One of our favorite restaurants, Adrift, just North of Whidbey Island, is full of character. From its eclectic decor, including a library (yes!), and attentive and personable wait staff, to its extensive menu and wine list. Adrift is a farm-to-table restaurant that includes seasonal options as well as standard fare.
Dining at their kitchen-side bar is pure entertainment. Watching chefs work their magic with flaming pans, broccoli rabe and kale flying through the air, garnishes tossed around, and finished plates whisked off to be enjoyed, it’s better than a Saturday night action movie!
While I am a fan of many of their dishes, I’ve fallen head over heels with their Kale Brutus salad. The magic is the dressing. Well, and of course, the kale… but the dressing!! It is so spicy, creamy, and garlicky.
Their secret; tons of garlic… and, anchovies and egg yolks. I became determined obsessed with making a vegan version of this favorite dressing. And I knew, because of my dark chocolate coco nib ice cream, made with a base of neutral tasting cashew creme, and the fact that cashews are a culinary wonder, I could make them the base of this dressing.
When I finally got it, Rob had his first bite. Then, started chowing down; I mean, inhaling this salad, y’all. In between chews, he exclaimed, this tastes just like Adrift! My jaw dropped to the floor, because as many of you know, Rob likes regular (his word) food. Nothing fancy or gourmet for him. Spaghetti sauce? Give the man Ragu. A cheese plate? You guessed it: Cheddar is better.
He can be a tough customer when I’m making something new, vegan or vegetarian or not regular (even after all these years!). He usually detects my sneaky ways. Certainly he’d know I didn’t use anchovies or eggs… certainly.
In this dressing, capers stand in for the salty, briny flavor of the anchovies, and I added copious amounts of spicy garlic. Olive oil and lemon finish and balance the dressing, making the most creamy, dreamy, vegan Caesar dressing. I adore it and can now have this favorite salad anytime.
This dressing is so satisfying and easy to make using pantry staples. Serve this delectable, tender salad with homemade croutons, lemon wedges and vegan parmesan. Simple, easy and delicious!
Vegan Caesar Dressing with Massaged Kale and Parmesan
Creamy, garlicky, spicy and full of lemony, briny flavor, this vegan Cesar dressing is delicious on any variety of greens, but especially romaine or kale, or as a dip. vegan + gluten free
Ingredients
For the Dressing (Yields 1 1/2 C or 352g) *See note:
- 3/4 C Raw Cashews soaked in water overnight, rinsed and drained, 106g
- 3/4 C Water 170g
- 2 Tbs Fresh Lemon Juice
- 2 Cloves Large of Garlic to taste **see note 18g, Increase to 3 cloves (27g)
- 2 Tbs Capers 24g
- 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1/4 tsp + 1/8 Sea Salt
- 1/4 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil 46g
For the Parmesan (Yields about 3/4 C or 82g) See note***:
- 1/2 C Raw Cashews 66g
- 2 Tbs Nutritional Yeast 8g
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
For the Salad (Yields 2 Salads):
- 5 oz Russian Red or Baby Kale washed and torn into bite size pieces, 142g
- Homemade Croutons
- Lemon Wedges
Instructions
For the Dressing:
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In a VitaMix, add the soaked and drained cashews, water, lemon juice, garlic, capers, pepper and salt. Start to puree on low, then increase speed to high for 30 seconds. Scrape down the pitcher. Repeat until all ingredients are pureed and smooth, about 45 seconds.
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With the lid plug removed, turn the VitaMix on to low speed. Slowly pour in the olive oil until all ingredients are smooth. Taste for salt and pepper seasoning adjustment.
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Store in the refrigerator for at least a few hours before serving so it can chill, develop and thicken. If the dressing is too thick, add about 1 tsp of water at a time, by whisking in until desired consistency is reached.
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This dressing freezes beautifully. When ready to use, thaw in the refrigerator and whisk or puree until smooth again (add water as needed as the dressing tends to thicken).
For the Parmesan:
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To a bowl of a food processor, add the cashews, nutritional yeast, salt and garlic powder. Pulse ingredients until the desired consistency is reached. It should look like a fine meal.
To Assemble:
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In a large bowl, add kale and about two Tbs of Caesar dressing. Set a timer and massage for two minutes, Don't be concerned about tearing the leaves, this is a sturdy kale. Taste a leaf or two, to see if more dressing is needed; add to taste.
