Grilled Caesar Salad

Did you know that Caesar salad—served everywhere in the U.S., from fancy restaurants to airplanes and school cafeterias—hails not from the mighty Caesar but from a bustling restaurant in 1920s Tijuana, Mexico? The story goes that on a busy night and short on ingredients, Italian chef Caesar Cardini used what he had to create a version of what we now know as Caesar salad. So, is Caesar salad Italian or Mexican? We think you can chalk this one up to Italian genius, though you are unlikely to find it in Italy or Mexico. This oil-free twist features grilled whole grain bread rubbed with raw garlic immediately after toasting. In the vegan dressing, nutritional yeast provides a cheesy flavor, while aquafaba (the liquid from canned chickpeas) creates a silky smooth texture. Grilled romaine lettuce leaves, coated in the umami-rich dressing, are equal parts smoky, wilted, and crunchy. If you’ve never grilled romaine lettuce, you have to give this recipe a whirl!

Tips

Worcestershire sauce: Worcestershire sauce traditionally contains anchovies or fish sauce, so be sure to choose a vegan version.

For more inspiration, check out these tasty ideas:

Vegan Kale Caesar Salad
Grilled Romaine Salad
Tuscan Panzanella with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
Vegan Mixed Grill Platter

Yield: Makes 10 cups

Time: 20 minutes

¾ cup canned no-salt-added chickpeas, drained and liquid reserved
¼ cup aquafaba (liquid drained from chickpeas)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce (see tip, recipe intro)
3 cloves garlic, halved
4 slices whole grain bread
3 romaine hearts, halved lengthwise
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Lemon wedges (optional)

Instructions

For dressing, in a small food processor or blender combine the first five ingredients (through Worcestershire sauce) and 2 cloves of the garlic. Process until very smooth.
For croutons, grill bread over medium-high 2 to 3 minutes or until toasted and browned, turning once. Immediately rub toast with cut edges of the remaining garlic clove. Cool toast 5 minutes; cut into cubes.
Brush cut edges of romaine hearts with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Grill, cut sides down, 1 to 2 minutes or until char marks form but romaine is still crisp. Transfer to a cutting board and coarsely chop lettuce.
Arrange chopped lettuce on a serving platter. Top with tomatoes and croutons. Drizzle with the remaining dressing. Season with pepper and, if you like, serve with lemon wedges.

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