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Vegan Caesar Salad with Quick Coconut Bacon

vegan Caesar salad in blue bowl with coconut bacon, croutons, lettuce, cherry tomatoes and red onions in blue bowl.
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This vegan Caesar salad with coconut bacon, crunchy oil-free croutons, and creamy almond Caesar dressing comes with a clean bowl guarantee.

Ingredients

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Coconut bacon

  • 2 cups coconut flakes
  • 1 Tbsp. Tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce (optional)
  • 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp. liquid smoke
  • 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

Oil-free croutons

  • 5 cups of dry bread cubes
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. Tamari or soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp. thyme
  • 1 tsp. oregano
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder

Almond Caesar dressing

  • 1/4 cup blanched (peeled) almonds ground into a powder
  • 1/2 cup plant milk
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. capers

Salad

  • 1 head romaine or butter lettuce, chopped (or other lettuce of your choice)
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 small red onion, cut in half and then sliced into half-moons

Instructions

Timing tip: start by making coconut bacon first and then prep the croutons. Make the dressing and prepare the rest of the salad while the croutons bake.

Coconut bacon

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 and line a baking tray with parchment paper or a baking mat.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, combine the Tamari, Worcestershire sauce, maple syrup, liquid smoke, and smoked paprika.
  3. Add the coconut flakes and mix well so they are thoroughly covered.
  4. Spread the coconut flakes on the baking tray and place them in the oven.
  5. Bake for 15 minutes, tossing the flakes a few times as they bake so they crisp on both sides. Be careful that they don't burn, they will crisp a bit more as they cool.
  6. Once they are baked, remove the coconut bacon and spread them on a plate to cool.

Oil-free croutons

  1. Preheat the oven to 4000 F (2000 C).
  2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a baking mat.
  3. Cube the bread and place them in a bowl, preferably with a lid.
  4. In a small bowl, combine the 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, 2 tsp. Tamari or soy sauce, 2 Tbsp. vegetable broth, 1 tsp. thyme, 1 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. garlic powder and ½ tsp. smoked paprika.
  5. Be sure all the ingredients are well mixed and then add them to the bread cubes. Immediately toss the cubes or even better, if you have a lid, seal the bowl and shake so the bread cubes are covered.
  6. Spread the bread cubes on the line baking tray and bake the croutons for 20 minutes until they are hard and crispy. Toss the cubes a few times so they brown on all sides.
  7. Remove the croutons and allow them to cool.
  8. Note: you can start the croutons baking along with the coconut bacon – the croutons will just take a bit longer.

Almond Caesar dressing

 

  1. Use a spice grinder to break ¼ cup to grind the almonds into a fine powder.
  2. In a blender, combine at almonds, 1/2 cup plant milk, minced garlic, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and rice vinegar. Blend until smooth. Add more plant milk if you want a thinner consistency.
  3. Transfer the blended dressing to a small bowl and fold in the pepper and capers.

Assemble the salad

  1. To assemble the salad, add the lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, coconut bacon, and croutons.
  2. Mix in the salad dressing or serve the dressing on the side.

Notes

  • Nutritional information is based on 6 generous side servings.
  • Beyond the cherry tomatoes and red onion, this salad is great with fresh or roasted red pepper slices or even shredded carrots.
  • We had good luck dressing the salad and adding the croutons and coconut bacon and keeping the leftovers in the fridge overnight. It was still crispy the next day. That said, if you think you’ll have leftovers, serve the dressing on the side.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://veganwithgusto.com/vegan-caesar-salad/