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Place in serving bowls, sprinkle with parmesan and top with croutons.
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Serve with a few wedges of lemon.
Recipe Notes
*The dressing will not all be used for two salads. Store in the refrigerator for up to three days or freeze the leftovers. Give it a whirl in the blender or a good shake before using again.
**The garlic. I've made this many times and have included up to four cloves of garlic. The level of spiciness/garlic flavor will depend largely on the type of garlic used. I recommend starting with two cloves and adjusting the recipe to taste.
***Store parmesan in a lidded container and store for up to two weeks. Vegan Parmesan slightly adapted from Minimalist Baker.
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Wow… I need this in my life. This dressing sounds so good and now I’m starving!! Beautiful as always, Traci! I’m making this!!!
YaYYY!!! We just polished off another batch last night, so I’ll be whippin up more today! It’s sooo good and I know I have garlic breath today :) !! Thank you Alison! Hope you enjoy! :D
This is soooooo good! I love a good old caesar salad and your version is just perfect! Kale is my favorite base for caesar salad actually :)
Thank you, Evi! :D It’s the capers!!
I truly truly truly love this salad, Traci; you are a genius!!!! My hubby is the same way, so I will definitely make this dressing at home. Love love love your photos. :)
Hehe… Thank you, Pang! I hope you two enjoy it! I feel like if it passed the Rob test, anyone will like it!! :D
This sounds amazing Traci! I love a good Caesar salad and the addition of capers sounds like just the trick to make it hold that authentic flavor! My husband is a Caesar fanatic himself! He is away on business right now and I’m thinking he might need a bowl of this to come home to! What a fun surprise! Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you, Jennifer! Those capers do a pretty good job of infusing that briny flavor into the dressing. Oh, my. I hope you two enjoy it! :D
Cashews are so magical!! And they make for awesome dressing! This dressing seriously sounds so amazing, Traci! I’m pretty obsessed with cashews and salad dressings, so this is pretty much my perfect meal! This salad just looks so tasty! I think lots of garlic is the perfect salad dressing secret :) I’m surprised Rob likes a kale salad, haha! I don’t think Eric would touch it with a ten foot pole! But thankfully that means there is more for me :)
Oh yes, you know it! After seeing your ranch dressing, I got all excited about sharing my caesar dressing! :D Rob likes some greens, as long as they’re regular (still not sure what exactly that means!). Hehe.. have you tried gettin Eric to eat a Kale Caesar?
Kale caesar salad is just magical. I have always liked caesar, but with plain lettuce it’s just not the same. Bring on the kale and you have the most delicious, crunchy, good-greens salad around. I’m thinking about making this salad tonight along with our dinner!
I couldn’t agree more! Kale and caesar = addicting! :D
Love that you fooled Rob! Ha! That’s great. This dressing is pretty genius, Traci. I actually LOVE caesar salad but it doesn’t love me back. I always get a stomach ache after eating it and I think it’s from the raw egg (although that doesn’t make total sense because I eat raw cookie dough LIKE A BOSS!). I don’t know. But I’m definitely trying this out and hopefully I can enjoy caesar salad again now! XO
hehe, thank you Liz! Oh no.. stomach issues! It’s strange how sometimes that happens with one combination of ingredients but not another. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of this. YAY for Caesar salad!! :D
Boy, do I love a good caesar salad – but they are so hard to make – mine always seem to come out too thick. Can’t wait to try this. I haven’t really gotten on the raw cashew band wagon yet – but this recipe is pushing me past any hesitation that I might of had. Looks really great – and I love that you were able to replicate the anchovy taste. I saw a Dr. Weil recipe that recommended using olives – I tried that put it turned the dressing pink – it just didn’t look right. Thanks, T!!
Hehe… pink dressing… not very appetizing! For this recipe, the dressing is easy to thin. Just add water and whisk. I usually end up throwing it all back in the vitamix after a freeze and thaw cycle because it thickens as it sets. I always throw an extra few Tbs of water in too. The recipe is very versatile! I hope you enjoy it Geraldine! :D
What a beautiful salad, Traci! I can’t wait to try this dressing. I’ll have to add this to my lunch menu for the week.
