This Vegan Caesar Dressing Recipe is easy to make, as authentic as you can get, and vegan. This has a bright lemon-y flavor that goes great with romaine and croutons.
Caesar Dressing is one of my favorite dressings, hands down. It has acid, umami, salt, and is overall a great balance of flavors.
Making my own vegan version of my favorite condiment wasn’t as challenging as you might think. It is thickened when the oil emulsifiers with the egg yolk and mustard. I knew from previous experiments (*cough* vegan mayo *cough*) that aquafaba can do the same thing.
Replacing the anchovies in Caesar was a little trickier. Anchovies are in the Worcestershire and in the dressing itself. It adds salt and flavor to the dressing. I tried straight olives, but the flavor wasn’t salty enough. I found using olive tapenade, which usually has a mixture of olives, capers, lemon, and salt, gave the flavor I wanted. I tried to keep this as authentic as possible by only replacing the necessary ingredients with their closest counterparts. I was really happy with the result.
Please note that this recipe is designed so that once you finish the dressing, you still need to finish the salad with a squeeze of lemon, a pinch of salt, and a dash of pepper to adjust to your tastes.
Check it out below!
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Ingredients for Vegan Caesar Dressing Recipe
- Garlic
- Red chili flakes. This is to add spice to the dressing. It won’t be spicy, but it will still have the flavor.
- Lemon juice. Lemon juice brings a bright flavor to the dressing.
- Oil. Oil is really important to thicken the mixture. A combination of olive oil and canola oil is used to do this.
- Mustard. This will give flavor and help keep the emulsification.
- Worcestershire sauce. Make sure the Worcestershire sauce doesn’t have anchovies. Most Worcesters sauces are flavored with anchovies to give salt and umami.
- Tapenade. This is a mixture of minced olives, capers, lemon, and salt. The briny flavors will be a good replacement for anchovies that is usually in Caesar dressing. Make sure it doesn’t have anchovies because some do.
- Red wine vinegar
- Aquafaba. Traditionally Caesar dressing will use egg yolks to help the emulsification, but aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) has similar emulsification properties.
Storing It and Extra Tips
I mix this with a high-powered blender and poured in the oil through a spout from the top. You can also use a food processor or a stick blender to complete the job. I wouldn’t recommend hand mixing it because it requires extra steps and it takes 10-15 minutes or vigorous stirring.
Once you complete the dressing, you can store in an airtight container, such as a jar or Tupperware. Be sure it is clean and dry to make sure there is no unwanted bacteria. It will last 2-3 weeks in the fridge.
Want More?
Try Out Similar recipes below:
Vegan Caesar Dressing
Equipment
- high powdered blender
Materials
- 17 g (2 tbsp) garlic cloves
- 3 g (1 tsp) red chili flakes
- 40 g (2 3/4 tbsp) freshly-squeezed lemon juice, plus more for serving
- 28 g (2 tbsp) Dijon mustard
- 37 g (2 1/2 tbsp) vegan worchestire sauce
- 50 g (1/4 cup) Olive Tapenade
- 75 g (1/4 cup + 1 tbsp) red wine vinegar
- 75 g (1/4 cup + 1 tbsp) aquafaba
- 225 g (1 cup) light flavored olive oil
- 225 g (1 cup) neutral flavored oil
- salt plus pepper to taste
To make salad, you need…
- 1-3 romaine heads, chopped
- croutons
- vegan parmesan
Instructions
- In the blender put the garlic, red chili flakes, lemon juice, mustard, worchestire sauce, olives, red wine vinegar, and aquafaba in the blender.
- Blend on high until smooth.
- Lower blender to low. Put the olive oil and neutral oil in a liquid measuring cup and pour while it is blending to emulsify.
- Once all oil is poured mix on high until smooth. It should be thicker and lighter in color.
- Store in the fridge until ready to use.
- To serve, add romaine and croutons in bowl. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Add enough dressing and a squeeze of lemon juice. Mix with tongs and serve with parmesan and croutons.
I hope you try this recipe. If you tried this recipe, let me know in the comments below.
HMMMMMM! looks delicious and refreshing. How much is the jar? Whatever, sold!