Description
A nourishing and detoxifying vegan kale caesar salad recipe featuring kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, tempeh bacon, and seed parmesan!
Ingredients
Scale
Cashew Caesar Dressing
- 3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked in cold water for at least 4 hours or boiling water for at least 45 minutes)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp capers
- 2 medium cloves garlic
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
- 1/2 cup filtered water, plus more as needed
Tempeh Bacon
- 1 8-oz package tempeh
- 2 tbsp low-sodium tamari
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Black pepper, to taste
- Knob of ghee or refined coconut oil for cooking
Salad
- 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced Brussels sprouts
- 4 cups finely chopped kale
- 2 cups finely shredded red cabbage
- 1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced, plus more for topping
- Sunflower Parmesan, made with hemp hearts instead of sunflower seeds
Instructions
- Make the dressing: Drain the cashews and place in a high-speed blender. Add all remaining dressing ingredients and blend until very smooth and creamy. Taste and add additional sea salt if needed. If your dressing is too thick, add water, 1 tbsp at a time, until you have achieved a pourable consistency.
- Make the tempeh bacon: Place the whole block of tempeh into a steamer basket or a large pot of boiling water. Steam or boil for 3 minutes. This step is entirely optional, but it opens up the ‘pores’ of the tempeh, allowing the marinade to penetrate it more easily.
- Thinly slice the tempeh into 1/2 cm strips and place in a 9×13-inch dish.
- Add tamari, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, smoked paprika, and pepper into a jar. Shake vigorously to combine and pour evenly over the tempeh strips. Cover and marinate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours (the longer it marinates, the more flavourful it will be).
- Prepare the salad: Combine the Brussels sprouts, kale, and cabbage in a large bowl. Pour 1 cup of the dressing on top and massage it into the vegetables with your hands. You want every last piece of kale to be coated with dressing. Add more dressing as needed- you want there to be enough dressing, but you don’t want it to be sopping with it, either. Use your judgment here! (Leftover dressing is great on sandwiches as a vegan aioli-type spread, or as a dip for roasted sweet potato fries.)
- Cook the tempeh bacon: Heat the ghee or coconut oil in a large cast iron or other heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the tempeh bacon strips in an even layer. Cook for 3 minutes, or until lightly browned and crispy, flip, and cook for three minutes more on the other side. Remove from pan and place on a cooling rack until ready to serve. Repeat with any remaining bacon.
- To serve, divide salad among four plates. Top with extra sun-dried tomatoes and hemp Parmesan. Serve tempeh b
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Vegan
Keywords: vegan kale caesar salad, kale salad recipe
