Caesar Salad
Caesar salad was invented in 1924 by Caesar Cardini, an Italian immigrant restaurateur working across the border in Tijuana, Mexico, where he tossed it tableside for American diners visiting during Prohibition. The original leans on raw egg, parmesan, and a heavy pour of olive oil for its richness, with a dash of Worcestershire's anchovy for salt. Soaked cashews take over the creaminess here, nutritional yeast supplies the cheese note, and a spoon of capers stands in for the anchovy's brine. Roasting chickpeas instead of frying bread cubes keeps the crunch a whole food rather than a box of croutons, and blending the dressing rather than whisking an emulsion means it never breaks or separates in the fridge.
Ingredients
- 2 heads Romaine, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups Chickpeas, canned, drained and patted dry
- 1/3 cup Raw cashews, soaked 15 minutes in hot water, drained
- 3 tbsp Nutritional yeast, divided
- 1 tbsp Capers, rinsed
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 3 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Low-sodium tamari
- 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
For no added salt, skip the capers and tamari. Toss the chickpeas with extra nutritional yeast and pepper, and add another squeeze of lemon to the dressing to keep the tang.
Method
- Heat the oven to 400F (200C). Pat the drained chickpeas completely dry with a towel, since wet chickpeas steam instead of crisping. Toss them on a parchment-lined sheet pan with the tamari and 1 tablespoon of the nutritional yeast. The tamari is the only liquid they get, just enough to make the seasoning stick and start the browning that oil would otherwise give.
- Roast the chickpeas 20 to 25 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through, until deeply golden and starting to split. They crisp further as they cool, so pull them a shade before they look fully done.
- While the chickpeas roast, drain the soaked cashews and blend them with the garlic, lemon juice, dijon mustard, capers, the remaining 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, and 3 to 4 tablespoons water. Blend at least a full minute, until fully smooth. Cashews take over the emulsifying job that oil and raw egg do in the original, so a short blend leaves it grainy instead of creamy.
- Taste the dressing and loosen with a splash more water if needed. It should coat a spoon but still pour.
- Toss the chopped romaine with the dressing until every leaf is coated. Divide among plates, scatter with the roasted chickpeas, and finish with the black pepper.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 190 calories, 11 g protein, 10 g fiber, 190 mg sodiumabout 45 mg sodium (salt-free version). Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
