Let’s face it, sometimes salads can get a bit boring. Not to mention a very “cliche” vegan choice (don’t all of our omnivore friends think all we eat is salad?). This vegan Caesar salad is simple to make and full of flavor due to the tangy dressing (found here). Honestly, I don’t miss the dairy or animal products at all.
Fortunately, there are a ton of variations for the plant-based staple, and this is one of my favorites. It is inspired by a (non-vegan) southwest Caesar salad I used to enjoy at a local restaurant, and this plant-based version adds a bit more vegetable and removes the animal products.
I love how thick and tangy the dressing is, thanks to the addition of olives and a bit of brine. It pairs perfectly with the southwest style ingredients. You can even try adding a bit of BBQ to your dressing, which pairs very nicely with this salad.
Southwest vegan caesar salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 8 cups romaine lettuce
- 1/2 cup corn preferably roasted and cut from the cob
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 1/2 avocado sliced
- 1 red onion sliced
- 1/2 cup tomatoes sliced or diced
- 1/4 cup vegan shredded cheese optional, see notes
- 1/2 cup toasted pita bread or corn tortillas optional, see notes
Dressing
- 1/4 cup hummus See recipe at http://plants.to/GarlicHummus
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 3 Tbsp garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp green olive grated (about 2, depending on size)
- 1 Tbsp olive brine or apple cider vinegar
- 1/8 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Dressing: Wisk all ingredients together, adding additional olive oil or lemon juice for consistency as needed. Reserve about 4 Tbsp of the dressing for this recipe, and store the remainder in the fridge in an air tight container.
- Wash and slice all vegetables, then toss all vegetables (except the avocados) with the vegan cheese and about 4 Tbsp of the salad dressing (adjust to taste).
- Add the avocado as slices on top.
- Garnish with tortilla chips, and season with salt and pepper.
Notes
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