Vegan Kale Caesar Salad Toast
This Vegan Kale Caesar Salad Toast is a delicious way to get your greens at breakfast using this creamy tahini Caesar dressing. Packed with protein and easy to meal prep in advance.
Let’s upgrade the typical avocado toast and make it taste like a Caesar salad instead. Plus, we’ll throw in some extra nutrient benefits along the way. The toast acts like a giant crouton and everything else we top it with can be prepped in advance for the week. It’s the ultimate breakfast experience, but can truly be eaten at any point in the day.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Kale Caesar Salad Toast
- Easy to make. This meal uses simple plant-based ingredients that can be stored for easy prep during the week. Just mix and assemble!
- Great to meal prep ahead. Prep the salad in advance and use it to top over toast for an easy make ahead breakfast or lunch option.
- Get your greens in. Using kale helps to pack in more nutrients into this meal, while also making it delicious and enjoyable.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Kale: This green is nutritious and hearty. The fact it is hearty makes this perfect for meal prepping in advance to last in the fridge for a few days. You can also make this recipe using shredded brussels sprouts as well! But, if not concerned about meal prep, make it with softer greens like chopped Romaine lettuce instead.
- Tahini: This creamy base helps us to replace the dairy and eggs typically found in a Caesar dressing recipe. You can replace with some cashew butter or sunflower seed butter.
- Lemon: Use fresh lemon to get both the juice and zest for this meal.
- Garlic: Fresh cloves are best.
- Capers: Replaces the anchovies in the dressing, which is great for any individuals that are not the biggest fans of fish or allergic to it.
- Nutritional Yeast: Replaces the parmesan cheese in the dressing by providing similar umami, cheesy flavors. If unable to find, you can also use some yellow or white miso paste to help boost the umami flavors.
- Vegan Worcestershire Sauce: This is optional, but this helps to give us more of the authentic flavors in a Caesar dressing. Feel free to omit if you are unable to find in store or replace with miso paste.
- Lentils: A plant based protein option to top your toast with. For convenience feel free to use a canned option. You can also use roasted chickpeas as an alternative!
How to Make Vegan Kale Caesar Salad Toast
Preheat oven to 425F. Pat the lentils dry with a clean kitchen towel then place on a parchment lined baking tray. Drizzle with oil and salt, then toss to coat evenly. Spread the lentils out on the tray in a single layer. Place the lentils in the oven for 10 minutes, toss them and roast for an additional 5 minutes until crispy.
Add the kale to a large mixing bowl with the lemon zest and juice of half a lemon, oil and a generous pinch of salt. With clean hands, rub the dressing into the kale until it shrinks in size, becomes a brighter green color and softens in texture, then set aside.
To a small bowl add the tahini, nutritional yeast, 1 clove of grated garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, capers and brine, remaining lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Whisk this mixture together until it starts to thicken, then slowly whisk in the water until the mixture is creamy. If still too thick, whisk in water a tablespoon at a time until the dressing is to your liking.
Pour half the dressing into the kale and stir to evenly combine. Toast the sourdough bread and cut the remaining garlic clove in half. Rub the cut side of the garlic over the surface of the toasted bread.
Top the toast with avocado slices, some remaining lemon zest, salt and pepper, then top with kale, the roasted lentils and a drizzle of the remaining dressing. Optional, but for a boost in selenium grate a Brazil nut over top (alternatively feel free to use some vegan parm) and enjoy.
Expert Tips
- Massage your kale. This might sound odd, but rubbing the kale well with the salt, lemon and dressing will help soften the kale fibers and make it more enjoyable to eat.
- Use the toast base you like most. I chose to spread my toast with avocado, but there are a number of spreads like cream cheese or hummus that would make for a great toast base. So use what you like!
- Roast your lentils for a crunchy topping and extra protein. Roasting the lentils is optional, but compliments the toast by adding another layer of crunch. Topping it with lentils is also a great option for adding filling protein.
- Use cold water for your dressing. When cold water is whisked into tahini, it helps fluff it up and give it more creaminess. Make your water cold by adding an ice cube to it while you wait to prep your dressing.
