A salad is a wonderful meal when done right! We used to call this salad Mama Z’s Vegan Caesar Salad. After serving it to Mama Z’s bestie Chantel Ray, her son had other words to describe it.
My Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing is a great healthy alternative. Most versions contain eggs and sugar, but not this one! This variation is free of gluten, dairy, and sugar. It’s also a vegan dressing that will leave friends asking what your secret ingredient is.
This is one of Dr. Z’s favorite meals, and we have so many ways to dress it up. I know you’ll love this effortless dinner as much as we do.
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Why DIY Condiments?
With all the options on store shelves, why DIY Caesar salad dressing? If you peek in my fridge, you’d see many jars full of homemade condiments, including a dressing or two! I’ve been doing this for years, and it’s been so beneficial for our family. Here are just a few reasons we love making food from scratch.
Homemade Condiments Are Budget-Friendly
Your local grocery store most likely carries many different dressings, even a few that contain clean ingredients. The bad news is that those organic, healthy dressings will cost you big time. Making your own condiments helps your ingredients stretch further.
Instead of just one bottle of dressing, you get multiple jars of nourishing yumminess! Even if you were to splurge on the best quality ingredients, you’d still be in the green.
DIY Dressings Are Toxic-Free
Cheap store-bought dressings cut a lot of corners by using toxic fillers. Most sauces use canola oil as their base, one of the unhealthiest oils out there. It’s genetically modified and doesn’t contain healthy omega-3 fatty acids like olive oil (1).
In fact, canola oil goes through a rigorous process that turns healthy fatty acids into trans-fatty acids (2). These harmful ingredients create a longer shelf life and stretch the product, but it comes at a high cost to the consumer. If canola oil weren’t toxic enough, most store-bought dressings also include sugar. Pouring sugar over a healthy salad seems counter-productive to me!
When you make your products, you know exactly what’s in them.
From Scratch Cooking is Easy
Healthy cooking doesn’t have to take all day. This dressing comes together in just 5 minutes. That’s less time than it takes to go through the check-out lane! Condiments are also totally fool-proof. Even a healthy living novice can create a gourmet dressing in no time.
Making memories in the kitchen is the best! Cooking from scratch is soothing to the soul. In a fast-paced world, taking the time to chop and mix ingredients is an excellent reminder to stay in the present. Get the kids involved in your slow food movement.
Healthy Caesar Dressing Ingredients
This delectable Caesar salad dressing is made of simple ingredients. You can find them at any well-stocked grocery store! Here’s what you need to add to your list.
Garlic: Fresh garlic is a must for any kitchen. I’m sure you’ve heard many remedies that use this vegetable. It turns out there is some merit to these claims! Garlic has been used for ages to boost the immune system and alleviate symptoms of “bugs” (3).
Mama Z Pro Tip: Save time in the kitchen by using a garlic press! This is one of my favorite kitchen tools, and it makes recipe prep a breeze.
Capers: This salty ingredient adds so much flavor to the dressing. Capers are the raw, green buds of the caper bush, found in Mediterranean parts of the world. They’re processed similarly to pickles, which gives them a unique flavor.
People use this ingredient in various chicken and fish dishes, as well as dressings.
Dijon Mustard or Mama Z’s Honey Mustard: A hint of mustard gives this condiment much-needed zest. You can use Dijon mustard, which is always an excellent choice for dressings due to its fresh flavor. My favorite addition is my honey mustard recipe, a perfect ratio of raw, organic local honey and Dijon mustard.
The added health benefits of honey are well worth the extra step! Because it’s minimally processed, it contains impressive antioxidants and pollen from plants near you (4). I keep a jar of my honey mustard in the fridge to use as a dip or in dressings.
Liquid Aminos: One of the best things you can do for your health is to cut out soy products! To make this transition a little easier, invest in a soy-sauce alternative, such as liquid aminos. Coconut aminos can be a wonderful substitution because it has the same flavor profile as soy sauce, without the detrimental effects.
Vegan Mayonnaise: To avoid unhealthy oils, purchase soy-free Vegenaise or your favorite grapeseed oil or avocado-oil-based mayonnaise. This type of mayonnaise actually tastes better than its harmful cousins and doesn’t contain canola oil.
This ingredient gives your body a healthy dose of omega-3s, which promote better mental health (5).
Vegan Parmesan Cheese: I consider this nut-based cheese one of my most fabulous creations. You can enjoy it on all your favorite pasta dishes, non-GMO popcorn, or in this Caesar dressing.
