This Easy Caesar Salad Recipe brings everything you love about the classic—minus what you don’t (at least, what I can do without: anchovies!). Roasted garlic chickpeas, parmesan crisps, cooling cucumbers, and refreshing romaine lettuce are coated in a sun-kissed, umami-rich, creamy sunflower faux Caesar dressing.
I remember a time when I truly enjoyed a traditional Caesar salad—until I didn’t. The moment I realized what anchovies were, it was like I could instantly taste them before anything else in the salad. Was it all in my head? Maybe… but once you reach that point, it’s hard to shake.
When I fully committed to vegetarian eating, I knew I wanted to find real substitutes to enjoy classics like Caesar salad—without just swapping in ranch and losing the special, savory depth that makes the dressing so unique. Using Roasted Garlic Chickpeas in place of the familiar Grilled Chicken Caesar salad recipes, the chickpeas add extra garlicky flavor and provide protein, making this salad a filling option whether served as a main dish or a side.
The Caesar salad wasn’t created in Rome—or Italy for that matter. It was invented by an Italian chef named Caesar Cardini, who had moved to Mexico. One night, his restaurant ran low on ingredients, so he whipped up a salad with what he had, even dressing it tableside for a bit of flair. Like many great things, the Caesar salad was born out of need and a little luck.
For this Easy Caesar Salad Recipe, you won’t need luck, but you will need some key ingredients. Keep reading to find out how I make this delicious vegetarian Caesar salad—hold the anchovies!
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Ingredients
This salad comes together with roasted garlic chickpeas, parmesan crisps, and a creamy homemade sunflower dressing. It’s made from scratch—extra work, but totally worth it for the flavor!
- Romaine Lettuce
- Chickpeas
- Parmesan Crisps
- Cucumbers
See recipe card for quantities.
How do you make a caesar salad from scratch?
Preparation is key here. For our Easy Vegetarian Caesar Salad, plan out which ingredients you have on hand and which you need to shop for. I suggest prepping your dressing before assembling the salad. Not only does this make the process less rushed, but it also allows the dressing to chill before serving.
Easy Vegan Caesar Salad Variation
This recipe as written is vegetarian, but curious how to make an Easy Vegan Caesar Salad with Vegan Caesar dressing? Here are some simple swaps you can make:
Faux Caesar Sunflower Dressing: Ensure the dressing is already vegan by replacing any dairy (like the mayonnaise, sour cream, and milk) with plant-based alternatives.
Parmesan Crisps: Replace the Parmesan crisps with vegan cheese or skip them entirely for a lighter version.
Roasted Garlic Chickpeas: These are already vegan, so no change is needed here!
Storage
To keep your Easy Vegetarian Caesar Salad fresh, store the salad (without dressing) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1-2 days. The romaine lettuce will start to wilt after that.
For the roasted garlic chickpeas, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
The parmesan crisps should also be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days to maintain their crispness.
Be sure to store the chickpeas and crisps separately from the salad to avoid sogginess, and add them just before serving for the best texture.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this Easy Vegetarian Caesar Salad:
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📖 Recipe
Easy Vegetarian Caesar Salad with Sunflower Faux Caesar Dressing
Ingredients
Salad
- 1-2 Large Romaine Heart Chopped
- 1 Cucumber Chopped
- 1 15oz Chickpeas Rinsed and Drained
- 3 oz Parmesan Crisps Storebought container or bag
- 1 small clove Garlic, minced
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Dried Parsley
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Pom-Citrus Vinaigrette
- ¾ cup Mayonnaise
- ½ cup Sour Cream
- ½ cup Milk *more or less to desired consistency
- 3 teaspoon White Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 clove Garlic, minced *small clove
- 1 tablespoon Sunflower Butter
- pinch Paprika
- pinch Cayenne Pepper
- Salt
- Black Pepper
Instructions
Salad
- Pre-heat the oven to 375 °F
- Prepare your dressing ahead of assembling your salad. See Below.
- Add the chickpeas, olive oil, minced garlic, shake of parsley, salt and pepper to a bowl. Coat the mixture over the chickpeas evenly.
- Pour the chickpeas onto a baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes. They should not be fully cooked—aim for a semi-crisp exterior with a chewy interior.
- Remove the Chickpeas when they are slightly golden and allow them to cool.
- Assemble the salad, add the chopped romaine, cucumbers, cooled roasted chickpeas, and parmesan crisps.
- Drizzle each serving of salad with the Sunflower Faux Caesar Dressing.
Sunflower Faux Caesar Dressing
- Mix together the Mayonnaise and Sour Cream until fully combined.
- Add white vinegar, balsamic vinegar, sunflower butter, garlic, and spices. Whisk or stir to combine.
- Slowly whisk the milk into the mixture until you reach your desired consistency. Season with salt, pepper, and any additional spices to taste.
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