Tempeh Caesar Salad is a plant-based version of the classic caesar. Made with tempeh, crispy chickpeas, homemade vegan parmesan, drizzled with oil-free cashew caesar dressing, and served on romaine. Vegan, oil-free, gluten-free.
This is a vegan version of the classic caesar salad!
A traditional caesar salad is parmesan and croutons, served on romaine. Often with hard boiled eggs and/or chicken. And of course, caesar dressing.
This tempeh caesar salad replaces the parmesan with an easy homemade vegan parm. And the croutons with crispy, crunchy chickpeas (so the salad is also gluten-free!).
Tempeh is the protein source, replacing the chicken/hard boiled eggs.
And then the salad is drizzled with my oil-free vegan caesar dressing (because traditional caesar is made with anchovies, eggs, cheese, and oil.)
The result: an incredibly delicious salad that's just as hardy as the 'regular' version. And just as flavorful!
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Why I love this Tempeh Caesar Salad
- Dietary needs - this salad is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, oil-free, and refined sugar free
- Vegan version of a classic - everyone loves a good caesar salad. This vegan version has all the same flavors of a classic caesar.
- High Protein - there is protein in two forms in this salad: tempeh and chickpeas. Both are great sources of vegan protein, turning this salad from a side to a true meal
- Feels like a full meal - some salads can be too light and not feel satisfying. With some tempeh added in for protein, and a hearty cashew caesar dressing, this salad feels like a solid meal without being too heavy
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Crispy Chickpea Ingredients
- Chickpeas: Canned chickpeas are perfect here. Just drain and rinse them and they'll be ready to bake.
- Garlic Powder: garlic adds a bit more flavor than just plain salt and pepper
- Salt & Pepper
Tempeh Ingredients
- Tempeh: I like the Litelife brand tempeh and it's what I used in this recipe. This recipe will work well with any store-bought tempeh and would be especially delicious with a black bean or chickpea tempeh. When buying tempeh I recommend finding a brand with no flavorings or added oils.
- Soy Sauce, Tamari, or Liquid Aminos: if you are gluten-sensitive, avoid soy sauce and use tamari or liquid aminos instead. My go-to is liquid aminos, but any of these three will work.
- Lemon Juice: fresh lemon juice is always best!
- Maple Syrup: for a completely fruit-sweetened version, use date syrup instead or omit the maple syrup entirely.
- Minced Garlic: fresh garlic is ideal, but you can sub garlic powder.
Salad Ingredients
- Romaine: romaine is the traditional ingredient in caesar. But if you're feeling fancy, feel free to use kale, spinach, or arugula!
- Crispy Chickpeas
- Cooked Tempeh
- Vegan Parmesan: vegan parmesan is a mixture of cashews and nutritional yeast for an unbelievably delicious cheesy condiment. It only takes like 2 minutes to make and is SO worth it for this salad.
- Vegan Cashew Caesar Dressing: my vegan cashew caesar dressing is completely oil-free and incredibly flavorful. It also only takes just a few minutes to make.
How to make Tempeh Caesar Salad
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2. In a medium bowl, toss the chickpeas, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat the chickpeas. Arrange on the baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes, until crisp.
Step 3. Meanwhile, cook the tempeh. Add the cubed tempeh, soy sauce, lemon juice, maple syrup, and garlic to a non-stick pan. Cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has been absorbed.
Step 4. Prepare the vegan parmesan and vegan cashew caesar dressing.
Step 5. Assemble the salad. Place a bed of lettuce in a large bowl or platter. Top with the crispy chickpeas and cooked tempeh. Sprinkle with vegan parmesan and drizzle with the cashew caesar dressing. Enjoy!
FAQ & Expert Tips
Some people will suggest steaming tempeh to avoid bitterness, but I don't find this necessary.
Especially in a recipe like this where the tempeh gets a good flavor from soy sauce, lemon juice, and maple syrup - there's no need to steam and absolutely no bitterness!
If you are sensitive to the taste of tempeh, feel free to steam it for 10-15 minutes before following the recipe as written.
You can use cubed tofu instead of tempeh in this salad. You can cook it in the exact same way!
Tofu has a much softer texture though, so it won't be quite the same.
This salad is delicious with freshly cooked tempeh and chickpeas that gently warm the other ingredients.
You can also let the tempeh and chickpeas cool completely before assembling. And leftovers are delicious cold!
Store any leftovers you have in an air-tight container in the fridge.
This salad will last up to a week in the fridge. After 3-4 days, the romaine may get a bit soft, but it won't go bad.
To make your salad last longer, only assemble what you will eat in one sitting. Then store the greens separate from the tempeh and dressing.
Recipe Prayer
Jesus thank you for this tempeh caesar salad. Thank you for healthy versions of our favorite foods, that nourish and fuel our bodies. Amen.
More tasty salads
Love salads? Here are some of my favorite salad recipes you can try next:
Tried this recipe?
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📖 Recipe
Tempeh Caesar Salad
Ingredients
Chickpeas
- 1 15 Ounce Can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper
Tempeh
- 1 8 Ounce Block Tempeh, cubed
- 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce, Tamari, or Liquid Aminos
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
- 2 Teaspoons Maple Syrup
- 2 Cloves Minced Garlic
Salad
- 1 Head Romaine, chopped
Vegan Parmesan
- ¾ Cup Cashews
- 1 Tablespoon Nutritional Yeast
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
- ¾ Teaspoons Salt
Vegan Cashew Caesar Dressing
- ½ Cup Raw Cashews
- ¼ Cup Lemon Juice
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Nutritional Yeast
- 1 Tablespoon Capers in brine
- 2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼-1/2 Cup Water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, toss the chickpeas, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat the chickpeas. Arrange on the baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes, until crisp.
- Meanwhile, cook the tempeh. Add the cubed tempeh, soy sauce, lemon juice, maple syrup, and garlic to a non-stick pan. Cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has been absorbed.
- Prepare the vegan parmesan and vegan cashew caesar dressing.
- Assemble the salad. Place a bed of lettuce in a large bowl or platter. Top with the crispy chickpeas and cooked tempeh. Sprinkle with vegan parmesan and drizzle with the cashew caesar dressing. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate.
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