Vegan Bacon Caesar Salad.
Have you ever had a bacon caesar salad that is completely vegan? Get ready, because this salad will truly blow your mind! There are so many ways you can modify this recipe – switch up the lettuce, replace the tempeh with seitan or tofu, swap the breaded croutons for chickpeas. This is my favorite way to eat the salad, but feel free to make it your own.
Protein Rich
There are tons of vegan protein options out there, but my favorite is definitely tempeh bacon – it’s smoky, crispy, and delicious. Tempeh bacon isn’t difficult to make on your own, but you can find premade tempeh bacon in the vegan section of your grocery store if you’re looking to save time. I prefer homemade because premade versions tend to have unnecessary unhealthy ingredients such as cane sugar, unspecified “natural flavors”, and gums. If you absolutely are going to buy premade though, I would recommend Lightlife’s tempeh bacon.
Crispy “Croutons”
For the croutons I used a gluten-free slice of bread which I cubed and airfried. This method is the most authentic and the easiest – no oil or seasoning required. Chickpeas are an amazing crouton substitute as they are high in protein, aid in digestion, and keep you satiated for a long time.
The Perfect Dressing
This creamy dressing is packed with nutrition and protein – the ground flax alone is around 7g of protein! If you’re not a fan of tahini, replace it with cashew butter, they’re pretty evenly matched in terms of calories, carbs, fat, and protein.
{Related Recipes: If you like this salad you will love my SIMPLE ITALIAN SALAD and my SWEET POTATO AVOCADO SALAD.}
Bacon Caesar Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 cup chopped romaine
- 1 slice bread I used the brand Bread Srsly
Dressing
- 4 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp mustard
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 2 tbsp ground flax meal
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 - 3 tbsp water
Tempeh Bacon
- 1/2 block tempeh
- 2 tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp agave or maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp liquid smoke optional
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
Parmesan
- 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 3 tbsp hemp seeds
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp cashews
Instructions
Tempeh Bacon
- Chop tempeh into semi-thin strips or cubes - the thinner they are, the crispier they get.
- Add remaining ingredients in a bowl and let tempeh soak in mixture for at least 10 minutes.
- Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 10 min or so on each side or until they reach your desired level of crisp. Alternatively, you can pop them in the air fryer for the same amount of time, or pan fry them.
- Break strips up into little pieces and sprinkle all over the salad
Dressing
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well until fully combined & creamy. Start with 1 tbsp water and gradually increased depending on how thick you want it
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for no more than a week.
Parmesan
- Add ingredients into a blender or food processor. Pulse until roughly combined.
Salad
- Wash and chop lettuce and place in a bowl.
- Cube a slice of bread and add to your oven or air fryer for about 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees. The amount of time depends on how crispy you want your croutons - check on them after 10 minutes and go from there.
- Add all toppings, dressing, and parmesan to salad and mix to combine. Save the leftovers in the fridge for no more 5 days.
