Caesar Salad with Crostini
This salad was originally developed by an Italian immigrant, Caesar Cardini but it can be found in restaurants in Italy because of its popularity with tourists. Our version is healthier than the traditional version and we think the flavours are quite authentic. Taste this one blindfolded against the “other” Caesar salad and be the judge. It can also be poured over grilled cauliflower for a nice tangy topping. – Flavour with Benefits: Sicily & Calabria, Cathy Connally and Charley Best, Collesano Publishing
Yield: 4 servings, 36 oz salad and 1¼ cup (354 ml) salad dressing
Flavours: The salty, sweet, spicy and tangy notes balance against the fresh lettuce and the crunch of the cheesy crostini.
Benefits: Zero cholesterol, non-dairy, 75% lower in sodium and half of the calories of a traditional version, while adding potassium, calcium and vitamins K and folate along with key antioxidants.
Insalata Cesare (Caesar Salad with Crostini)
Ingredients
Dressing
- ½ cup (125 g) nut or seed butter or see note
- 2-5 garlic cloves taste after 2 and see if it needs more
- 2-3 tbsp (30-60 ml) fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice
- lemon zest from 1 lemon
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard or cured mustard seed in vinegar
- 2 tsp capers drained
- ½ tsp tamari
- up to ½ cup (118 ml) water
- ground pepper to taste
- 1 tsp plant-based Worcestershire sauce optional
Crostini
- ¼ cup (62 g) almond or other nut or seed butter
- ¼ tsp low sodium tamari
- 1 garlic clove pressed
- 3 tbsp (28 g) nutritional yeast
- 2 cups (136 g) cubed sourdough bread
Salad
- ½ head 300 g romaine lettuce or other locally available lettuce in season, chopped
- 5 oz (140 g) baby greens, washed
- 20 small (320 g) cherry tomatoes various colours, sliced
- ½ (26 g) medium onion sliced and cut
- 1 tbsp (6 g) pink pepper
- ½ cup (56 g) Walnut “cheese”
- 2 tbsp (30 g) plant-based “cheese” shreds (optional)
- 1½ cups crostini
Instructions
Dressing
- Blend all ingredients in food processor and adjust additional ingredients to taste. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving for best flavour.
- This will make 10+ servings. It will keep for a few weeks in the refrigerator.
Crostini
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). In a medium mixing bowl, mix almond butter, tamari, pressed garlic and nutritional yeast and ¼ cup (59 ml) water and mix until they form a slurry. Place the cubed bread into the bowl and cover all the bread with the almond butter mixture. Place cubed bread onto a parchment paper covered roasting pan so that they are not touching. Bake for 10-15 minutes until crisp. Set aside to cool.
Salad
- Add all ingredients into a large salad bowl and dress with ½ cup (118 ml) dressing. Add pink pepper, Walnut “cheese”, crostini and plant-based “cheese” for garnish. Serve chilled.