30-Minute Vegan Chicken Caesar Salad w/ Tofu Chicken Cutlets, Turmeric Croutons, Brazil Nut Parmesan, and Easy Vegan Caesar Dressing
Difficulty: 2/5 (5 being hardest)
Spice Level: 1/3 (3 being spiciest)
Prep & Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
The Challenge: Chicken Caesar Salad
By far, my favorite salad is caesar salad. I love that tangy creamy dressing mixed with crisp cold romaine + arugula. Mix in some tasty croutons and veggies ... amazing! Us vegans, though, dver get the full experience without the chicken + parmesan that many can get. Well, let's change that in 30 minutes with an amazing caesar that is simple to make, tasty as hell, and challenges everything you thought you knew about salad vegans.
I started this blog under the guise that I wanted to challenge vegans to think beyond smoothie bowls, salads, and create fun foods that push the envelope on gourmet, comfort, and everyday foods non-vegans take for granted. Personally, I adore salad but think it pigeon holes vegans into a certain dish/lifestyle...fair or not. Well screw it, here's a salad that will make them drool with jealousy and devour every bite in sight asking for more! Kill em with flavor.
We use romaine + kale to create the base. Add in a few veggies and top it with a caesar dressing that is cashew free and deliciously creamy. For parm, I have found brazil nuts to be much richer in flavor tha cashews. They are heartier and add more depth of flavor an almost easrthiness that cashew cheese lacks.
Finally, we top if with an extremely simple chicken replacement made from breaded tofu. Finally, we need turmeric croutons. Say qhat?! Yep. Turmeric buttery croutons are the last piece of this simple gourmet recipe puzzle.
Lets get into it.
Tofu Chicken
- 14oz organic extra-firm tofu, drained
- 2 tbl organic unbleached flour
- 2 tbl liquid aminos, divided 1 tbl each
- 1 tbl corn starch
- 2 tbl water
- 1/2 cup whole wheat organic bread crumbs
- 1.5 tbl olive oil
Brazil Nut Parm
- 1/2 cup brazil nuts
- 2 tbl sunflower seeds
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- 2 tbl nutritional yeast
- 1 tbl olive oil
- pinch of salt + pepper
Turmeric Croutons
- 2 cups italian bread, stale + crusty is best (left out for a day...if not regular bread works fine)
- 2 tbl vegan butter
- Spices: 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp onion powder
Caesar Dressing
- 1/4 cup brazil nuts (or cashews)
- 1/4 cup garbanzo beans, cooked (from can works well)
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbl olive oil
- 1.5 tbl lemon juice
- 1/2 tbl grainy mustard
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tbl vegan Worcestershire sauce
- salt + pepper
The Rest
- 6 cups chopped organic romaine
- 4 cups chopped organic curly kale
- 1/2 cup carrots, diced
- 2 cobs of organic corn, dekerneled
- 1 medium cucumber, halved + diced
Equipment You'll Need:
Mixing Bowls . Sharp Chopping Knife . Measuring Cups + Spoons . Cutting Board . Bread Knife . Medium Frying Pan . Castiron Pan . Shallow Bowls/Plates . Food Processor . Wooden Salad Spoons
Before You Cook:
- Wash + chop fresh ingredients
- Wrap tofu in towel and place heavy pan/pot on top.
1. While we pull some of the excess water out of the tofu, let's start by chopping up the Italian bread into bite size chunks. Warm two tablespoons of vegan butter in a medium frying pan.
2. Once butter begins to pop, add the bread cubes, coat well and add spices. Cook 3-4 minutes over medium heat, flip cook another 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
3. While the croutons cook, unwrap tofu and slice into 4 equal "cutlets." Drizzle on 1 tbl of liquid aminos. Let it marinate for a couple minutes while you setup your breading stations.
4. Setup your breading stations. In a shallow bowl or plate, add the flour. In bowl 2, mix water corn starch, and 1 tbl of liquid aminos. In a shallow bowl for #3, add breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and any spices you desire.
5. Place a castiron pan with 2 tbl of olive oil on stovetop over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes. While heating, to make your cutlets, dip into the flour and coat well, dunk into the water starch bath, then coat in the breadcrumbs until you have a nice layer on each side.
6. Once all four tofu cutlets are breaded, add to castiron pan, turn heat to medium low. cook for 3 minutes until golden brown on each side.
7. While the cutlets cook, add all dressing ingredients to a food processor. Process for 30 seconds, scrape down sides, process for another 30 seconds. Set aside in a ramekin or small bowl.
8. Clean out food processor or blender, add the parm ingredients to the food proccesor. Pulse 8-10 times until you have a crumble cheese texture.
9. It's time to put together the salad. Divide the lettuce into four small bowls or serve in one large bowl. Add kale + romaine, chopped veggies, parm, croutons, and cutlets (chopped into smaller pieces). Drizzle on dressing, mix + serve. Eat! Enjoy!
