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June 25, 2018

Kale Caesar Salad with Nut-Free Dressing

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Everybody loves a good Caesar salad. I used to devour them like crazy when I was young . . . until I found out they often had anchovies as an ingredient. The idea of that freaked me out. Funny how you can love something until you understand what it is, and then your preconceptions get in the way. And even when I switched to a plant-based diet, most of the recipes I found used cashews, either in the dressing or the “parmesan” that goes on top, so I’ve been Caesar-less for quite some time.

I know that companies like Follow Your Heart and Daiya are coming out with their own take on the Caesar dressing lately, and they taste really great. But if you can’t find any of those in your grocery store, this recipe, which is much cheaper and contains fewer ingredients, can be made quickly right in your own kitchen.



My version of the Caesar is really simple: the dressing has nine ingredients and only takes a couple of minutes to make. And the salad itself includes five things that are rich in vitamins and nutrients to make this dish not only a win for your tastebuds, but also for your health.

Tell Me What You Think

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this recipe if you make it. So drop me a comment below, and be sure to tag @nutfreevegan on social media if you’re posting photos. Plus, it’s always super fun to see these dishes out in the wild!

Kale Caesar Salad with Nut-Free Dressing

Kale Caesar Salad with Nut-Free Dressing

Kale Caesar Salad with Nut-Free Dressing
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Caesar Salad with Nut-Free Dressing

This simple but tasty version of the vegan Caesar salad is full of flavor and, of course, nut-free.
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time10 minutes mins
Total Time15 minutes mins
Course: Salad
Yield: 0 About 4 servings
Author: The Nut-Free Vegan

Ingredients

  • 1 package Lightlife “Fakin Bacon” tempeh
  • 1 cup Follow Your Heart Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. water
  • 1 bunch kale stemmed, chopped and massaged
  • 2 cups grape tomatoes halved lengthwise
  • 1 cup chickpeas rinsed (see note below)
  • ½ cup Follow Your Heart vegan Parmesan

Instructions

  • Cook tempeh according to instructions on package and set aside.
  • In a food processor or blender, pulse Vegenaise, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper and water until smooth—about 20 seconds.
  • Mix kale and desired amount of dressing in a large bowl. Toss until the kale is coated.
  • Add in tomatoes, chickpeas, parmesan and tempeh. Serve immediately.

Notes

Roast or dry-fry the chickpeas to add a little crunch to your salad.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g

 

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Filed Under: Salads Tagged With: Caesar, Dressing, Follow Your Heart, Lightlife, Parmesan, Salad, Tempeh

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. Nut-Free Caesar Dressing | The Nut-Free Vegan says:
    November 10, 2019 at 10:34 pm

    […] This dressing couldn’t be simpler to make. Its base is Follow Your Heart’s delicious Vegenaise—I like the Grapeseed Oil version—which goes right into a blender or food processor, followed by the handful of other ingredients. Then you just pulse everything for a few seconds until the creamy, smooth final product appears. All in all this recipe shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes to make. And it goes well with any kind of Caesar salad you want to create (may I recommend this Kale-based one from the Nut-Free Vegan archives?). […]

    Reply
  2. Vegan Yack Attack On the Go: Cookbook Recipe and Giveaway | The Nut-Free Vegan says:
    January 16, 2020 at 11:28 pm

    […] has been the case with most things on this site lately, this recipe is relatively light fare that is still filling and healthy. It’s a salad, but a […]

    Reply
  3. 18 High Protein Vegan Salads - Bad to the Bowl says:
    January 26, 2021 at 2:11 pm

    […] lunchtime a treat with this simple and delicious Kale Caesar Salad with Nut-Free Dressing from Nut Free Vegan. It’s great for people who are plant-based, have a […]

    Reply

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ABOUT ME

Welcome to The Nut-Free Vegan! I'm Steven and I'm here to share easy, delicious and nutritious plant-based recipes. Whatever you're looking for in the vegan food world, you'll find it here.

To contact me about photography or recipe work, email: steven@thenutfreevegan.net!
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