There have been some amazing plant-based and whole food restaurants popping up in Toronto in the last few years— Kupfert & Kim, iQ Food Co. and Yorkville’s upscale vegetarian restaurant Planta, to name a few. These days, you can even find vegan takeout joint Urban Herbivore at the mall food court. It makes me so happy to see this shift towards healthy eating and sustainability in my city!
If you live in the east end, you’re probably already familiar with Impact Kitchen. I finally went to check it out on recommendation from a friend, and it did not disappoint! The quick-service eatery serves minimally processed, nutrient-rich food and works with local suppliers to source the freshest ingredients. While it’s not exclusively vegetarian, they offer everything from cold pressed juice to fresh smoothies, salads, power bowls, healthy treats and holistic teas.
I had the vegan kale caesar salad with chickpeas, pumpkin seed parmesan and vegan cashew dressing. It was so delicious that I went straight home to re-create the recipe. After several attempts (and a few burnt chickpeas later), I finally nailed it. So you can imagine my excitement when I received two lush bunches of lacinato kale in my organic produce delivery last week!
This Vegan Kale Caesar Salad is a healthy spin on the more traditional dish made with romaine, parmesan cheese and croutons. While all leafy greens are great for you, dark leafy greens like kale and spinach tend to be higher in fibre and provide more nutritional value. Kale is an excellent source of vitamin K, A, C, manganese, copper, calcium and B vitamins. It’s loaded with powerful antioxidants that help protect against free radicals and has been studied extensively for it’s anti-cancer properties.
The vegan parmesan cheese in this recipe is based on heart-healthy nuts and seeds, with the added cheesy flavour of nutritional yeast. I often use nutritional yeast in my recipes, as it adds a savoury boost to salads, avocado toast, veggies and pasta, without the dairy content. It’s also a great source of fibre, protein and vitamin B12, which is often lacking in plant-based diets. While this recipe was originally made with pumpkin seeds, I found cashews and sesame seeds to be more neutral and take on the cheesy flavour much better.
To make this caesar salad gluten-free, I replaced the traditional wheat croutons with oven-roasted chickpeas. They add a nice crunch and some more substance to the salad, with the added bonus of dietary fibre and protein. Chickpeas are an excellent source of manganese, magnesium, vitamin B6, folate, copper, phosphorus, iron and zinc. They also contain prebiotics, which feed the beneficial bacteria in our gut and help maintain a healthy digestive system.
Try this hearty #vegan kale caesar salad tonight, for a healthy spin on a classic dish! Click To Tweet
- 2 bunches lacinato (black) kale
- ⅓ cup green onion, chopped
- 1 can organic chickpeas
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup cashews
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- Pinch of sea salt
- ½ cup cashews, soaked
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp filtered water
- 1 tbsp grainy dijon mustard
- ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
- ½ tbsp capers
- Pinch sea salt & pepper
- Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roast the chickpeas: Strain and rinse chickpeas and pat to dry. Toss in olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne and salt. Bake in oven for 40 minutes or until crispy and lightly toasted, stirring half way through. Set aside to cool.
- Prepare the cheese: Add cashews, sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt and garlic to a high speed blender. Combine until ground into a fine and crumbly texture. Set aside.
- Prepare the dressing: Add olive oil, filtered water, apple cider vinegar, dijon, raw cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and zest, capers, salt and pepper to a high speed blender. Combine until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- Prepare the kale: Using a sharp knife, prepare the kale by removing the leaves from the stems. Discard the stems and chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces.
- Assemble the salad: Add the kale and a generous amount of dressing to a large salad bowl. Toss until evenly coated. Top with green onion, sprinkle with vegan parm and finish with crispy croutons! Season with salt and pepper and garnish with a lemon wedge.
Recipe inspired by Impact Kitchen.
The amount of creamy cashew dressing can be adjusted based on your preference. I tend to leave a little extra behind to add to leftovers the next day. That being said, this salad holds up really well in the fridge! Kale is much more resilient than romaine and other delicate greens, so it makes a great pack-ahead lunch option. I recommend adding the roasted chickpeas in at the last minute however, as they tend to lose their crunch-factor in the fridge.
I hope you guys give this recipe a go! Have you ever made a vegan kale caesar salad? I’m always working to improve my recipes, so let me know if you have any suggestions in the comments below. And if you share it on social media, don’t forget to tag #wholeheartnutrition and @wholeheart.nutrition so I can check it out!
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