Fancy a properly good salad? This Vegan Chicken Caesar Salad hits different. Think creamy, dreamy dressing, crispy bits, and loads of protein. Ready in minutes. You know you want to.
😋 Why You’ll love this recipe!
- Properly Satisfying: Forget sad salads. This one’s loaded with flavour and texture, plus it packs a serious high-protein punch thanks to the vegan chicken and creamy cashew dressing.
- Seriously Quick & Easy: Perfect for a speedy lunch or light dinner, it comes together in minutes, especially if you prep the components ahead. Hello, easy meal prep!
- Classic Flavour, Vegan Style: You get all that tangy, creamy, savoury goodness you expect from a Caesar, but entirely plant-based. It’s fresh, satisfying, and perfect for warmer days.
📝 Ingredient notes
- Lettuce: You’ll need about 2 hearts, Romaine lettuce is the classic choice for a Caesar, giving you that sturdy crunch.
- Cucumber: Just a quarter of one, chopped. Adds a bit of cool freshness to cut through the richness.
- Croutons: Around 100g does the trick. You can absolutely use shop-bought ones to save time, chuck some oiled bread cubes in the air fryer like I often do (more on that below!), or get fancy with homemade ones like these ones. Whatever floats your boat.
- Vegan Chicken: About 250g. My super speedy seitan recipe is perfect here if you want homemade without the faff. Otherwise, any store-bought vegan chicken pieces or even leftover cooked tofu or seitan will work fine.
- Cashews: 70g of raw cashews form the creamy base of our Caesar dressing. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, soaking them in hot water for 15-20 minutes first helps get things extra smooth.
- Nutritional Yeast: 4 tablespoons give that cheesy, nutty, umami flavour essential for a Caesar vibe. Don’t skip this!
- Dijon Mustard: Just 6g for a bit of tang and spice to cut through the creaminess.
- Henderson’s Relish: 10g of this magic stuff. It’s basically a vegan Worcestershire sauce, bringing a unique savoury, funky depth. If you can’t get your hands on Hendo’s (it’s worth looking for!), another vegan Worcestershire sauce will work as a substitute.
🥣 How to make Vegan Chicken Caesar Salad
- Prep Your Bits (Chicken & Croutons):
- Chicken: I’m using my quick seitan recipe here because it’s done in about 20 minutes. But honestly, use whatever vegan chicken you fancy – store-bought, leftover tofu, whatever works. Cook it according to its instructions.
- Croutons: You’ve got options! Use shop-bought, make some proper ones like these (just tweak the seasonings to be plain-ish), or do what I did: grab some high-protein rolls (Lidl’s Rowan Hill ones are great if you can find ’em), chop ’em up, toss with a tablespoon of olive oil, and air fry at 170°C (340°F) for about 8 minutes until crispy. Easy peasy!
- Soak the Cashews:
- Get your cashews (70g) into a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let them sit for about 15 minutes.
- Tip: If your blender isn’t super powerful (like a Vitamix beast), you might want to boil the cashews gently on the hob for 5-10 minutes instead. This just helps them get really soft and makes for a smoother dressing. Mine handles just soaking fine, but adjust if needed.
- Chop the Salad:
- While the cashews are having their bath, prep your salad base. Wash the Romaine lettuce hearts. I usually slice them into quarters lengthways, then chop them up. Honestly, just give it a rough chop – don’t overthink it.
- Do the same with the cucumber (if using). Quarter it lengthways, then chop it into chunks. Yeah, cucumber isn’t strictly traditional in a Caesar, but I like the extra crunch and freshness. Feel free to leave it out if you’re a purist. Chuck the chopped lettuce and cucumber into your salad bowl.
- Blend the Dressing:
- Drain the soaked cashews and chuck them into your blender. Add the nutritional yeast (4 tbsp), Dijon mustard (6g), and Henderson’s Relish (10g).
- Blend on high until it’s super smooth and creamy.
