Name: Lemon Tahini White Bean Caesar Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup 60 g tahini; ; 1 tbsp 15 ml olive oil; ; ¼ cup 60 ml lemon juice, about 1 lemon; ; 1 tbsp 15 ml Dijon mustard; ; 1 clove garlic; ; 2 tbsp 22 g nutritional yeast; ; 1 tbsp 15 ml maple syrup or other sweetener; ; ½ tsp salt (or to taste); ; ¼ tsp pepper (or to taste); ; 3 tbsp 45 ml water, plus more as needed; ⅓ cup 44 g raw, hulled, unsalted sunflower seeds; ; ½ tsp salt; ; 2 tbsp 22 g nutritional yeast; ; 4 cups 268 g kale, diced; ; 1 tsp apple cider vinegar; ; ¼ red onion (sliced)

Elevate your culinary journey with the Lemon Tahini White Bread Caesar Salad. From being a picky eater to embracing plant-based goodness, this recipe delivers a tantalizing twist on the classic Caesar. The creamy, lemony dressing harmonizes with crisp kale, white beans, and a savory vegan Parmesan. In just 20 minutes, you can relish a satisfying and calcium-rich meal.

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This Lemon Tahini White Bean Caesar Salad is an excerpt from Lauren McNeill cookbook The Simple Vegan Kitchen. Lauren is a plant-based registered dietitian and the creator of Tasting to Thrive. She holds a master’s of public health in nutrition with a specialization in women’s health. Through her social media platforms, Lauren shares easy and approachable plant-based recipes that are nourishing while still being delicious. She provides one-on-one nutrition counseling services virtually through her private practice and has created online programs to help people thrive on a plant-based diet.

The Perfect Vegan Caesar Salad

Growing up, I was a pretty picky eater. The only vegetables I liked were raw baby carrots (yes, they had to be raw) and plain romaine lettuce. I have vivid memories of asking my mom if I could snack on the plain romaine lettuce she was chopping while making a salad. As I got a few years older, my palate expanded only slightly and I started to enjoy Caesar salads.

I’m happy to say that now I enjoy a wide variety of foods, but once I went plant-based, I was nervous that I’d never be able to have a good Caesar salad again. Luckily that hasn’t been a problem, especially with this recipe. The keys to a good plant-based Caesar salad in my book are a garlicky, creamy, lemon dressing paired with fresh lettuce or kale and a delicious, salty vegan Parmesan. While this salad definitely isn’t a classic Caesar, it’s still wildly delicious and one that I think my younger self would be proud of.

Ingredients You’ll Need

FOR THE DRESSING

Tahini
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Dijon mustard
Garlic
Nutritional yeast
Maple syrup or other sweetener
Salt
Pepper
Water

FOR THE VEGAN PARMESAN

Sunflower seeds
Salt
Nutritional yeast

FOR THE SALAD

Kale
Apple cider vinegar
Red onion
Whitebeans

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS

Vegan Parmesan
Black pepper
Lemon juice

How To Make This Caesar Salad

Step 1: Caesar Dressing and Vegan Parmesan Preparation

In a high-speed blender, blend the tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, nutritional yeast, maple syrup, salt, pepper and water to make the dressing. Add more water to adjust the consistency to your liking.
Using a small food processor, coffee grinder or blender, blend the sunflower seeds, salt and nutritional yeast until the vegan Parmesan has the texture of sand.

Step 2: Kale Preparation and Caesar Salad Assembly

In a large bowl, sprinkle the kale with apple cider vinegar. Using your hands, massage the kale and apple cider vinegar together until the kale is slightly wilted and darker green, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the onion, white beans, 2 tablespoons (30 g) of the vegan Parmesan and the salad dressing to the kale. Toss well to combine everything. Feel free to serve it with additional vegan Parmesan, pepper and lemon juice.

Step 3: Storing Your Caesar Salad

Refrigerate salad leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Refrigerate leftover vegan Parmesan separately in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Lemon Tahini White Bean Caesar Salad – Recipe Card

Reprinted with permission from The Simple Vegan Kitchen by Lauren McNeill. Page Street Publishing Co. 2023. Photo credit: Toni Zernik.

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About The Cookbook

A registered dietician guides beginners through adopting a vegan lifestyle with 60 recipes and plenty of tips to help readers get the nutrition they need and reach their health goals.

Get the Nutrients You Need and the Flavors You Crave the Simple & Plant-Based Way The Simple & Plant-Based Way Nothing beats a homemade meal that comes together easily with pantry ingredients, fuels your body, and tastes amazing! Registered dietitian and creator of Tasting to Thrive Lauren McNeill knows that nutritionally balanced food sustains daily wellness long-term only when it’s yummy enough to eat every day. Lauren prioritizes flavor in her recipes without sacrificing a proper mix of plant-based protein, carbohydrates, and fats alongside key nutrients like iron, calcium, and omega-3. A few of her delectable vegan dishes include:

One-Pan Mushroom Gnocchi
Herby Lentil “Meatballs” & Garlic Bread
Peanut-Miso Tofu Noodle Bowl
Barbecue Chickpea Wraps
Edamame Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing
Carrot Cake Overnight Oats White Bean, Balsamic & Rosemary Dip
Lemon-Coconut Energy Balls

With her evidence-based, balanced plate approach to eating, Lauren will guide you each step of the way in preparing varied, nourishing dishes while building a lifelong healthy relationship with food. Plus, with a 30-day sample meal plan and gorgeous full-page photography with every recipe, this cookbook will quickly become your daily source of inspiration for simple, delicious, and satisfying plant-based eating.

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More Vegan Recipes You Might Like

If you enjoyed this Lemon Tahini White Bean Caesar Salad recipe, you might also like this Lentil Meatballs from the same author. Click here to get the recipe.