Did you know you can make a vegan caesar dressing with just hummus and some seasonings? Whether you are vegan or you you are trying to accommodate a vegan/egg-free/dairy-free eater, I am happy to let you know that you don’t need to rush to the store for an expensive bottle of vegan dressing.
Just hummus and a few seasonings
No blender needed (unless you want a really smooth dressing)
That salty, zingy, lemony flavour
With an added boost of protein!
How To Make Vegan Caesar Dressing
The base for this vegan caesar dressing is hummus! My other Zingy Caesar Dressing is cashew based and requires a blender to grind the soaked cashews. I love that this one is an option for those of you who don’t have a blender or don’t want to wash your blender (right?)!
Many store-bought vegan caesar dressings will use oil as a base for that creamy texture. This version however, is oil-free and sneaks protein into the dressing!
Simply:
- Whisk miso paste into plant milk to dissolve the paste.
- Add chopped capers with their brine.
- Stir in some seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic powder, wasabi or mustard powder).
- Add lemon juice and nutritional yeast.
- Finally, stir in the hummus to thicken the dressing.
*Use an oil-free homemade hummus if you need this recipe to be completely free from oil! My 5 Minute Hummus recipe can be made with or without oil
Store the finished dressing separate from the rest of your salad until just before serving.
Substitutions
All of these ingredients are part of my pantry. If you’re wanting to include more plant based meals into your diet, browse my pantry page to see how I stock simple ingredients that make my cooking flavourful and convenient.
Some of these ingredients may be new to you. If you’re wondering what miso paste is, peruse this Bon Appetit article on the uses of miso paste, how to buy it, and how to store it. Nutritional yeast is another one that may be unfamiliar to you. This Healthline article can give you some background on this savoury flavour booster and fortified yeast.
If you don’t have miso paste or nutritional yeast I suggest:
- Adding in some soy sauce
- Or worcestershire sauce (ensure vegan if needed)
You may have these two ingredients in your fridge and they can help add in some of that salty, savoury flavour!
Recipe Cost
This recipe makes 210 ml of dressing and costs me approximately $3.15 CAD ($1.15/100 ml) using hummus purchased from my local grocery store. However, I always make hummus from chickpeas I have cooked from scratch. With my homemade hummus, this recipe only costs us $1.54 ($0.73/100 ml)!
If I purchase a vegan caesar dressing I can expect to pay over $2 to over $3 per 100 ml.
Try this dressing on my Vegan Caesar Wrap With Grilled Tofu! You might also love my Simple Lemon Tahini Dressing which you can also stir up in seconds.
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Easy Vegan Caesar Dressing (No Blender Needed)
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 210 ml 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
No blender is needed for this vegan caesar dressing. Simply whisk a few seasonings into hummus to create that delicious caesar taste!
Ingredients
- ¾ teaspoon miso paste (see notes for substitutions)
- 2 tablespoon plant milk
- 2 tsp capers, chopped with brine
- ¼ tsp salt
- Pinch of black pepper
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon garlic powder (if your hummus isn’t garlicky)
- ¼ tsp wasabi (or sub with dijon or mustard powder)
- 3 ½ tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ cup hummus (homemade for extra savings)
*All the ingredients for this recipe are from our pantry and freezer tips!
Instructions
- You can use a blender for this recipe if you want a completely smooth dressing. Otherwise simply whisk the ingredients!
- Whisk the miso paste into the plant milk to dissolve the paste.
- Add chopped capers and remaining seasonings. *If using fresh lemons, try using the juice of one lemon and taste the dressing. Add more as needed.
- Stir in the hummus to thicken the dressing. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired.
- Pour over your salad just before serving and store leftover dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
If you don’t have miso paste the recipe will work without it. It adds depth of flavour and saltiness. Likewise, nutritional yeast helps to add that umami flavour. Consider adding a splash of soy sauce or vegan worcestershire sauce if you don’t have these ingredients to add some salty, savoury flavour.
Approximate Cost: Using my homemade hummus with chickpeas I’ve cooked from scratch, this recipe costs me just $1.54 CAD ($0.73/100 ml). Using store-bought hummus increases my cost to $3.14 ($1.50/100 ml). Store-bought vegan caesar dressings typically range from over $2 to over $3 per 100 ml.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: salad
- Method: Stirred
- Cuisine: Italian
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