On July 4th, 1924, Caesar Cardini found himself with a slammed restaurant and a limited pantry. And in that moment, he chose to innovate and create the “Caesar Salad”. Inspired by this classic salad, this recipe for vegan kale Caesar salad has croutons, crispy tempeh bacon, massage lacinato kale, crunchy romaine lettuce, a delicious cashew dressing, and a little bit of plant based parmesan, if it suits your fancy.
This vegan kale Caesar salad recipe makes 2 large dinner salads or 4 smaller side salads. If you don’t plan to eat it right away, keep the dressing, croutons and tempeh bacon on the side and add right before serving.
A few things…
- ・No time to make your own croutons, tempeh bacon or vegan Caesar dressing? Use store bought, instead.
- ・To massage the kale, you’re going to crush it in your hands until it turns a brighter shade of green and softens. That’s when you know it’s ready for the vegan Caesar salad!
- ・Want to jazz it up? Instead of tempeh bacon, add vegan chicken tenders, like Gardein Seven Grain Crispy Tenders or your favorite brand.
Please enjoy this delicious vegan kale Caesar salad for lunch, dinner, or as a side dish. And don’t miss more UVK recipes like Lemon Tahini Kale Salad with Toasted Pita, Kale Farro Salad, Roasted Chickpea Kale Salad with Vegan Ranch Dressing, Vegan Heirloom Tomato Salad, Artichoke Potato Salad, and more.
Vegan Kale Caesar Salad
1 batch vegan croutons (OR 1½ cups store bought vegan croutons)
1 batch vegan Caesar dressing (OR ~1 cup vegan Caesar dressing)
1½ cups bite-sizes pieces of tempeh bacon (use homemade or store bought)
1 Tbsp olive oil
5 cups torn lacinato kale with stems removed
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
Vegan parmesan, to top – optional
Lemon wedges, to serve
- 1. Make the vegan croutons by following this recipe. Set aside to cool.
2. Make the vegan Caesar salad dressing by following this recipe. Set aside.
3. Add the tempeh bacon and 1 Tbsp olive oil to a large skillet. Fry it up over medium heat until it’s crispy on all sides/ Remove the skillet from heat.
4. In a large salad bowl, add the lacinato kale. Crush it with your hand over and over until it turns a brighter shade of green and softens. Massaging the kale makes it much more pleasant to eat in the vegan Caesar salad.
5. Add the romaine lettuce to the salad bowl. And then, drizzle everything with the salad dressing from the blender. Toss together until all of the leaves are coated with the dressing.
6. Top the vegan kale Caesar salad with the crispy tempeh bacon, croutons, and plant based parmesan (if using). Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.
