Make THE BEST Creamy Vegan Caesar Dressing in just 5 minutes with tahini, lemon juice and dijon mustard! This easy recipe is perfect for making a vegan caesar salad, using as a veggie dip or tossing with pasta.
Traditional Caesar dressing is made with eggs and anchovies, but in this recipe for Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing, we're skipping these ingredients to create a plant based version of one of the most popular salad dressings!
Drizzle this creamy dressing all over crisp romaine lettuce, then sprinkle with vegan Parmesan cheese, made with nutritional yeast, for a delightfully simple, yet delicious, salad!
Mix the dressing up in just 5 minutes to try in all sorts of ways throughout the week. Make a salad for lunch, dip veggies in it for a snack and toss with pasta for dinner!
Ingredients
- Tahini - you can find tahini at most grocery stores. It's usually found in the same aisle with the peanut butter. Using tahini in this recipe, instead of a nut-base, like cashews, means that this recipe is also nut free.
- Olive oil - extra virgin olive oil is preferred. Or, feel free to substitute with any other neutral tasting oils, such as avocado or vegetable oil.
- Lemon juice - fresh squeezed is always preferred for the best flavor! If you don't have fresh lemons, bottled lemon juice will work as well.
- Dijon mustard - I prefer a whole grain dijon for this recipe, but feel free to use your favorite dijon mustard.
- Worcestershire sauce - be sure to find a brand that is vegan. The Wan Ja Shan Worcestershire Sauce pictured above is vegan and gluten free. I found this brand at Sprouts, but you can also order it online.
- Garlic - fresh garlic cloves are crucial to get the right flavor. Minced garlic will work if needed, but definitely don't substitute for garlic powder.
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Blend the ingredients. Add all of the ingredients to a blender, or food processor, and blend until smooth, with a creamy consistency. I use a Nutribullet to both blend and store the dressing.
Seriously, that’s it! One step and you’re done!
Ways to use it
- Vegan Caesar Salad - pictured above. Toss the dressing with chopped romaine lettuce, then top the salad with roasted chickpeas and vegan parmesan cheese, for a seriously scrumptious plant-based salad!
- On more salads - don't stop at the classic caesar, this salad dressing recipe will also taste great in other salads. Ditch the ranch dressing and make a buffalo caesar salad, I promise you'll love it in this Buffalo Tofu Salad!
- As a dip for veggies - carrots, celery sticks, bell pepper strips and broccoli will all taste delicious dipped in this dressing as a snack or party appetizer!
- Tossed with pasta - after draining your favorite pasta simply toss with the dressing and the heat from the noodles will warm up the sauce. Top with vegan parmesan cheese for a delicious plant-based pasta night!
- Coat vegetables - toss your favorite roasted or grilled vegetables in the caesar dressing, or serve it on the side for dipping.
- As a marinade - if you don't follow a plant based diet, you can use this dressing to add flavor to your favorite grilled meats like chicken, steak, or shrimp.
- With potatoes - stir into mashed potatoes, dip it up with fries, or coat roasted potatoes in the dressing, a few minutes before they're done roasting in the oven.
- In your favorite grains - mix with white rice, brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, etc. to use as a base for flavorful bowls!
- Roasted chickpeas - simply coat the garbanzo beans in the dressing before roasting them in the oven for a yummy snack or crunchy bowl topping.
- As a spread - slather this dressing on your toast, sandwiches, or burgers. It's a wonderful flavor enhancer!
Pro tips
- This recipe can be prepped ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- If the dressing has been stored in the fridge, it will be extra thick when you remove it from the refrigerator. Before using, either bring it up to room temperature before using it, or add 1-2 teaspoons of warm water to thin it out.
- This is a very thick and creamy salad dressing. If you'd like to make a thinner dressing, add 1 additional teaspoon of water at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Don't skip the Worcestershire sauce in this dressing recipe! It adds the wonderful umami flavor, that usually comes from anchovies in a traditional caesar dressing.
- This recipe is naturally gluten free and dairy free, using the ingredients shown and linked to in this post. Always make sure the Worcestershire sauce used is vegan and gluten free.
More vegan salad dressings
Make all of your salads vegan, without sacrificing any flavor. All of these vegan salad dressing recipes are easy to make and so delicious!
- Creamy Avocado Vinaigrette
- Almond Butter Turmeric Salad Dressing
- Spicy Cashew Dressing
- Raspberry Vinaigrette
- Vegan Avocado Ranch Dressing
- Lemon Vinaigrette
Recipe
Vegan Caesar Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ cup tahini
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh-squeezed
- ½ tablespoon whole grain dijon mustard
- ½ tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- All all ingredients to a blender.
- Blend until smooth and creamy.
Notes
- This is a very thick and creamy salad dressing. If you'd like to make a thinner dressing, add 1 additional teaspoon of water at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
- The dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- If the dressing has been stored in the fridge, it will be extra thick when you remove it from the refrigerator. Before using, either bring it up to room temperature before using it, or add 1-2 teaspoons of warm water to thin it out.
- This recipe is naturally gluten free and dairy free, using the ingredients shown and linked to in this post. Always make sure the Worcestershire sauce used is vegan and gluten free.
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