Name: Vegan Kale Caesar Salad
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Ingredients: 1 pound curly kale , stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces; 5 ounces baguette , cut into ¾-inch cubes (4 cups); 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; ¼ teaspoon pepper; ⅛ teaspoon salt; 6 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise; 1½ tablespoons nutritional yeast; 1½ tablespoons lemon juice; 1½ tablespoons capers , rinsed; 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar; 2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce; 1 garlic clove , minced; ¾ teaspoons Dijon mustard; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon pepper; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Why This Recipe Works

The success of a Caesar salad made with any green rests on its dressing. And given that Caesar dressing traditionally contains Parmesan and anchovies and gets its rich creaminess from emulsifying egg yolks, a stellar vegan version may seem unthinkable. But really, the vegan pantry offers ways to achieve pungency, depth, and cheese-like richness. For our reimagined dressing, we used creamy vegan mayo as the base. To mimic the flavors that anchovies and Parmesan provide, we incorporated briny capers and umami-boosting nutritional yeast. The result? A luxurious dressing that tasted like an exact replica of classic versions. We found that soaking the kale in a warm water bath for just 10 minutes caused the cell walls of the leaves to break down, tenderizing the hardy vegetable. Our next step: chilling the dressed salad to cool it down and allow the flavors to meld.

Before You Begin

We strongly prefer our favorite vegan mayonnaise, Just Mayo, or our homemade Vegan Mayonnaise. Tasters felt that the nutritional yeast provided the requisite cheesy flavor, but you can serve the salad with a sprinkling of our Vegan Parmesan Substitute, if desired.

Instructions

for the salad

Place kale in large bowl, cover with warm tap water (about 110 degrees), and let sit for 10 minutes. Dry thoroughly.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Toss baguette with oil, pepper, and salt in bowl. Spread on rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes; set aside and let cool completely, about 15 minutes. (Croutons can be stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours.)

for the dressing

Process mayonnaise, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, capers, vinegar, Worcestershire, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper in blender until smooth, about 30 seconds. With blender running, slowly add oil until emulsified. Toss kale with dressing in large bowl and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or up to 6 hours to chill. Toss salad with croutons and serve.