Love a chicken Caesar but not eating meat? This vegetarian tofu Caesar salad recipe is going to be a hit. I don’t love using fake meat products in my cooking, however, I have devised an excellent way of preparing extra-firm tofu to have a distinctively chicken-like flavour and texture!
Caesar salad is one of my absolute favourite foods in the world, and this way of preparing it is a real game-changer!
Though putting tofu in a Caesar may sound strange, I promise you that it works and it’s a great way to have this meal if you’re not eating meat for whatever reason.
How to Make Vegetarian Caesar Salad
There are a few moving parts to this salad, but it’s not very difficult and you can get everything to come together in a short time period.
Note that you can do several things at once – for instance, you can make the croutons and cook the tofu at the same time. While they’re in the oven, you can assemble your salad and make the dressing. So your active time will likely only be about 30 minutes, if that!
You can use a bottled Caesar dressing if you wish, but I recommend making it yourself. Have a look at my Caesar dressing recipe – just make sure to use vegan Worcestershire sauce if you’re trying to ensure everything is completely vegetarian. The same goes for going for vegetarian parmesan cheese.
So to begin, make your croutons and prep your tofu!
For the croutons, use a country loaf or some stale crusty bread (I tend to freeze the leftover crusts from sourdough loaves to have croutons whenever I like!).
Put them on a baking sheet, drizzle with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put it in a 200℃/400℉ oven until they’re golden and crisp.
Meanwhile, you can also prep your tofu! Make sure you’re using extra firm tofu here as any other softer tofu won’t work properly.
Use your hands to crumble the tofu into a mixing bowl. I like to have the pieces be slightly uneven as I think it makes the texture more interesting. Once crumbled, drizzle a bit of olive oil over the tofu along with some soy sauce.
The soy sauce adds a savoury depth of flavour to the tofu that, once baked, makes it taste almost chicken-y!
Spread the tofu over a parchment-lined baking sheet and place it in the oven next to your croutons. Cook it until it has reduced in size, has turned golden brown and has begun to crisp in places, about 20 minutes.
Allow both the croutons and tofu to cool down just a bit before tossing them in the salad.
So once you’ve got all of your elements together, it’s pretty simple to assemble the salad. All you need is to combine a chopped head of romaine lettuce in a large salad bowl. Then, shave some parmesan cheese ribbons off of a block using a vegetable peeler.
Then, add your croutons and your tofu! Pour over some Caesar dressing and use tongs to ensure everything is well coated in the dressing. I also like to put in a lot of freshly ground black pepper!
Vegetarian Tofu Caesar Salad
Ingredients
- 300 g (1 ¼ cups) crusty bread cut or torn into cubes
- 300 g (1 ¼ cups) extra-firm tofu drained and patted dry
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 head romaine/cos lettuce torn into bite-sized pieces
- 20 g (¼ cup) parmesan cheese shaved into strips with a vegetable peeler
- 60 ml (¼ cup) caesar dressing vegetarian if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200℃/400℉. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Evenly distribute the bread over one of the prepared baking sheets. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Toast until crisp and golden brown, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, use your hands to crumble the tofu into small pieces over a medium mixing bowl. Drizzle with the soy sauce and a tablespoon of olive oil and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Spread the tofu over the other prepared baking sheet and transfer to the oven alongside the croutons. Cook until the tofu has reduced in size, has turned golden brown and has begun to crisp in places, about 20 minutes.
- Once the croutons and tofu are done, allow to cool for about five minutes. Meanwhile, add the lettuce and parmesan cheese to a large salad bowl. Then, add the croutons and baked tofu.
- Pour over the dressing and toss to combine. Top with plenty of freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.
Video
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Now all you need to do is serve and dig in! You’re sure to really fall in love with this incredible way of making this iconic salad.
Are you looking for a vegetarian Caesar salad? Have any questions about this recipe? Let me know in the comments!
