Vegan Chikn Caesar Salad Recipe

If you hate recipe preamble (I swear I’ll keep it short), you can jump to the recipe here

In keeping with my promise to provide a variety of written content, today I’m sharing a recipe. Those close to me know that I fancy myself a home chef of sorts. I find joy in veganizing dishes, baking (and consuming) all types of cookies and breads, and making clean-out-the-fridge meals so we go through the mountains of produce we purchase in my house. 

In a truly basic white girl move, I love a salad. None of those weak-ass iceberg lettuce with bottled dressing scenarios – I need flavour, texture, experience. I take immense pride in sharing my vegetation creations with others, watching them go from “fuck a vegan dish” to “what is this sorcery? I can’t stop eating it”. 

One of these dishes is my caesar salad. Modified from Lauren at Hot For Food’s kale caesar recipe, I’ve made it my own. It makes an appearance at nearly every potluck I attend, and my non-vegan partner requests it regularly.

This salad is one of my favourite meals: flavourful, filling, and full of fiber & protein. The ingredients are inexpensive and are primarily shelf-stable. It keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days, so it’s great for meal prepping.

Give it a try! Trust me, you’re not my first salad convert 😘

Vegan Chikn Caesar Salad Recipe

prep time: 15 min

make time: 15 min

servings: 2 meal-sized portions or 4 side portions

Ingredients.

Chikn

  • 1 c soy curls1
  • 1 c hot water (enough to cover the curls)
  • 1 tsp poultry seasoning
  • 1 cube vegetable bouillon/2 tsp vegetable bouillon paste (optional; flavour enhancer)
  • For cooking: 1 tbsp neutral oil

Caesar Dressing

  • For soaking: ½ c boiling water
  • ½ c raw unsalted sunflower seeds2
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled
  • 1 ½ tbsp nutritional yeast3
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp kala namak4 (optional)
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or pickle juice 
  • ¼ tsp yellow mustard
  • 1 tsp neutral oil (like canola)
  • Juice of half a lemon (~ 1 tbsp)
  • ½ c cold water
  • Black pepper, to taste
A caesar salad topped with vegan chickn is in centre frame. It rests on a blue plate, which itself sits on a grey concrete backdrop. The salad is drizzled with more dressing, sprinkled with golden crispy onions, mock bacon bits, and black pepper, and a fresh squeezed lemon wedge rests on the side.

Salad5

  • 2 heaping c kale, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 small head (2 heaping c) romaine, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • Half of a small red (or white) onion, very thinly sliced
  • Optional add-ins: Fake bacon bits, fried crispy onions, vegan parmesan, nutritional yeast, black pepper

Instructions.

  1. Make the dressing: Add the sunflower seeds to a heatproof container. Pour over the ½ c boiling water
  2. Prep the chikn6: Pour about ¼ c of the hot water into a heatproof container, then mix in the poultry seasoning and (if using) vegetable bouillon
  3. Add the soy curls on top of the bouillon mixture, then pour the rest of the water over top until the curls are covered. Stir
  4. Set a timer for 15 minutes – when it goes off, both the chikn and the seeds will be done soaking
  5. Prep the salad: While your ingredients are soaking, chop up your kale and lettuce and toss them together in a large bowl
  6. When the timer goes off, drain both seeds and chikn and set aside
  7. Cook the chikn: Heat a medium pan to medium-high heat, then add 1 tbsp of oil
  8. Squeeze as much liquid out of the soy curls as possible (a fork works well)
  9. When the oil in the pan is shimmering, add the soy curls, then use the back of a spatula to press them into the pan to give them a nice char
  10. Let the curls cook for 3-4 minutes until golden with and slightly charred, then flip over. Press and repeat, cooking for another 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat
  11. Make the dressing: Add the whole clove of garlic to a food processor or Magic Bullet, then run til finely minced
  12. Add the soaked seeds and remaining dressing ingredients to the processor
  13. Run for 1-2 minutes or until entirely smooth
  14. Taste and adjust to preference, adding more water if too thick
  15. Make your salad: Pour about ¾ of your dressing over top of your lettuce mix and mix together with tongs until really well incorporated. Top with red onions and chikn. You can also squeeze a bit of lemon juice over, add a dash of pepper, and any add-ins you’d like. Drizzle a bit more sauce on top for extra fanciness (or save as a dip)

1 I use Butler’s Soy Curls, which you can find at most natural food stores (like Good Rebel Vegan, a west-end Toronto-based shop)

2 Any seed or nut will work here, but sunflower seeds are inexpensive and readily available in Ontario 

3 AKA “nooch”, this vegan staple makes things cheesy-tasting It’s found in the natural section of most major grocers, and can be stored in the freezer for a longer shelf life.

4 AKA “black salt,” this eggy-tasting salt can be found at most Asian grocers

5 This recipe can be made with just kale or romaine, but the variety is nice if you have it

6  If you don’t have access to soy curls, this recipe can be made without the chikn (though it is tastier and higher protein with it)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *