Vegan Caesar Salad with Crispy Chickpea Croutons
Ingredients
Crispy Chickpea Croutons
- 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8-1/4 tsp teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
Dressing
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight or soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Salad
- 2 hearts of romaine lettuce, cut into 1-inch ribbons
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
Instructions
- For the crispy chickpeas, preheat oven to 400°F. Spread the rinsed garbanzo beans onto a paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheet and gently pat with paper towels to dry. Transfer dried garbanzo beans to a medium bowl and add remaining ingredients, tossing to coat. Transfer the beans onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake in the oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
- To make the dressing, drain and rinse soaked cashews and add to a blender with the remaining dressing ingredients; puree until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the blender with a silicone spatula, as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- For the salad, add romaine and chickpea croutons to a large serving bowl and toss with just enough dressing to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Sprinkle nutritional yeast over salad, divide salad among 4 chilled salad plates, and serve immediately.
Notes
Per ¼ recipe: 360 calories, 20.5g fat, 43mg sodium, 37.9g carbohydrates, 10.1g fiber, 4.7g sugar, 16.9g protein
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