I brought this vegetarian kale caesar salad to friendsgiving last year, and in the face of creamy mashed potatoes and savory stuffing, this was the only dish we finished.
This salad has even made me friends. I was floored when a new face at Friendsgiving asked me for this recipe months later. It’s just that good.
Caesar dressing usually gets its deeply savory flavor from anchovies. To mimic that flavor in a vegetarian way, we swap anchovies for delicious, briny capers, and up the ante with nutritional yeast, which really packs a punch of umami. This dressing can easily be made vegan by swapping in vegan mayonnaise, doubling the nutritional yeast, and leaving out the parmesan. We’ve really enjoyed it this way, too!
You can use any greens you like, but we love how kale (and our favorite, tuscan kale) can stand up to the creamy dressing. Crunchy toppings like toasted breadcrumbs and fried capers (yes, you can do that) take this salad over the top and impress vegetarians and carnivores alike. Serve with your favorite pasta dish for a fun twist on the classic Italian dinner.
Enjoy some salad. Make some friends. (And let us know how you liked this vegetarian kale caesar salad recipe in the comments!)
Vegetarian Kale Caesar Salad
Ingredients
Caesar Dressing
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise (or sub vegan mayo)
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 and ½ tbsp nutritional yeast (if making vegan, double this)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp capers finely chopped
- ¼ cup grated parmesan (omit for vegan)
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Salad
- ¼ cup capers
- 2 tbsp olive oil or enough to fully coat bottom of the pan
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 16-oz bag shredded kale
Instructions
- Make your vegetarian caesar dressing by combining dressing ingredients in a medium bowl, including: mayonnaise (or vegan mayonnaise), fresh lemon juice, dijon mustard, minced garlic, nutritional yeast (double the amount for a vegan version), grated parmesan (leave out for vegan versions), finely chopped capers, salt, ground pepper, and olive oil. Whisk vigorously until totally combined.
- Fry your capers: heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a small pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add ¼ cup of drained and dried capers to the oil, and cook stirring occasionally until capers are crunchy and browned. You can tell they are done when many of them look burst open. Remove capers from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Keep the same pan on medium heat and toss your breadcrumbs into the oil leftover from the capers. Season with a pinch of salt, and let toast until the breadcrumbs are brown and crunchy. Remove from heat.
- Assemble your salad in a large bowl: toss shredded kale with caesar dressing and top with breadcrumbs and fried capers. Serve immediately. Store any extra dressing in your fridge for up to 3 days.
