This vegan Caesar salad is incredible and seriously way better than the typical Caesar salad! I used one of my favorite ingredients, cashews, to create a creamy Caesar dressing. I also experimented with tofu for the first time and used that in place of croutons. Wow! Who says salads are boring?!?!
For the dressing, makes 3/4 cup (need to allow time for soaking cashews):
1/2cupraw cashewssoaked overnight or for at least 4 hours
1garlic clove
1teaspoonDijon mustard or a spicy deli mustard
1-2tablespoonlemon juicelemon juice from 1/2 lemon
2teaspoonWorcestershire sauceuse a vegan brand; such as Annie's, if desired
2tablespoonsolive oil
salt and pepper to taste
water to thinas needed (reserve cashew soaking water for this, I needed about 1/4 cup)
Instructions
To prepare and bake tofu:
Drain the tofu and gently squeeze out some of the water. Slice the tofu in half lengthwise so you have two one-inch thick pieces. Transfer the tofu to a plate lined with a paper towel, then place another paper towel over the pieces and place something heavy on top to help the tofu drain. I used a stack of magazines. Set aside for 15-30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the weight and drain off the excess liquid. Slice the pressed tofu into cubes and transfer cubes to a large dry plate. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over tofu cubes, sprinkle on sea salt and 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch (or cornstarch); toss gently until the starch is evenly incorporated. Arrange the tofu in an even layer on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil and sprinkle once more with sea salt. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 30 minutes, tossing the tofu halfway through baking and baking until edges are deeply golden.
To make dressing:
Drain soaked cashews and reserve soaking water.
Combine cashews and all other dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. You may need to stop the blender several times and scrape down sides. Add water, as needed, a little at a time to thin out the dressing. The final product should not be super thin. This is supposed to be a thicker dressing.
To make salad:
Chop romaine and kale, discarding stems and toss in a large bowl to combine. Spoon all of the dressing over the lettuce and use your hands to fully incorporate the dressing to cover the lettuce. Gently stir in cooled tofu. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with pom seeds, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
*use 5 additional cups romaine lettuce, if preferred