Thank you Ashley! I hope you enjoy the recipe! :D
Heeheeh, when I first met my husband many (many) years ago, he informed me that he was not a rabbit and therefore did not need to eat salad like foods :D. We’ve made a lot of progress since then! I had a feeling I would find nutritional yeast here – isn’t the texture great? We use it on popcorn regularly (mixed in with other herbs/spices) and keep it stored in a shaker in the fridge – so yummy! (and being fortified with B12 makes it ideal for vegans too ;-) ). Capers in place of anchovies? – now that I have to try! What a gorgeous kale Caesar you have created for us Traci with enticing photos to match. I confess that I have not experimented as much as I would eventually like to with cashew creams and sauces (my raw/vegan chef friend KoKo Brill also works wonders with this ingredient) so I thank you for this salad which is feeding me delicious inspiration. What a beauty.
Not a rabbit! Haahaaaa!! :D Sounds like you’ve nudged him along nicely. Oh yes, the texture of nutritional yeast is really nice and it tastes so salty… I like that! I forget to put it on my popcorn! Thank you for reminding me! Capers? I know… who knew? I just thought I’d give it a shot! Ohhhh… a raw/vegan chef friend. I’m curious about his recipes with cashews… I’d love to know more.
YAYYY! Thanks for veganizing this! Using capers instead of anchovies is super smart :)
Yayyyy!! :D Your welcome Medha! I am in love with capers.. I feel like I’m adding them to so many things lately! I hope you enjoy this! :D
You clever, clever girl! In more ways than one… you were able to recreate your favorite dressing *and* fool your husband! Cashews really are a culinary superfood. I mean, who knew something as humble as a crescent shaped nut could be so versatile? And thank goodness for it- so many people (kids included) are allergic to peanuts these days, it’s great to have another nut alternative. But that’s another topic for another day ;) Beautiful salad creation, Traci!
hehe.. indeed the humble cashew. I’m just now discovering the magic! So fun! Thank you Emilie! :D
Love the capers in there Traci! What a great idea! And gorgeous photos, as usual :)
Thank you Karen! Yeah, those capers! :D
I’m so excited to try this dressing! I made a vegan caesar dressing before, but it was with tahini and it just tasted too much like tahini to me. But cashew creme sounds like a better, more neutral flavor. I recently bought capers for another recipe, so I just need some lettuce or kale and I’ll be good to go!
Yeah, cashews have such a neutral flavor, and take on whatever flavor you pair them with. Their incredible little nuts! I hope you enjoy this recipe, Caitlin! :D
Using cashews is such a fabulous idea! I love the creativity of this recipe. And caesar salads are my weakness – so yummy
Thank you, Beverly! A weakness of mine too, and exactly how this recipe came about – I hope you enjoy the recipe! :D
Oh my! I can’t wait to try this dressing – I actually hate making caesar at home because of the anchovies, so this is a dressing I’m much more likely to make. Cashew as the base is genius! (Lucas’s speciality is caesar salad so I think I’ll subtly e-mail him this recipe;)
Oh my! hehe… I hope Lucas will consider giving this one a go.. I know it’s a stretch when one has a recipe that is the household’s go-to recipe, and it sounds like Lucas is an expert on this! :D
Love this salad Traci! You always make the most amazing, healthy meals! And the pictures are gorgeous! Vegan Caesar dressing sounds fantastic and I’ll beed to try it :)
Awh, thank you Mira! I appreciate that. :D
You are seriously killing me! Caesar salad is my absolutely fave salad so this is a must try!
Hehe… I hear you, Jocelyn! Me too! :D
This is amazing Traci! My mom is vegan, and she says one of the things she misses the most are caesar salads. I just emailed her this recipe, I know she is going to love it. Heck, I know I’ll love it too! Look divine. And I just love your photography! So calming and beautiful. Love!
Thank you Natalie! :D And thank you for sharing with your mom. I completely get it.. your mom misses Caesar dressing. Far too long I ignored ingredients on pre-made and I finally said no more! And this whips up in no time. I’m glad my photography translates as calming, hehe… sometimes, its not such a calming process! :D
Oh my goodness, Traci! This looks absolutely amazing! I have been gravitating towards more and more vegan foods lately, but have yet to try anything with cashews as the substitute. I really can’t wait to try this out. I laughed out loud at two things: kale flying through the air at the restaurant, and Rob’s comment about “regular” food–I’ve heard that all too often as well :) Thank you as always for the amazing inspiration!
Thank you, Julia. Likewise, my dear. :D Yeah, vegan food for me too. I think because I’m so intrigued with using ingredients in different ways that are new to me. Hehe… kale and Rob. Oh my, you get that too :) . I just don’t get it.