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#Vegan Kale Caesar Salad with #GlutenFree Croutons | The Best Vegan Kale Ceasar Salad Recipe | Healthy, #PlantBased Summer Recipes | #MeatlessMonday // JustineCelina.com

VEGAN KALE CAESAR SALAD WITH GLUTEN FREE CROUTONS


Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 2
Author Justine Celina Maguire

Ingredients

VEGAN KALE CAESAR SALAD

  • 4 large kale leaves
  • 1/2 cup chickpeas
  • 1/4 block extra firm tofu
  • 1/4 cup pepitas

DRESSING

  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1/4 cup water
  • Juice from 1 lemon
  • 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt

  • 1/8 tsp cayenne powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 3/4 tsp 100% pure Canadian maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp capers + brine

GLUTEN FREE CROUTONS

  • 1 slice grainy, gluten free bread

  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/8 tsp Himalayan pink salt

  • 1/8 tsp nutritional yeast

  • 1/8 tsp garlic powder

GARNISH

  • 1 tbsp capers
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Begin by setting your oven to the highest Broil setting.

  2. Wash and roughly chop kale. Add to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

  3. Cut bread into cubes. Add to a baking sheet and season with extra virgin olive oil, Himalayan pink salt, tsp nutritional yeast and garlic powder. Broil for approximately 2 minutes, or until golden brown.

  4. Making the dressing by adding all ingredients to a Vitamix (or similar) and blending until smooth and creamy.

  5. Now, my secret for tender, favourful raw kale! It may sound strange -- but you have massage your kale in dressing to help break down it's fibrous nature. Simply pour a tablespoon or so of dressing onto your kale and (with clean hands) begin to massage it. Give it a minute or so and the kale should appear softened and slightly greener -- that's how you know you've tenderized it!

  6. Prep your tofu by removing it from the package and pressing the water out between a dish towel. Once the majority of the water has been extracted, cut tofu into quarters. Crumble 1 quarter into your mixing bowl and refrigerate the rest for future use!

  7. Add chickpeas, pepitas and the rest of your dressing to your bowl. Toss to combine.

  8. Add Gluten Free Croutons to your bowl, along with all garnishes. Toss to combine.

  9. Serve and enjoy immediately!

Recipe Notes

I've added some edible Creeping Bellflowers to these salads for a colourful garnish! Calgarians, these are considered an invasive species (they're all over our inner city alley!), so if you see them, pull them, bag them and toss them -- or use their edible flowers in your summer salads and cocktails. They're mild and lightly sweet, but mostly just pretty!