Garlic powder and pine nuts give it that traditional parmesan flavor without the use of dairy. The best part? This recipe freezes well, so you can always have it on hand. If you don’t have my version made, you can use any vegan parmesan cheese.
Salt and Pepper: Traditional table salt undergoes a rigorous harvesting process that strips it of most health benefits. We recommend using Colima sea salt as it’s hand-harvested. This leaves the good stuff intact! It also tastes fantastic and adds a gourmet flair to any recipe. You can also use Himalayan salt.
I also recommend using freshly ground organic white pepper. Grinding your pepper is well worth the extra few seconds! You won’t believe how fresh it tastes.
Make Vegan Caesar Dressing
Within minutes, you’ll have a fresh batch of vegan Caesar dressing. This recipe will last 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator. I love prepping a huge jar at the beginning of the week for easy meal prep. Side salads are the perfect addition to any meal!
- 2 small garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 1 teaspoon Mediterranean capers
- 1 teaspoon organic Dijon mustard or Mama Z’s Homemade Honey Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Bragg liquid aminos
- 1 cup soy-free Veganaise or your preferred avocado-oil or grapeseed oil vegan mayonnaise
- ½ cup dairy-free parmesan cheese or Mama Z’s Homemade Vegan Parmesan
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pink Himalayan salt or sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- Magic bullet or food processor
- Glass jar for storage
- Place the garlic, capers, Dijon, liquid aminos, mayonnaise, half of the parmesan, salt, and pepper in a magic bullet or food processor.
- Blend until well combined. Stir in the rest of the parmesan and adjust the seasonings if needed.
- Keep in a glass container in the fridge. Use on salads or as a dip. Enjoy!
Step One: Blend the Ingredients
Place the garlic, capers, Dijon, liquid aminos, mayonnaise, half of the parmesan, salt, and pepper in a magic bullet or food processor. Blend until well combined. Stir in the rest of the parmesan and adjust the seasonings if needed.
Keep in a glass container in the fridge. Use on salads or as a dip. Enjoy!
Best Caesar Salad Recipe
Salads are one of our go-to meals because they’re so easy and you can customize them to fit the mood. Here’s our favorite combination of toppings and vegetables. Get creative to find what works for your family!
- 3 organic Romaine hearts
- 1 package organic butter lettuce
- 1-2 cups organic kale, de-stemmed or 1-2 cups organic baby kale
- ¼-½ cup organic pea pods
- 1 organic Roma tomato, chopped. Or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 organic sweet bell pepper
- 3 tablespoons organic hemp hearts
- Gluten-free croutons
- ½ cup organic garbanzo beans
- ¾ cup Mama Z’s Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing
- Chop your veggies into bite-size pieces, then place in your largest salad bowl.
- Sprinkle the vegetables with hemp hearts, gluten-free croutons, and garbanzo beans. Add the dressing and gently toss to coat.
Step One: Prep the Veggies
The perfect salad consists of veggies that are bite-sized! Chop your greens once vertically, then a few more times horizontally until you reach your desired consistency.
Chop the ends off the pea pods to include only the best part. I like dicing the tomatoes and peppers into small pieces so they get coated evenly with dressing. . Place the vegetables in your largest salad bowl.
Step Two: Add Dressing and Toppings
Sprinkle the vegetables with hemp hearts, gluten-free croutons, and garbanzo beans. Add the dressing and gently toss to coat. Enjoy!
Variations
Variety is the spice of life! Here are a few different ideas to get you started. Within no time you’ll be coming up with your own salads! If you aren’t vegan, feel free to add pasture-raised organic eggs and hormone-free organic chicken.
Basic Caesar
This salad is perfect for picky eaters or those new to healthy eating. Those who aren’t used to eating lots of greens may find it easier to enjoy basic lettuce as opposed to kale or spinach. This variation consists of 3 Romaine hearts, 1 package of butter lettuce, tomatoes, gluten-free croutons, peppers, and of course Caesar dressing.
Garden-Fresh
This version is popular with gardeners! It uses fresh produce found in many gardens. In fact, it’s a great way to use excess veggies. To make this salad mix spinach or kale, Romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, radishes, hemp hearts or sunflower seeds, and Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing.
Mediterranean Delight
This is a tasty dish that really brings out the flavor of the dressing! To create this recipe, mix butter lettuce, Romaine lettuce, kale, 1-2 teaspoons Mediterranean capers, Kalamata olives, hemp hearts, croutons, and Caesar dressing.
- https://www.canolacouncil.org/download/2042/canola-watch/14597/20110309_fpj_aut11_beckie-et_-al_-2
- https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/know-your-fats/the-great-con-ola/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25961060/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5424551/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165178115003844
