This Vegan Kale Caesar Salad is easy to make, delicious and super filling. This recipe will convert any kale naysayer. The belle of the ball is the kale. When massaged with the creamy dressing and lemon, she sings. Cauliflower and cabbage pack the salad with fiber, crunchy chickpeas give it plant protein and roasted baby bell peppers provide a sweet layer of flavor. The creamy cashew and garlic vegan caesar dressing packs an amazing taste sensation.
My Vegan Kale Caesar salad recipe was developed in partnership with Wild Groves. They sponsor my content and I always cook with their superior olive oil. Wild Groves only produces fresh, California grown extra virgin olive oil that is certified authentic by the California Olive Oil Council. Use the code BETTERFOOD17 at checkout for a hefty 17% discount.
The Salad
Kale is the perfect green to use as the base for this Vegan Kale Caesar salad. It is such a hardy green. Kale has enough body to retain it's integrity after being dressed with the Creamy Cashew and Garlic Caesar Dressing. Kale's woody stems can be hard to chew. For this salad we destem the kale, reserving only the delicate greens.
In this Vegan Kale Caesar Salad I use purple cauliflower which is roasted and then sprinkled with fresh squeezed lemon. I do this to bring out that purple color. You will be amazed when you add lemon to the cooked cauliflower, as it will turn brighter the moment the acid from the lemon touches it! Purple cauliflower is hard to find depending on the time of year so it's ok to sub in regular cauliflower. The flavor and texture is the same.
I add sweet roasted bell peppers to my Vegan Kale Caesar salad. I enjoy the sweetness and the pop of color. Regular red, yellow or orange bell peppers will do the trick if baby bells are not available. My roasting method is very simple. Just pop the peppers whole onto the same sheet pan that you are roasting the cauliflower. No need for oil, these babies roast up very nicely in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes. They do not blacken this way, so there is no need to peel them. You will know they are ready when they look deflated and have wrinkly skin. Just let them cool, pull off the stems (which usually deseeds them as well) and chop!
Crispy Chickpeas
Crispy chickpeas lend another layer of texture to this Vegan Kale Caesar salad. I oven bake them rather than frying to minimize my oil consumption. If you want to skip a step in the cooking process, buy some prepared crispy chickpeas. But remember, making crispy chickpeas is really easy! Open a can, season with oil and spices and bake for 20-30 minutes and you will have a delectable salad topping or snack!
The Dressing
The creamy cashew and garlic caesar dressing is the icing on the cake for this Vegan Kale Caesar Salad. It is deceptively simple to make. With just 6 ingredients, making this homemade dressing is foolproof. Just make sure to soak the cashews overnight to soften them or they will not have the creaminess when blended. Instead there will be a slightly grainy texture that can be off-putting. Don't worry, there is a shortcut if you forget to soak them. Just boil your cashews in water for about 30 minutes before making the dressing! This recipe makes enough dressing for 2x the salad recipe.
Vegan Kale Caesar Salad
Equipment
- 2 sheet pans, blender
Ingredients
Crispy Chickpeas
- 15 oz canned chickpeas drained
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp lemon pepper
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 black pepper optional
Roasted Vegetables
- 1 cauliflower cut in florets
- 1 tsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 each baby bell peppers whole
- ½ lemon squeezed
Creamy Cashew and Garlic Caesar Dressing
- 1 cup cashews soaked overnight in water, and drained
- 1 clove garlic whole
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 lemon squeezed
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
Salad
- 1 bunch kale cleaned and chopped
- ½ lemon squeezed
- ½ cup Cashew Caesar Dressing see below
- 2 cups Purple cabbage shredded
Instructions
Crispy Chickpeas
- On a sheet pan, add the chickpeas, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt, garlic powder, lemon pepper, smoked paprika and black pepper. Toss well til all are coated and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes until crispy.
Roasted Vegetables
- On a sheet pan drizzle the cauliflower with olive oil and season with salt, toss gently. Spread out to a single layer
- Make a little space and add whole baby bell peppers to the sheet pan as well.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove the bell peppers at the 15 minute mark.
- Squeeze lemon over the cauliflower to make color and flavor pop
- Remove stems of baby bell peppers and chop rustically.
Creamy Cashew and Garlic Caesar Dressing
- In a blender, add cashews, garlic, lemon, olive oil, water, salt and pepper and blend until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides a couple times to achieve the desired creamy texture. Blenders vary.
Salad
- In a large bowl add the cabbage and kale and squeeze the lemon over them. Then add the cashew caesar and massage through the kale and cabbage gently until distributed well and you feel the kales leaves "relax" a bit.
- Add the cooled red peppers, cauliflower and crispy chickpeas and mix gently.
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