Vegan Lime Caesar Salad with Tempeh Bacon
Crisp and delicious Lime Caesar Salad made with a handful of simple, healthy ingredients.
Servings: 6 Servings
Ingredients
Salad
- 3 Heads Romaine
Croutons
- 200 g Sourdough Bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 tsp Freshly Ground Pepper
Lime Caesar Dressing
- 1/2 cup Tahini
- 2 tbsp Fresh Lime Juice this is equal to about 1/2 a small lime
- 2 tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 3 tbsp Tamari
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 tsp Freshly Ground Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1-3 tbsp Filtered Water
Tempeh Bacon
- 2 blocks Tempeh
- 1/4 cup Tamari
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 2 tbsp Avocado Oil
Vegan Parmesan
- 1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
- 1/4 cup Hemp Seeds
- 1/4 cup Cashews
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
Instructions
Start with your lettuce.
- Chop the ends off your romaine heads and shred with a knife. I like mine on the thinner side, but you can cut them to be whatever size you’d like.
- Wash then spin in a salad spinner to draw out as much moisture as possible.
- Place lettuce in a container or bowl and store in the fridge while you work on the remaining steps.
Prepare the croutons and tempeh bacon.
- Preheat the oven to 375 and bring a pot of water to a boil. Grease a square baking dish.
- Chop tempeh into cubes - the thinner they are, the crispier they get. I prefer them a bit larger, about 1/2 - inch squares. Set aside momentarily.
- Cube your sourdough and arrange in your baking dish. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil, then sprinkle the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss gently until well-combined. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking in order to brown all sides of the croutons.
- Once your water has started boiling, add in your cubed tempeh and let it boil for 10 min. This process helps to remove the bitter fermented taste. Strain the tempeh then toss in the oil, tamari, maple syrup, and paprika. Let marinate while the croutons continue to bake.
- As soon as the croutons are done, remove them from the baking dish and replace them with the tempeh. Turn the oven up to 425 and place in the oven right away.
- Bake the tempeh for about 30 minutes to an hour. This all depends on the thickness of your tempeh. The goal is a crispy, bacon-like texture. I personally like mine a bit larger and undercooked, so I bake them about 45 minutes. Keep an eye on them and remove them when you’re satisfied with the level of crisp. I recommend taking them out after 25 min to give them a quick stir.
- Alternatively, you can pop them in the air fryer for about half the time, or pan fry them.
Make the dressing.
- Add all ingredients together in a bowl. Whisk well until fully combined. Start with 1 tbsp water and gradually increase depending on what consistency you like. I used a really runny tahini, so I only needed 1 tbsp of water.
- This recipe will make you more dressing than you actually need in the recipe. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for no more than a week.
Make the parmesan.
- Add ingredients into a blender or food processor. Pulse until roughly combined, about 10 - 15 seconds.
- You will have a significant amount leftover which you can keep in an airtight container in your pantry. It should last at least a month.
Assemble the salad.
- Remove your lettuce from the fridge and add to your large serving bowl.
- If you’re serving to a group, add in all of the ingredients and about 1/4 of the dressing. Gradually add more dressing until you’re satisfied - there will be a fair amount leftover.
- If you’re planning on eating this throughout the week, do NOT toss in the dressing or it’ll get soggy. Keep the salad with the tempeh, parmesan, and croutons in an airtight container for up to a week. The dressing will last about a week or 2.