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Also known as the Caesar Salad with color and flavor!

The New Vegan Caesar Salad | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Because you guys know…I do not do boring salads.

For me, summer salads should be loaded to the brim with fresh produce, and this Caesar is just that. Loaded to the brim with flavor, color, and texture.

OK, but before I tell you all about this salad, can I give you a little background story on why I decided to create a vegan Caesar? Way back when I was a preteen, I think around the age of twelve, my Nonnie would often take me to lunch and we’d go shopping afterwards. We’d do this kind of thing all the time, but especially in the summer, when I was out of school and had all the time in the world. We always had so much fun!

One time we went to a restaurant out at Crocker Park in Westlake, Ohio. Me being the super odd twelve-year-old that I was, ordered the Caesar Salad. I remember my Nonnie looking at me kind of funny, but I loved the salad and I think I ate a decent portion of it. Almost immediately after we left the restaurant I started to feel nauseous. I think my Nonnie realized something was off, because we ended up just hopping in the car after lunch and heading home. I was completely silent and with every minute that passed I felt worse and worse, and then it happened. Ahhh yes, I totally threw up all over the front seat of her car. Sorry if that’s a little too graphic for a food blog, but there’s really no pretty way to put it.

The New Vegan Caesar Salad | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Sooo, that was my first, and last, experience with a real caesar salad. Granted, it probably wasn’t too smart to order a Caesar from a sports bar restaurant (pretty sure it closed shortly after it opened….hmm), but ever since then I’ve shied away from Caesars. Of course, I would totally try a Caesar again, but I also love the idea of an egg free, vegan Caesar, which is why I was so excited to create this vegan Caesar Salad.

This Caesar Salad is really like no other. I kind of put my own “Tieghan” touches on it using Tuscan kale, lots of avocado, fresh fruit, and grilled bread.

I mean, I don’t know about you guys, but that right there sounds a lot more exciting than a Caesar with iceberg lettuce, dressing, and stale croutons. I mean, right?!?

Hoping you guys agree!

The New Vegan Caesar Salad | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

The dressing is a mix of tahini, almond milk, olive oil, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, a little dijon, some garlic, salt, and pepper. Nothing weird, but still so delish. If you’re not vegan, you can certainly use parmesan cheese in place of the nutritional yeast.

The dressing gets massaged onto the kale, along with some of my homemade vegan parmesan (you know I am not vegan, but I really love this stuff!). And then it’s assembly time! I used romaine lettuce, sweet cantaloupe (the sweetness pairs nicely with the salty flavors happening in the salad), avocado, roasted marcona almonds, and a handful of fresh herbs and edible flowers.

So yeah, very “Tieghan” like. I promise though, it’s so good, and pretty filling too.

Instead of using croutons, I grilled up some bread for a hearty carb on the side. I love grilling bread with some olive oil, salt and pepper and serving it alongside salads. It adds a heartiness to them that I love.

The New Vegan Caesar Salad | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

What’s great about this Vegan Caesar is that you don’t have to worry about any of the ingredients going bad on you. Meaning it’s a great salad to make on Sunday and eat throughout the week. It’s also perfect for summer entertaining.

If you wanted to make it more of a main course salad, I love the idea of adding a grilled pesto chicken. Or to keep it vegan, you could use pesto chickpeas. Either option would be delicious!

The New Vegan Caesar Salad | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

The New Vegan Caesar Salad.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories Per Serving: 781 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Dressing

Vegan Parmesan

Salad

  • 1 bunch Tuscan kale, roughly torn
  • 2 heads romaine lettuce, halved or chopped
  • 1/2 of a cantaloupe, sliced
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 1/2 cup roasted, salted marcona almonds
  • grilled or toasted bread, for serving

Instructions

Dressing

  • 1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Dressing can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the fridge. 

Vegan Parmesan

  • 1. Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add 1/4 cup sesame seeds. Cook, stirring often until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining sesame seeds. Let cool. 
    2. Add the sesame seeds, nutritional yeast, hemp seeds, and a pinch of salt to a blender and pulse until ground and the mix resembles grated parmesan. This can be made ahead and stored at room temp for up to a week.

Salad

  • 1. Add the kale to a large bowl and massage with olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the Dressing, and 2 tablespoons Vegan Parmesan. Toss in the cantaloupe. Divide the salad among bowls. Add the romaine lettuce. Drizzle with dressing and top with avocado and marcona almonds. Enjoy!
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The New Vegan Caesar Salad | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Non-boring summer salads for the win. <–YES.

{This post is sponsored by Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk, thank you for supporting the brands that keep Half Baked Harvest cooking!}

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Comments

  1. 4 stars
    July 4th Ceaser Salad: I will try this recipe again. I wasn’t a super big fan of the flavor, but maybe I missed something.

    1. Hi Kym,
      Thanks for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! Sorry to hear it wasn’t a fave! Let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xT

  2. Maybe it’s because this is a really old post (that I’m just now getting around to but am super excited to make), but why is the name of the almond milk crossed out throughout the post?

    1. HI! I am not sure, but I will get it fixed. It’s just a tech issue. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

  3. YES! I love when you put your Tieghan spin on a recipe. I used to love Caesar salad but haven’t eaten it in far too long. Usually vegan dressings call for soaked cashews but I love the use of tahini! That makes this recipe much quicker to throw together. I also went ahead and added chickpeas and some quinoa to make it a meal. Ooh, and the cantaloupe was also a fun and tasty addition! Thanks for a great recipe 🙂

    1. Ooo sounds so good with some added quinoa and chickpeas! So happy you enjoyed this salad, Melanie! Thank you! ?