- Brazil nut for selenium. Grate a Brazil nut over top of your toast and this will provide you with the adequate amount of the antioxidant-rich mineral selenium for the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! My favorite thing about this toast is that the ingredients can be prepped a few days in advance for make ahead breakfast. Kale is hearty, so when dressed this salad lasts at least 5 days.
If you are allergic or not a fan of avocado try spreading your toast with tofu cream cheese or hummus.
If you have a gluten allergy or sensitivity, try the kale salad on sweet potato toast or stuffed in a roasted potato. You may also enjoy a protein boost by serving this on a slice of tofu toast instead.
How to Serve
To make this a satisfying breakfast, toast your bread and top with some avocado and seasonings. Top this layer with the kale Caesar salad and the crispy lentils and optionally add some more Caesar dressing on top.
For a boost of selenium, I like to grate a Brazil nut over top of the toast. It almost gives it the look of grating parmesan cheese over top. However, feel free to add your own personal touches to this toast like:
- Pickled Onions
- Fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro
- Hemp hearts for more protein
More Vegan Breakfast Ideas
- Vegan Blueberry Bagels
- High Protein Basil Edamame Toast
- Savory Oatmeal with Pan-Seared Tofu
- Fudgy Chocolate Baked Oats
- Earl Grey Oatmeal
Vegan Kale Caesar Salad Toast
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegan Kale Caesar Salad Toast is a delicious way to get your greens at breakfast using this creamy tahini Caesar dressing. Packed with protein and easy to meal prep in advance.
Ingredients
- 1, 15oz can small lentils or 1 1/2 cups cooked French lentils, drained and rinsed well
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 bunch curly kale (about 8–10 leaves), stems removed and roughly chopped into bite sized pieces
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon, divided
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 cloves garlic, divided
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce or yellow miso, optional
- 2 tsp capers, minced
- 2 tsp of the caper brine from the jar
- 1/4 cup cold water
- Salt and pepper to taste
To Assemble
- Sourdough bread
- Avocado or any spread you like
- Brazil nut or walnut, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. Pat the lentils dry with a clean kitchen towel then place on a parchment lined baking tray. Drizzle with oil and salt, then toss to coat evenly. Spread the lentils out on the tray in a single layer. Place the lentils in the oven for 10 minutes, toss them and roast for an additional 5 minutes until crispy.
- Add the kale to a large mixing bowl with the lemon zest and juice of half a lemon, oil and a generous pinch of salt. With clean hands, rub the dressing into the kale until it shrinks in size, becomes a brighter green color and softens in texture, then set aside.
- To a small bowl add the tahini, nutritional yeast, 1 clove of grated garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, capers and brine, remaining lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Whisk this mixture together until it starts to thicken, then slowly whisk in the water until the mixture is creamy. If still too thick, whisk in water a tablespoon at a time until the dressing is to your liking.
- Pour half the dressing into the kale and stir to evenly combine. Toast the sourdough bread and cut the remaining garlic clove in half. Rub the cut side of the garlic over the surface of the toasted bread.
- Top the toast with avocado slices, some remaining lemon zest, salt and pepper, then top with kale, the roasted lentils and a drizzle of the remaining dressing. Optional, but for a boost in selenium grate a Brazil nut over top (alternatively feel free to use some vegan parm) and enjoy.
Notes
Massage your kale. This might sound odd, but rubbing the kale well with the salt, lemon and dressing will help soften the kale fibers and make it more enjoyable to eat.
Use the toast base you like most. I chose to spread my toast with avocado, but there are a number of spreads like cream cheese or hummus that would make for a great toast base. So use what you like!
Roast your lentils for a crunchy topping and extra protein. Roasting the lentils is optional, but compliments the toast by adding another layer of crunch. Topping it with lentils is also a great option for adding filling protein.
Use cold water for your dressing. When cold water is whisked into tahini, it helps fluff it up and give it more creaminess. Make your water cold by adding an ice cube to it while you wait to prep your dressing.
Brazil nut for selenium. Grate a Brazil nut over top of your toast and this will provide you with the adequate amount of the antioxidant-rich mineral selenium for the day.
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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This was delicious! I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this combo of ingredients, but I love things on toast so gave it a try and I’m so glad I did! It’s a good mesh of healthy and cozy and the dressing comes together really well.