Vegan Tahini Caesar Salad

This healthy alternative to Caesar salad will have you going for seconds without feeling guilty. Tahini is one of my favorite substitutes for a lot of different dressings including Caesar. Tahini is rich in antioxidants and is full of nutritional value such as healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. It is a sesame seed based spread so this is not a nut-free recipe.

Tahini can be found in organic based supermarkets such as Whole Foods or Wegmans. I can never find it in Shoprite or Stop & Shop.

Pre-made croutons are typically not vegan and contain cheese or dairy so I make homemade croutons with my simple, quick recipe of just Italian bread, olive oil, and Italian seasoning.

If your dressing comes out too thick add water as needed to thin it out. I prefer to use either romaine lettuce or kale for my Caesar salads but any lettuce will work. I also enjoy roasted chickpeas and adding it to my salad because it adds healthy fats and proteins (I did not this time because my dad does not like chickpeas and this was made for our Easter Sunday dinner!).

Vegan Tahini Caesar Salad

Duration: 15 minutes

Servings: 5

Ingredients:

• 3 bunches of romaine hearts

• Vegan Parmesan

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup of Tahini sauce

• 1/4 cup of water

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• 2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce

• 1 clove crushed garlic

• pinch of salt

Vegan Croutons:

• 1 Loaf of Italian bread

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 tbsp Italian seasoning

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut Italian bread into square pieces and place in a bowl. Drizzle oil and seasoning on the bread and mix it so that all the pieces are coated.

3. Place croutons in the oven for 10 minutes.

4. Remove and let cool completely.

5. Cut and wash romaine lettuce. I like to put the washed lettuce into a lettuce spinner which gets all the excess water off the of it to make it crisp.

6. Add to a medium sized bowl with croutons

7. Combine all salad dressing ingredients and mix well to have a smooth consistency. If dressing is too thick add a little bit more water.

8. Drizzle dressing on the romaine lettuce and croutons and mix well.

9. Finish the salad with vegan Parmesan on top (optional).

10. Serve and enjoy!