Insalata Cesare (Caesar Salad with Crostini)
Servings 4 servings
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.
Notes
Note: ½ cup cashews in boiling water for 30 minutes, discard water and blend in food processor until smooth.