So, after the long weekend and that incredibly indulgent lazy day lasagna we’re back on the salads and whilst this vegetarian Caesar salad maybe pretty simple it’s an absolute classic and one of my all time favourites. It was always my favourite salad to chose when dining out, particularly for lunch and when I ate meat I always had it either with grilled prawns or chicken. Such simple pleasures really.
a classic caesar dressings
This is not a classic caesar dressing. For that you need anchovies and whilst I used to love them I no longer eat fish so I’ve developed a dressing that’s as similar to the classic as possible. It’s also partly a cheats dressing as I’m using mayonnaise but my reasoning is that you’d be using all the ingredients currently in a mayonnaise to make the dressing so I’m using it out of laziness. The mayo is also a great way to sweeten the dressing to make it more palatable as I know many people aren’t huge fans of raw garlic. Just up the mayo content once you done the initial mix.
I’m using a nutribullet blender to make mine but it can be done in a food processor or quite frankly a spoon and a bit of vigorous elbow action would work just fine.
Don’t forget to check out my other salad ideas here
for the vegetarian caesar dressing
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
- one tablespoon grated vegetarian parmesan-style cheese
- 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
- a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- a large tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- salt and freshly ground pepper – try using the Cornish Sea Salt ‘Salt and Peppery‘ mix which is fabulous
for the crispy cheesy croutons
- 1 ciabatta – cut into chunks
- two tablespoon olive oil – I used a truffle olive oil which was amazing!
- 1 tablespoon finely grated parmesan
for the salad (serves two / three people)
- 1 and a half heads of baby gem – cut into wedges
- 8 stems of asparagus
- 50g frozen peas – steamed and then cooled in the fridge
- a handful of rocket
Start with the croutons – pre-heat the oven to 180C, then place the cut bread in a bowl, drizzle generously with the oil, sprinkle with the cheese and some salt and pepper and stir well. lay out flat on a roasting tin and roast for at least 20 mins or until darkly golden.
At the same time, place the asparagus into a roasting tin, drizzle with water and a squeeze of lemon, cover in foil and roast alongside the bread for 20 mins until soft. Set aside.
To make the dressing simply place all the ingredients into a blender and whizz until smooth. I like to grate my garlic into the blender as I think the grater gives it the most minced quality. Set aside
Build the salad however you like it. I like big wedges of lettuce drizzled with sauce but you do you!
Once it’s all thrown onto a plate or in a bowl, drizzle the whole lot generously with the dressing and eat immediately. The dressing with keep in an air tight container in the fridge for about 4 to 5 days.
Eat and of course, enjoy!
