This is seriously the best vegan Caesar dressing that you will ever taste! This rich and creamy dressing tastes like the real deal! Pour it over crisp romaine lettuce topped with croutons or tofu and it may be the most delicious vegan salad that you will ever eat! My kids fight over the salad when I make this dressing - it's seriously that good!
You will love this dairy-free Caesar because it's
- quick and easy to make.
- dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free, so everyone can enjoy it.
- incredibly close in a taste of traditional Caesar, yet made without dairy, eggs, and anchovies.
- simply delicious and completely addictive.
Is Caesar dressing vegan?
Traditional Caesar dressing is not vegan! Ceasar is made with eggs, cheese, and even anchovies, so it's not even vegetarian. However, I have figured out how to make a truly authentic tasting Caesar that is completely vegan!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Oil - this is the base of the dressing. It gives it a rich creamy flavor and makes it tastes like a real Caesar. I think canola oil has the best flavor, but you can use another neutral-tasting oil. I would not recommend olive oil or any other oil with a strong flavor.
- Soy Milk - to make the dressing thick and creamy. You can use other plant-based milk, but try to use one with high protein content.
- Nutritional Yeast - to replace the cheese in traditional Caesar dressing. The protein in the nutritional yeast also helps thicken the dressing.
- Kelp Flakes - to replace the anchovies in traditional Caesar. (optional) This is simply ground seaweed to give it that fishy flavor.
- Bragg's Liquid Aminos - to replace the Warchestechire sauce in traditional Caesar. They do make vegan Worcestershire sauce if you would like to use that instead of the Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, however, just note that it is not gluten-free.
- Garlic - for flavor (optional)
- Apple Cider Vinegar - for acidity with will give your dressing the right flavor and make the protein thicken.
- Lemon Juice - also for acidity and flavor and to help thicken the dressing.
- Salt - for flavor
- Pepper - for flavor. Fresh ground pepper tastes best. A little more sprinkled on your salad is delicious too!
- Dijon Mustard - for flavor (optional).
How do I make vegan Caesar dressing?
- Put all the ingredients except water into a blender or immersion blender container
- Blend until creamy.
- Add a small amount of water if needed to thin the dressing.
It's seriously that easy!
Achieving an authentic Caesar flavor
Non-vegan Caesar usually has anchovies, Worcestershire sauce, and cheese. It is easy to replace those flavors with some kelp flakes, Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, and nutritional yeast. Once blended with soy milk, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar, it magically turns creamy and tastes like classic Caesar dressing! The kelp flakes give it a slightly fishy flavor as anchovies would. If you don't like that, simply leave it out.
Vegan Caesar salad
- Start with fresh crisp Romaine lettuce.
- Wash it and pat dry with a paper towel, then cut or break it up into bite-sized pieces.
- Top with some croutons and the vegan Caesar salad dressing and toss.
- You can also add some vegan Parmesan cheese shreds if you would like (or make your own using my vegan parmesan cheese recipe). I like it with some cherry tomatoes as well to give it a little extra color and flavor.
Tip: If you need gluten-free vegan croutons, they are hard to find in the store, but they are easy to make your own. This is the method that I use.
Modifications
This salad is so good, my family eats it for dinner about once a week. Any night that I want a super quick and easy dinner that the whole family will agree on, I make a huge bowl of this Caesar salad. To make it more of a meal, I usually add some fried tofu, vegan popcorn chicken, or I fry up some vegan chicken strips or Butler Soy Curls to add some filling protein.
Storage
Store your dressing in a glass jar with a good seal in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. I like to use an old dressing container that I have washed out to store my dressing.
More creamy vegan salad dressings
You have to try my unbelievable Vegan Blue Cheese dressing and crumbles! Also, my vegan ranch dressing tastes just like a classic ranch, but without the dairy!
More recipes using kelp flakes
Make authentic tasting vegan "tuna" salad or a vegan tuna melt! This vegan linguini with clam sauce, vegan scallops, and vegan fish will amaze you too!
Subscribe to my email list to get my free eBook “The Beginner’s Guide to Homemade Vegan Staples” or if you are ready to fully dive into making your own vegan cheese, butter, yogurt, and more check out my cookbook, “The Ultimate Guide to Homemade Vegan Staples!”
A classic tasting Caesar dressing to make an authentic tasting vegan Caesar salad.
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/4 cup soy milk
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos or vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 small clove garlic or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kelp flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1-4 tablespoons water
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Put all of the above ingredients, except for the water, into a blender and blend until thick and creamy.
-
Add the water a little at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
- The amount of water needed will depend on the type of soy milk that you use.
- The protein in the soy milk gives the dressing a creamy texture. If you choose to use a different type of non-dairy milk, it will not be as thick, so you can omit the water.
- Make sure to use PLAIN milk and not vanilla!
- If you don't want a slightly fishy flavor, omit the kelp flakes.
- Top the salad with grilled vegan "chicken" strips like Beyond Meat brand for a more filling meal.
