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Using my food scientist training, I’ve created a vegetarian Caesar salad that tastes just like the original without any anchovies! It’s ready in just 15 minutes and uses common grocery ingredients.
save this recipe!Whether you know it or not, Caesar dressing usually includes eggs and anchovies (the bacon of the sea). They add umami and savoriness that can be hard to replicate.
But that’s where this food scientist brain comes in! I’ve reverse-engineered that classic umami-rich flavor into something just as creamy, garlicky, and addictive…with zero fish in sight.
After testing a dozen tweaks (yogurt base, tamari tricks, even miso), this version wins on taste and ease. It’s ready in 15 minutes and totally foolproof…even if you’re usually a “just buy the bottle” kind of person.
Reader rating
“So good! Served it to the family and a guest and the salad was gobbled right up!!” —Jill
Tips from the test kitchen
- Blender > whisk: Emulsifies everything into a dreamy, pourable consistency.
- Make-ahead: Keep dressing and croutons separate to avoid sogginess.
- Vegan-friendly: Just swap in vegan mayo and a plant-based parmesan!
P.S. Love Caesar dressing? Make my roasted broccoli salad with tahini Caesar next!
Vegetarian Caesar Salad (No Anchovies!)
Ingredients
Dressing
- ½ cup olive oil, 120 mL
- ¼ cup mayonnaise, 60 g
- ¼ cup shaved parmesan cheese, 30 g
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 30 mL
- 1 ½ tsp dijon mustard, 7 g
- 1 clove garlic
- Salt and pepper to taste
Salad
- 5 heaping cups chopped romaine or mixed greens
- 2 cups croutons
- ½ cup shaved parmesan cheese, 60 g
Instructions
- Make Dressing: Add all Dressing ingredients to a blender and blitz until smooth and creamy. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.
- Assemble: Roughly chop romaine or mixed greens. Toss together with croutons and parmesan. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat (you may not need all of the dressing).
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!how to serve a caesar salad
Ok, I wanted to touch on not only what to serve with this salad but a fun way of how to use the salad.
- Vegetable Baked Ziti is an Italian classic that looks impressive and is the perfect family meal.
- Vegetarian Lasagna is almost as famous as the Caesar salad. This version is quick to make and delicious!
- Vegan Chicken Caesar Wrap uses tofu in place of chicken but you can also just toss this vegetarian salad in a wrap!
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
I’m so happy to hear it! Enjoy! 😀
Question,
Will this recipe work with replacing olive oil with avocado oil?
Yes, using avocado oil here should work well! It just won’t have quite the same complexity of flavor that olive oil can bring to dressings.
Isn’t Parmesan cheese NOT vegetarian? I am not 100% vegetarian, but mostly. I personally do eat it, but have decided to phase it out after my stock is used up. (I would only buy Parmigiano Reggiano)
There are many brands of vegetarian parmesan available now, especially if you look at Whole Food or Sprouts!
Thank you. I did just want to stipulates, as some may not be aware. Thank you again for all the great recipes.
Where do you get parmesan cheese without the enzymes that come from calves?
Fortunately most supermarkets sell a vegetarian parmesan, so you can use whatever brand is local to you!