A vegan tahini twist on the classis Caesar salad!
It’s got all the tangy, zesty, garlicky, creamy, savory and crunchy flavor of a traditional Caesar salad. But it’s made with untraditional ingredients.
Traditional Caesar Dressing: anchovies, egg yolk, parmesan, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and pepper.
Tahini Vegan Caesar Dressing: tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, salt and black pepper We’re replacing the anchovies, egg yolk and parmesan with naturally creamy tahini that’s full of antioxidants and healthy fats.
Why this Tahini Caesar Dressing Recipe Works
- Preserves the modern flavor identity of the salad. It’s tangy, tangy, zesty, garlicky, creamy, garlicky, creamy and savory.
- Crispy and crunchy lettuce. Using heartier lettuces ensures they’ll stay crispy when mixed with this rich and creamy dressing.
- Breadcrumbs are the new croutons. Quickly and easily add texture with the walnuts and breadcrumbs.
- Emulsified dressing. The emulsified dressing clings and evenly coats every piece of lettuces for more flavor in each bite.
What is Tahini?
Tahini or tahina is a middle eastern condiment made from toasted ground hulled sesame. It’s creamy with a nutty and savory flavor.
How to Make this Tahini Caesar Recipe
The Dressing
Pour all the salad dressing ingredients, except the olive oil, into a blender. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until a smooth emulsion forms. Whisk in additional water until desired consistency is reached and season.
Pro Tip: Use your hands to gently toss and lettuce until the leaves are evenly coated.
Pro Tip: For maximum crispiness, toss dressing immediately before serving salad.
Walnut & Breadcrumbs
Heat olive oil in a skillet and add all the breadcrumb ingredients until mixture is deeply fragrant and a deep golden brown.
Notes: A high-speed blender does a great job at emulsifying the dressing, making it super smooth and silky. If you don’t have one, a food processor or elbow grease will work as well.
Let’s liberate the Caesar from the romaine!
Traditionally, Caesar salad is made with romaine because this sturdy lettuce remains crispy after being smothered in the rich and creamy dressing. However, any sturdy lettuce that will holds up well to the weightier dressing works as well.
Types of sturdy lettuce: little gems (which resemble baby romaine), kale, some chicories like radicchio, grilled cabbage and/or napa cabbage.
Technically, any lettuce will work. But a softer lettuce, like butterhead or arugula, will simply get a bit limp. Point is: for a maximum crispiness and crunchiness, use sturdier lettuce that can handle the weightier dressing.
Caesar has been an easy-to-find American menu salad for 70+ years! Back in the ’40, Gourmet Magazine called the dish 'the gastronomic highlight of the current moment' and it’s still going strong! The famed salad originated in Tijuana, Mexico in the roaring ’20’s and I wrote a bit more about it origin story here. Hope you enjoy this creamy vegan riff.
Cooks Tips
- The dressing will thicken in the fridge. To thin it out, simply add water until desired consistency is reached.
- For maximum salad crispiness, use a sturdier lettuce and toss the dressing gently with your hands immediately before serving.
- Store leftover salad dressing an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days.
Have ya tried this recipe? I’d love to hear about it and see it too! Please leave a comment below and take a pic and tag it on Instagram with @DanielaGerson. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to see more colorfully delicious food and all sorts of awesome adventures!
Let's make waves in the kitchen!
*This recipe was developed for Pete's Greens. All the views in it are my own.
Tahini Caesar Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 heads lettuce, such as Little Gem or baby romaine separated into leaves
- 2-3 radishes any variety, thinly sliced on a mandolin
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tahini Caesar Dressing
- ½ cup tahini
- ½ cup of ice water more as needed
- 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
- 2-3 garlic cloves chopped
- ¼ cup of olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Walnuts & Breadcrumbs
- 1 cup raw walnuts coarsely chopped
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup of olive oil
- 6 anchovy filets omit to make vegan
- 1 garlic cloves finely minced
- Zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- To make the tahini Caesar dressing: combine the tahini, ice water, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard and chopped garlic in the bowl of a food processor. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until a smooth emulsion forms. Whisk in additional water until desired consistency is reached. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To make the Walnuts & Breadcrumbs: heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the anchovies and stir, slightly smashing them with the back of wooden spoon or spatula, until they’ve dissolved. Add the breadcrumbs and walnuts; season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the breadcrumbs are starting to turn golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add lemon zest and garlic and toss until mixture is very fragrant and a deep golden brown, another 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Breadcrumbs can be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated.
- To assemble the salad, transfer lettuce to a serving platter or bowl, Drizzle with the tahini Caesar dressing and season with salt and pepper. Using your hands, toss gently until leaves are evenly coated. Top with thinly sliced radishes and anchovy garlic walnuts and breadcrumbs. Serve with additional dressing alongside for more drizzling.
Notes
- The dressing will thicken in the fridge. To thin it out, simply add water until desired consistency is reached.
- For maximum salad crispiness, use a sturdier lettuce and toss the dressing gently with your hands immediately before serving.
- Store leftover salad dressing an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days.
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