- Blender Note: If you’ve got a blender with a wide base (like mine, annoyingly), you might need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times to get everything incorporated. Blenders with a narrower base near the blades usually handle smaller amounts better. If it’s struggling, you can always double the dressing recipe – it’ll blend easier, and you’ll have extra dressing for later (win-win!).
- Assemble and Serve:
- Right, chuck your cooked vegan chicken and crispy croutons into the bowl with the lettuce and cucumber.
- Pour over that gorgeous creamy Caesar dressing and give it all a good toss to coat everything evenly.
- Serve it up straight away!
🤔 Frequently asked questions
How long will this Vegan Caesar Salad keep in the fridge?
It’s best enjoyed fresh once assembled, as the lettuce and croutons will lose their crunch. However, you can store the creamy vegan Caesar dressing separately in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. The cooked [Vegan Chicken] can also be stored separately for 3-4 days. Prep the components and assemble just before eating for the best results – perfect for meal prep!
What can I substitute for Henderson’s Relish?
Henderson’s Relish adds a specific tangy, savoury flavour. If you can’t find it, a good quality vegan Worcestershire sauce is the closest substitute. Look for brands like Biona or Chippa.
Help! I have a nut allergy. Can I make the dressing without cashews?
Cashews provide the creaminess here. For a nut-free version, you could experiment with using silken tofu (about 100-120g) or soaked raw sunflower seeds (about 70g, soaked like the cashews) as a base. The flavour profile will change slightly, but you should still get a creamy result. Adjust seasonings as needed.
You mentioned this is high protein – how much is in it?
Using the suggested amounts (especially with the seitan-based [Vegan Chicken] and high-protein rolls for croutons), one serving of this salad clocks in at approximately 60-70 grams of protein. This can vary slightly depending on the specific vegan chicken and bread you use, but it’s definitely a protein-packed meal.
What’s the best way to make croutons if I don’t have an air fryer?
No problem! Just toss your bread cubes with olive oil and seasonings as desired, then spread them on a baking tray. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 10-15 minutes, tossing halfway through, until golden brown and crispy. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
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The Best Vegan Chicken Caesar Salad (Creamy Dressing Recipe)
Equipment
- Large mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 100 g Croutons
- 250 g Vegan Chicken
- 10 g Hendersons Relish
- 6 g Dijon Mustard
- 70 g Cashews
- 4 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 1/4 Cucumber
- 2 Hearts Romaine Lettuce
Instructions
- Prep Chicken: Cook your chosen vegan chicken (or store-bought alternative) according to package or recipe instructions. Set aside.
- Make Croutons: Prepare croutons by using store-bought, air frying oiled bread cubes (170°C/340°F, 8 mins), or making a dedicated recipe like this one.
- Soak Cashews: Place raw cashews in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soak for 15 minutes. Drain well.
- Chop Salad: Roughly chop the Romaine lettuce hearts and the cucumber (if using). Place in a large salad bowl.
- Blend Dressing: Add drained cashews, nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, and Henderson's Relish to a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth and creamy.
- Assemble Salad: Add the cooked vegan chicken and prepared croutons to the salad bowl with the lettuce and cucumber. Pour over the blended Caesar dressing.
- Toss & Serve: Gently toss everything together until well coated. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Chicken: My quick seitan recipe works great, but feel free to use any vegan chicken alternative you prefer.
- Croutons: Store-bought are fine for speed. For homemade, try the air fryer hack mentioned above or these (Just adjust the seasonings).
- Cashew Soaking: If you don’t have a high-speed blender, consider boiling the cashews for 5-10 minutes instead of just soaking to ensure a smoother dressing.
- Blending Tip: For wide-bottomed blenders, you may need to scrape the sides down. If struggling, try doubling the dressing recipe – it blends easier and gives you leftovers!
- Henderson’s Relish: If unavailable, substitute with another vegan Worcestershire sauce.