caesar Dressing
Creamy dreamy cashew-based vegan Caesar dressing perfect for dipping with veggies or dressing a salad.
A big kale salad smothered in creamy, tangy Caesar dressing and topped with crunchy croutons is at the top of my favorite-salad list. My friend Victoria and I love to get this amazing avocado one at a local cafe, Scarlet Begonia.
If you were wondering if Caesar dressing is vegan, the answer is a big no. Traditional Caesar dressing gets it’s zippiness from anchovies and creaminess from egg yolks. Last summer during the craziness of trying to sell our home, I signed up for a few weeks of Sunbasket. One of my favorite items in the box was a zippy vegan Caesar dressing. I’ve wanted to recreate that creamy dressing ever since, so I’m thrilled to be able to share my copycat version here for you to try.
Like my other favorite – Lemon Tahini Salad Dressing, this vegan dressing is completely whole food plant based. That means no animal products or added oil.
Vegan Caesar Dressing Ingredients
I had all the ingredients for this creamy dressing in my pantry and refrigerator. To make this creamy vegan Caesar you’ll need:
- Raw cashews for creaminess (plan ahead, as they need to be soaked first)
- fresh lemon juice
- garlic for classic flavor (ugh! I forgot it when shooting!)
- capers for salty zippy flavor (instead of anchovies)
- unsweetened plain almond milk
- nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor
- Dijon mustard for zing
- a splash of vegan Worcestershire sauce
How to Make Creamy Vegan Caesar Dressing
Once the cashews are nice and soft, toss them in the blender with the rest of the ingredients. Soaked nuts like cashews make the most incredibly smooth and creamy dairy-free foods from Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake to homemade cultured Vegan Cream Cheese! You can even make “ricotta” out of almonds and it tastes so much better than the dairy version.
Whirl until smooth and creamy, adding more almond milk as needed to thin. Season the dressing to taste with salt and pepper and it’s ready to use.
How to Use Vegan Caesar Dressing
You could of course use this dressing for a typical Caesar salad with romaine lettuce and croutons, but there are a few other ways I like to use it as well.
Grill halved Romaine hearts and drizzle the sauce over for a fancied-up Caesar salad.
Vegan Caesar Salad
Or, my personal favorite, Kale Caesar Salad.
- Massage the dressing into a big bowl of chopped curly kale
- Top with: avocado, sliced red onion, sourdough croutons, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and some Follow Your Heart Parmesan on top.
Vegan Caesar Dressing
Easy vegan Caesar dressing for making the most delicious vegan Caesar salads! Cashews make this dressing extra creamy and dairy-free.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight or at least 2 hours in hot water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the soaked cashews. Place in a blender with the lemon juice, capers, garlic, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, nutritional yeast, and half the almond milk.
- Blend until smooth and creamy, adding more almond milk to reach the desired consistency.
- Use your vegan Caesar dressing on salads or veggies. Store sealed in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1/4Amount Per Serving: Calories: 101Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 240mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 4g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Nutritionix. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your favorite calculator.
