Grilled Vegan Caesar Salad with Crispy Tofu Croutons
This Grilled Vegan Caesar Salad is crisp, savory and topped with crispy tofu croutons for an added hit of protein. Top with the flavorful creamy Caesar dressing and use to impress at your next summer gathering.
This post is sponsored by Nasoya, but all opinions are my own.
A chef I worked with once told me, “If you ever wondered if it grills…the answer is probably yes.” And if that question is specific to Romaine, it’s a double yes and you absolutely should.
Grilling vegetables like Romaine release some of their natural sugars, which leads to caramelization and more flavor. So let’s run with this idea to make this Grilled Caesar Salad topped with some crispy Tofu Croutons.
Why You’ll Love This Grilled Vegan Caesar Salad
- Easy to make and ready in just 20 minutes
- Higher in protein compared to traditional recipes
- Every component of the salad is full of savory umami flavor
- Uses a dressing with added nutrition from the creamy tahini base
- Great to use for summer entertaining
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Tofu: Use Nasoya’s Super Firm Tofu for ease and texture. You can also use Nasoya’s Extra Firm Tofu if Super Firm Tofu is not available and just press and drain before using.
- Cornstarch: The ingredient that makes your tofu crispy. For alternatives, try arrowroot powder.
- Nutritional Yeast: Helps to crisp up the tofu more and also provides more umami flavor to the tofu. You can replace the nutritional yeast with more cornstarch if you do not have access to it.
- Tahini: A savory seed paste made of sesame seeds. This can be replaced with cashew butter or sunflower seed butter.
- Lemon: We use both the juice and zest, so try to use fresh lemon if you can!
- Capers: We are using the capers and the juice from the jar to add to the dressing to add more flavor.
- Mustard: I recommend Dijon mustard for the best taste. If you replace with a different mustard, it will impact the taste of the dressing.
- Vegan Worcestershire Sauce: This helps to replace the anchovies that are used in traditional Caesar dressing. If you do not have access to vegan Worcestershire sauce, feel free to omit and adjust with more capers as needed.
- Seasoning: Throughout this recipe we are using a combination of garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to flavor the tofu and Romaine lettuce.
How to Make Tofu Croutons
For the crispiest tofu croutons we are seasoning and cooking Nasoya’s Super Firm Tofu in the air fryer to until nice and crispy, reminiscent of croutons. I recommend Nasoya’s Super Firm Tofu for the added plant-based protein and the simple fact that there is no need to press the tofu. It’s ready to cut and use right out of the package.
Just toss your cubed tofu with cornstarch, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder and Italian seasoning. Place in the air fryer and cook until golden and crispy. If you do not have an air fryer, you can also crisp it up in the oven following this baked crispy tofu recipe using Nasoya’s Extra Firm Tofu for the best results.
How to Make Grilled Vegan Caesar Salad
Make your dressing by combining the tahini, garlic, lemon juice and zest, capers along with the juice from the caper jar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, nutritional yeast, and water in a bowl or jar. Whisk it together and pour in water slowly while whisking until you achieve your desired consistency.
Cut your Romaine lettuce in half lengthwise leaving the root attached to hold the leaves together. Combine your oil, lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Brush the cut side of the lettuce with the lemon oil and bring it to a preheated grill.
Place the Romaine on the grill, cut side down and cook for 1-2 minutes or until you get a nice, caramelized bottom, then remove from the heat.
Expert Tips
- Dry your Romaine well before grilling. After washing the lettuce, flip the romaine cut side down on a clean kitchen towel and pat as dry as possible. This will prevent your lettuce from steaming when placed on the grill.
- Pay attention while grilling. Your Romaine lettuce should not be on the grill longer than 2 minutes or it will wilt and lose it’s crispiness.
- Make sure you are layering flavor. Make sure you are seasoning your greens just as well as your dressing and tofu. And I always encourage to season as you go, so if you need more salt, garlic or lemon juice, add to your preference.
- If you do not have an air fryer, you can bake your tofu in an oven to crisp it up.
