Also known as the Caesar Salad with color and flavor!
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.
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 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.
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!
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!}
