Vegan Caesar Salad

Ingredients

• Chickpeas

  (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, canned

  15 oz or 425g

• Garlic powder

  Spices

  1 tsp or 3g

• Cayenne pepper

  Spices, red or cayenne

  ¼ tsp or 0.5g

• Cashew nuts

  Nuts, raw

  ½ cup or 69g

• Water

  Plain, clean water

  ¼ cup or 59g

• Olive oil

  Salad or cooking

  3 tbsp or 41g

• Lemon juice

  Raw

  1 tbsp or 15g

• Dijon mustard

  Grey poupon

  ½ tbsp or 8g

• Garlic powder

  Spices

  ½ tsp or 2g

• Garlic

  Raw

  1 clove or 3g

• Vinegar

  Cider

  1 tsp or 5g

• Capers

  Canned

  2 tbsp, drained or 18g

• Salt

  Table

  1 tsp or 6g

• Pepper

  Spices, black

  ½ tsp or 1g

• Cashew nuts

  Nuts, raw

  ⅓ cup or 46g

• Organic Hemp Seeds

  Shelled, Whole - Whole Foods Market

  ⅛ cup or 15g

• Garlic

  Raw

  1 clove or 3g

• Nutritional Yeast

  Vegan - Whole Foods Market

  1 tbsp or 8g

• Kale

  Scotch, raw

  5 cup, chopped or 335g

• Lettuce

  Romaine or cos, raw

  2 head or 1.25kg

Directions

1. Soak cashews in a bowl of water overnight, or for at least a few hours. Drain and rinse.
2. To make the roast chickpea croutons: Preheat oven to 400°F. Drain and rinse chickpeas. Place chickpeas in a tea towel and rub dry (it's okay if some skins fall off). Place onto large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle 1 tsp oil and roll around to coat. Sprinkle on the 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and optional 1/4 tsp cayenne. Toss to coat. Roast for 20 minutes at 400°F, then gently roll the chickpeas around in the baking sheet. Roast for another 10 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden. They will firm up as they cool.
3. Prepare the dressing: Add 1/2 cup soaked cashews, 1/4 cup water, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 small garlic clove, vinegar, capers, and pepper into a high-speed blender, and blend on high until the dressing is super smooth. Add a touch more water if needed. Add salt to taste and adjust other seasonings, if desired. Set aside.
4. Prepare the faux Parmesan cheese: Add 1/3 cup soaked cashews and 1 clove garlic into a mini food processor and process until finely chopped. Now add in 2 tbsp hulled hemp seeds, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 tsp garlic powder and pulse until the mixture is combined. Salt to taste.
5. Prepare the lettuce: Remove the kale stems and then finely chop the leaves. Wash and dry. Place into extra large bowl. Chop up the romaine into bite-sized pieces. Rinse and dry. Place into bowl along with kale. You should have roughly 5 cups chopped kale and 10 cups chopped romaine.
6. To assemble: add dressing onto lettuce and toss until fully coated. Season with a pinch of salt and mix again. Now sprinkle on the roasted chickpeas and the faux cheese. Serve immediately. Tip: dressing thickens when chilled, so leave it at room temperature to soften before using.