Frequently Asked Questions
For the best texture, use tofu that is as firm as possible. Super Firm tofu is the firmest variety available and does not crumble as easily as other types of tofu, which will help maintain its shape as it cooks. In addition, super firm tofu contains more protein per serving than other types, which can help you meet your daily protein requirements.
Grilling your lettuce helps enhance the flavor and texture of your lettuce. You still get that crispy lettuce texture while also getting bites that are caramelized and smoky in flavor.
Cut your Romaine into half length wise and run it under cold water. Place the Romaine cut side down on a clean kitchen towel and pat dry.
I took the traditional elements of a normal Caesar salad and kept in mind that I wanted to add more nutrition and not just take away ingredients. So you will notice with this preparation that we are using tofu croutons instead of normal croutons for more protein. I also swapped the mayo for tahini to add more fiber and reduce the saturated fat of the dressing to make it more heart healthy.
More Things to Top Your Salad With
- Extra grilled veggies like onions, asparagus or grilled zucchini
- Pepitas, hemp hearts or sesame seeds for crunch
- Sliced avocado for extra creaminess
- Crispy smoky tempeh
More Vegan Summer Salad Recipes to Try
- Summer Farro Salad with Crispy Roasted Lentils
- Citrus Infused Couscous Chickpea Salad
- Roasted Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad with Sesame Miso Sauce
- Spicy Edamame Salad with Smashed Cucumbers
- Lemon Orzo Salad with Asparagus
- Roasted Potato Salad with BBQ Chickpeas
Grilled Vegan Caesar Salad with Crispy Tofu Croutons
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 19 minutes
- Total Time: 34 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Grilled Vegan Caesar Salad is crisp, savory and topped with crispy tofu croutons for an added hit of protein. Top with the flavorful creamy Caesar dressing and use to impress at your next summer gathering.
Ingredients
Tofu Croutons
- 1 (454g) package of Nasoya Super Firm Tofu, cut into cubes
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Creamy Tahini Caesar Dressing
- 1/3 cup good quality tahini
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Juice and zest of 1/2 a large lemon
- 2 tsp capers + 2 tbsp of juice from the caper jar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce, optional
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup cold water
Grilled Romaine Lettuce
- 3 heads Romaine lettuce heads, cut in half lengthwise
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Juice and zest of half a large lemon
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- For the tofu: Place your cubed tofu in a medium sized mixing bowl. Top the tofu with the cornstarch, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, oil, garlic powder, onion powder and Italian seasoning. Give the tofu a toss to coat and place in your air fryer to bake at 390F for 17 minutes until browned and crispy.
- Prepare the Caesar dressing: To a bowl or large measuring cup add in the tahini, garlic, lemon juice and zest, capers and caper juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and nutritional yeast and whisk together to combine. When the dressing starts to thicken, slowly whisk in the water until the dressing is your desired consistency.
- Grill the Romaine Lettuce: To a small bowl combine the olive oil, zest, juice, garlic and a few cracks of salt and pepper and mix well. Brush this oil mixture overtop the cut side of the Romaine head and bring to a preheated grill. Place the Romaine cut side down on the grill and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes or until the bottoms are browned or appear to develop grill marks. Remove the lettuce and set aside on a platter to assemble your salad.
- Assemble: Use 1/2 a head of lettuce per serving and plate it with a generous serving of the dressing and top with the tofu croutons. Adjust and add more salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Notes
Dry your Romaine well before grilling. After washing the lettuce, flip the romaine cut side down on a clean kitchen towel and pat as dry as possible. This will prevent your lettuce from steaming when placed on the grill.
Pay attention while grilling. Your Romaine lettuce should not be on the grill longer than 2 minutes or it will wilt and lose it’s crispiness.
Make sure you are layering flavor. Make sure you are seasoning your greens just as well as your dressing and tofu. And I always encourage to season as you go, so if you need more salt, garlic or lemon juice, add to your preference.
If you do not have an air fryer, you can bake your tofu in an oven to crisp it up.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
★ Catherine
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