Salads are summer’s favourites and this one is a total winner. Vegan Caesar salad is really simple to make and so tasty you’ll be making it again and again.
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Salad bowls are summer’s essentials
It happens to me every year when the temperatures go up – I start eating less and crave fresh food, salad bowls, smoothies, smaller light meals, and cold drinks.
I think I only ate “the real” Caesar salad once. With “the real” I mean “containing animal products”. I don’t know why, I guess it just wasn’t a tradition in our family, although Caesar salad is insanely delicious (at least this one that I make). As a vegan, I feel called to change many family traditions and this is one of them. This vegan Caesar salad is so good I don’t know why wouldn’t it be a new family tradition.
Caesar salad bowl is certainly one of my favourite summer salads. It’s ready in no time, full of taste and texture, and it fulfills all of my food desires (cold, refreshing, light).
There are many options for summer salad bowls, I would even dare to say there are countless options, but I have to admit that vegan Caesar salad is one of the best ones. The white sauce, the crunchy croutons, the vegan chick’n strips … hell yes. I’m down for it anytime. Out of all Caesar salad ideas I would pick this one – always. Yeah, I might be a little biased because I made this salad, but it’s just so good!
Toppings for Caesar salad
Is dressing a topping? Either way, I love Caesar salad dressing to my core. I’m all about garlic and this salad dressing is a perfect combo of yogurt and garlic and lemon and some other ingredients that make it sooo yum. I actually make this dressing a lot and simply make a salad with Caesar dressing without it being a proper Caesar salad.
The original recipe for Caesar salad dressing contains raw eggs and anchovies, both of which might repel people. This Caesar salad dressing without anchovies and without raw eggs is the answer for those who feel disgusted by these two ingredients. Furthermore, there’s no mayo and no oil at all, actually. It’s clean, it’s lean, it’s healthy.
In all my recipes I’m trying to include ingredients that are easy to find and easy to use. This way my recipes are available for anyone to try. The original recipe calls for parmesan cheese. Vegan parmesan cheese can be hard to find, especially if you don’t live in a big city. That’s why I’m simply using grated vegan cheese. I go into more detail about it in the last part of this post.
Croutons are the ingredient that you shouldn’t miss. They add crunch and absorb/catch the yogurt salad dressing. This salad is simply not the same without them.
All the ingredients create this perfect combination of taste, the amazing textures that create the dynamics of the dish, and the colours that are calming, yet uplifting. This Caesar salad recipe will give you the vegan Caesar salad option you’re looking for.
Caesar salad to die for – ingredients Q&A
There are dishes for which you should follow the recipe closely, and there are dishes that allow some errors and some changes. This is the latter. No matter what, it’s always good to follow the recipe closely the first time you’re making the dish, simply to see what it’s like and what changes you’d like to make to it. But I know you like to experiment and adjust the ingredients, so let me help you a little.
Lettuce: Usually, salad for Ceasar salad is romaine lettuce. Once again, it might not be so easy to find, especially here in Slovenia. And I’m really not the type to complicate, so I’m using rapunzel in this recipe, but any lettuce would do. I really like the taste of rapunzel and how nicely the toppings catch on it. Other than rapunzel, I would recommend something crunchy, like iceberg lettuce.
Cheese: Vegan, ofc. I’m using vegan grated cheese, the one you might use for pizza. Although I’m not using parmesan, I recommend you use good quality grated cheese, otherwise, it might be dry and somehow floury. I use Veganz grated cheese because I really like the flavour and how compact it is. If you can get your hands on some vegan parmesan, use that – cut it thin or even grate it and use that instead of grated cheese.
Croutons: I’m making my own croutons although I think you might be able to find them in the store, too. I’m giving you instructions on how to make your own croutons in the recipe card below. You’ll love them, I promise.
Chicken: The original Caesar salad recipe doesn’t include chicken, but many people add it to their Ceasar salad recipe. I like the idea so I’m adding vegan chicken strips to my recipe. I use Chicky Strips from the Slovenian brand Amaze, but I bet your country has some very nice vegan chicken options.
For the Caesar salad dressing:
Yogurt: My favourite is coconut yogurt, I’m using the unsweetened one and it’s perfect for sweet and savoury things. If you don’t like the taste of coconut, you can always use soy yogurt, or almond, oat, or any other yogurt you like.
Garlic: the easiest way is to use granulated garlic, but using fresh garlic is also an option. Make sure you use it sparingly as the taste and smell of fresh garlic are much stronger.
Are you ready to make this vegan Caesar salad with the perfect healthy Caesar salad dressing? Let me know what you think about it in the comment section below! 🙂
Do you want to try the rainbow buddha bowl? Find a recipe here! In case you’re looking for a quick summer snack, this best vegan sandwich will make you smile.
Are you recreating any of my recipes? Don’t forget to take a photo and tag me on Instagram @littlekitchenvibes
P.S.: this recipe was created in collaboration with Spar Slovenija – you can find a recipe in Slovene on their website here.

Vegan Caesar Salad with Yogurt Dressing
Ingredients
- lettuce romaine, iceberg, rapunzel
- ¼ baguette for croutons
- vegan chicken strips
- vegan grated cheese or vegan parmesan
- olive oil for croutons
Caesar salad dressing
- 100 g vegan yogurt
- ½ tsp granulated garlic + more for croutons
- pinch black pepper
- 1 tsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ lemon juice
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Tear about a quarter of the baguette into bite-sized pieces. Transfer these pieces to a large baking pan and arrange them around half of the pan. Drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle them with granulated garlic.
- Arrange vegan chicken strips around the other half of the pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes at 180°C.
- Wash lettuce and cut it into small pieces or strips. If you're using rapunzel, as I do, you don't have to cut it.
Making the dressing
- Meanwhile, prepare the Caesar salad dressing. Put coconut yogurt, garlic powder, black pepper, nutritional yeast, salt, lemon juice, and mustard into a bowl. Mix the dressing well, using a whisk. Meanwhile, the croutons and strips will also be already baked.
Assembling the salad
- Place the lettuce on a plate and pour the dressing over it. Sprinkle it with grated vegan cheese. Add croutons and chicken strips on top. If you want you can add a slice of lemon, and that's it!
What does half lemon juice mean? Half teaspoon? Thnx.
Hi! It means juice of half of a lemon. You take one half of a lemon and squeeze out the juice and there you go! 🙂