Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing (vegan, oil-free; egg-free)

Try this Creamy whole food plant-based hemp heart and yogurt Caesar salad dressing, featuring capers, mustard, lemon, and black salt. Toss it with romaine lettuce or chopped kale leaves for the perfect Caesar salad. It’s also delicious tossed with pasta.

Who doesn’t enjoy a good Caesar salad? Not only is it a very popular salad choice, it’s also quite delicious. The problem with a traditional Caesar salad dressing, at least for me, is that it contains anchovies, eggs, and dairy. It’s also not a very healthy way to top a salad.

This Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing tosses all that aside and spins the (dressing) bottle on its side. What we end up with is a delicious non-dairy Caesar salad dressing rich in flavor without any oil, dairy, fish, eggs, mayonnaise, or sour cream. Seriously, how is this remotely possible?!

Don’t worry, I’ll share all my tips and tricks with you.

First of all, I use a high-speed blender to combine all of the ingredients together. Then I taste the dressing and adjust the seasonings just a touch, if needed by adding in a pinch more garlic, mustard, nutritional yeast, capers, black salt, or lemon. Each contributes slightly to the flavor. And then I pour it on my salad and devour it!

Seriously, that’s all there is to it.

Does this taste exactly like the classic Caesar salad dressing you get at a restaurant? Probably not. But, let’s be honest. There are so many different brands and variations to choose from – most are filled with fish, eggs, mayo, oil, or sour cream. Plus, I don’t want to replicate any of those things. That’s the whole point of sharing this Caesar salad variation.

I’m going for incredible flavor and a delicious salad experience. And I promise this delivers on both! In fact, I think this Creamy Caesar salad Dressing is pretty tasty and makes a great dairy-free, oil-free, egg-free, and fish-free substitute. Not only does it taste great, it’s fairly nutritious, too. I’d love for you to give it a go and tell me what you think.

So what sets this one apart from any of the other thousands of dressing recipes out there? Nutritious and flavorful plant-based ingredients.

I create a nice thick and creamy salad dressing by combining hemp hearts and non-dairy yogurt. Hemp hearts works equally well in my Apple Hemp Heart Vinaigrette because they are thirty percent fat. But it’s the good stuff, I promise. Hemp Hearts contain linoleic acid (omega-6), alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3), and gamma-linolenic acid. They also contain other nutrients like Vitamin E, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron, and zinc. (Healthline)

One of the most interesting highlights of hemp hearts is that they are 25% high-quality plant protein. In this regard, hemp hearts are similar to quinoa and are pretty powerful for such tiny little seeds. Just two tablespoons contains 11 grams of complete protein. What I mean by complete is that they provide all of the essential amino acids our bodies need to thrive. Due to their nutritional makeup, hemp hearts can reduce your risk of heart disease, improve your skin condition, and are extremely digestible. (Healthline)

Second, non-dairy yogurt is combined to provide a nice creamy filler with a little probiotic tang. It’s just the right amount and not overpowering. You can use any plain unsweetened non-dairy yogurt, such as Kite Hill or So Delicious. If you can’t find any plain unsweetened yogurt, you can make my Creamy Non-dairy Yogurt, which is super easy to make and can be used in a lot of recipes.  You can also substitute with a little unsweetened plain non-dairy milk Just know that this dressing won’t be as creamy.

There are two secret weapons in this Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing. These little ninjas are capers and kala namak. I do not jest. Capers and the brine they are marinated in add such incredible Caesar flavor power to this concoction. It may not sound very good; but I assure you, it’s delicious. And the kala namak, or Black Salt, contains a pungent sulphuric egg-like aroma that really adds to the flavor and overall experience. Both complement the dressing and really make this a salad-worthy dressing.

This Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing is seasoned with a little spicy brown mustard or dijon mustard, a little nutritional yeast, some fresh lemon juice, and one or two cloves of garlic. Since everyone’s tastes are slightly different, it’s super important that you taste this dressing and adjust these spices to your liking. It will make your salad experience far more enjoyable. And that’s the intent here.

Please note that, like any recipe I make, this Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing was created using my palate. You may not like lemon or garlic as much as I do. Or you may detest nutritional yeast. If this is the case, try making the dressing with a smidgen at first, then add a little more in until you’re completely satisfied with the way it tastes.

Now that we’ve covered all of the ingredients, this Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing comes together quickly. Just like I stated at the beginning of this post, you literally blend all of the ingredients together in a high-speed blender until the dressing is nice and smooth. Then sample it for yourself to see what it’s missing.

Does it need a little more garlic? A little more lemon? Or a little more salt? Honest. Since you aren’t baking a cake, you have the ability to taste the dressing and tweak it to your liking. simply add in a little more of what you like, blend for a few seconds to incorporate the addition, and then it’s perfect for you. Although, I admit this Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing is pretty perfect as written.

Once your dressing is good to go, simply toss a couple of tablespoons of dressing with two or three cups of oughly chopped dark leafy greens. Traditionally, romaine is used. But I enjoy kale as well.  To make a classic Caesar salad, toss in a few croutons and parmesan cheese. I really enjoy Follow Your Heart and Voilife parmesan cheese. Both are great additions to this salad.

But keep in mind that this Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing is delicious served in more than just a Caesar salad. Make it a meal by topping fresh dark leafy greens with Roasted Chickpeas; sunflower seeds, pine nuts, or pepitas, cherry or grape tomatoes, cucumber slices, carrot ribbons, and crispy homemade croutons. You can also use it as the base to create a simple yet delicious whole food plant-based pasta salad if you wish.

This Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing stores extremely well in an air-tight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

I hope you enjoy this Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing as much as I do.  

I would love to see your results! Please leave a comment and rate it down below, tag a picture @pebblesandtoast and #pebblesandtoast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!   Enjoy!!   

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Ingredients

• ½ cup hemp hearts (or pine nuts)
• 1 cup unsweetened plain non-dairy milk
• ¼ cup unsweetened plain non-dairy yogurt*
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbsp spicy brown or Dijon mustard
• 3 tsp capers (or olives) + 3 tsp caper (or olive) brining juice
• ¼ tsp black sea salt (kala namak) and pepper to taste (optional)

Instructions

1. In a high-speed blender, blend all of the ingredients together until the dressing is smooth.
2. Taste the dressing and adjust the lemon juice, capers, salt, garlic, and mustard to your taste.
3. Serve immediately.
4. Store any remaining dressing in an air-tight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes

* You can use any plain unsweetened non-dairy yogurt, such as Kite Hill, So Delicious, or my Creamy Non-dairy Yogurt, which is super easy to make and can be used in a lot of recipes.  You can also substitute unsweetened plain non-dairy milk instead.  It just won’t be as creamy.

** Dress up your Caesar salad classic home-made croutons!  Slice a few slices of your favorite whole grain or gluten-free bread and bake on on a baking sheet at 400° for 5-10 minutes, until golden brown.  You can sprinkle a little garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika on top, if desired.

This dressing is delicious serve in more than just a Caesar salad. Make it a meal by topping fresh dark leafy greens with Roasted Chickpeas; sunflower seeds, pine nuts, or pepitas, cherry or grape tomatoes, cucumber slices, carrot ribbons, and crispy homemade croutons.

Makes about 2 cups dressing.