Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing (oil-free!)
Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing
This creamy, tangy salad dressings made from white beans and cashews will leave you craving mountains of leafy greens or pasta salad! Choose from the regular or lower-fat versions to help you meet your health goals while not skimping on taste.
Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing (oil-free!)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup white beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 lemon, juice of
- 1/2 cup soy milk
- 1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini
- 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 Tbsp white mellow miso paste
- 1 tsp capers
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsp raw cashews (optional)
- 1 cup white beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1/4 apple cider vinegar
- 1 lemon, juice of
- 1/2 cup soy milk
- 1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini
- 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 Tbsp white mellow miso paste
- 1 tsp capers
- 2 cloves garlic
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender, blend all ingredients on high until the mixture is perfectly smooth and creamy.
- Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Notes:
The Regular Version of this salad dressing comes out to 77.2 calories per serving (based on 10 servings per recipe) with 3.6 grams of fat, 0.6 grams of saturated fat, 3.8 grams of protein, 6.9 grams of total carbs, and 1.5 grams of fiber.
The lower-fat version (with the optional 2 Tbsp of cashews) has 43.6 calories per serving (based on 10 servings per recipe) with 1.3 grams of fat, 0.2 grams of saturated fat, 2.9 grams of protein, 5.3 grams of total carbs, and 1.8 grams of fiber.
About the recipe:
With no oil, parmesan or anchovies, does this really count as Caesar dressing?
Not exactly, but it’s pretty dang close. I’ll let you be the judge.
Miso paste and nutritional yeast lend their nutty, “funky” flavors to replace the parmesan. White beans and cashews replace the creaminess of the oil, and capers mimic the brininess of the anchovies. Serve it on some fresh romaine with croutons and I bet your dinner guests would be none the wiser.
As we all know, salad dressings can easily make a big salad your most calorically-dense meal of the day. So, for those of us wishing we fit into our pre-covid pants again, it becomes important to find lower calorie dressings that still make us excited to eat salad (if salad is your jam).
Both of the versions included above are fairly calorie-dilute (as far as salad dressings go). Both versions yield enough dressing to adequately dress our giant Monday-Friday lunch salads. The lower-fat version is still deliciously creamy, but is better if you use a ton of dressing or you’re really watching your fat intake.
I do suggest making this making this one day in advance, as it gives the flavors a chance to meld together. I make it on Sunday evening and store in a large mason jar for the week.
RECIPE NOTES:
Pick your version and blend it up in a high-speed blender for at least one minute.
Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
I recommend allowing this to “rest” overnight in the fridge before serving.
This yields enough dressing for 10 entrée-sized salads.
I hope this dressing keeps your love of salads alive!
Happy Cooking,
Courtney
