One of the most simple salads out there is the Caesar salad, but it is often packed full of dairy and oils that can be inflammatory. If you are here, you might have read a label or two on store-bought salad dressing and thought that you could only ever have olive oil and vinegar from your own house- much like it did. However I LOVE salad and the dressings are typically one of my favorite parts of a salad, so I am always experimenting in that department. This Dairy-Free Caesar Salad tastes just about as close to real Caesar dressing as you can get!
One of the biggest struggles when trying to make homemade Caesar dressing was getting that tangy, sharp flavor that the usual ingredient of parmesan cheese adds. In real Caesar salads, there are also anchovies that give it an extra salty flavor to match the cheese. This is where the fish sauce comes in, in my recipe! It sounds weird, I know, but trust me- you definitely need it!
Now for the salad part! You can of course use this on any salad you like, but my favorite thing to use this on is a very plain bed of lettuce and something with a crunch. Typically I love just a bed of kale with crispy garbanzo beans. If I am making this a meal, I will add some grilled chicken on top, too!
Tips for Dairy-Free Caesar Salad:
- To make this salad Whole30, all you need to do is sub the garbanzo beans for something else crunchy! My go-to is pine nuts or any sort of nut.
- As I mentioned, fish sauce is vital to this recipe, but if you are trying to make this all plant based, you can substitute capers and a teaspoon of the caper brine.
- This dressing gets thick in the fridge overnight, if you want it a bit looser, you can just add a teaspoon of water the next day and mix it up.
- My favorite tahini is from Artisana Organics because it is a perfect consistency, but you can use any that you like.
Dairy-Free Caesar Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- ¼ cup Tahini I use Artisana Organics
- ¼ cup Avocado Mayo I use Chosen Foods
- 12 tablespoon Olive oil
- ½ Lemon juiced
- 1 tablespoon Garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Fish sauce I use Red Boat
- 1 teaspoon Coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon Water
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon Red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper
Salad
- 2 cups Kale
- 1 can Garbanzo beans
Instructions
- Drain and rinse a can of garbanzo beans. Put the beans in the air fryer at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until crispy. You can also roast them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.
- Combine all of the dressing ingredients into a mason jar or bowl and whisk until smooth. Slowly add more water if you want a thinner consistency.
- Divide the kale into two bowls and top with the dressing and crispy garbanzo beans. Enjoy!
Notes
- To make this salad Whole30, all you need to do is sub the garbanzo beans for something else crunchy! My go-to is pine nuts or any sort of nut.
- Like I mentioned, fish sauce is vital to this recipe, but if you are trying to make this plant based, you can substitute capers and a teaspoon of the caper brine.
- This dressing gets thick in the fridge overnight, if you want it a bit looser, you can just add a teaspoon of water the next day and mix it up.
- My favorite tahini is from Artisana Organics because it is the perfect consistency, but you can use any that you like.
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