Crispy Tempeh Caesar Salad, an easy vegan caesar salad recipe with marinated and roasted tempeh crumbles and crunchy croutons. Made with vegan dressing and vegan cheese, it’s tasty plant-based take on traditional caesar salads.
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Why I Love This Recipe
Who says you can’t have caesar salads if you’re plant-based?! After making my absolute favorite vegan caesar salad recipe (along with a homemade vegan caesar dressing), I decided to get creative and add a bit of protein with a crunchy texture: tempeh.
If you’ve never had tempeh, you’re going to love how easy – and how tasty – this fermented soy bean can be. And this recipe is a great way to try it out as it’s incredibly easy: simply marinate, then add to a baking sheet and roast until it’s golden brown with a bit of crunch, about 15 minutes.
I know you’re going to love this simple plant protein-packed caesar salad as much as I do. If you give it a try, make sure to leave me a comment below and let me know!
What You’ll Need
Step-by-step photos of how to make it
Step One: Marinate + roast tempeh until crispy
First, mix up your tempeh marinade by combining soy sauce, lemon juice, a touch of maple syrup, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl. Then add crumbled tempeh and let sit 5-10 minutes before baking on a sheet pan for about 15 minutes, or until crispy.
Step Two: Prep + cut romaine lettuce
Wash your romaine lettuce, then dry in a salad spinner. Then cut it into strips and add to a large mixing bowl.
Step Three: Toss salad ingredients
Add crispy tempeh and croutons to the bowl with the romaine, and top with shaved vegan parmesan cheese. Drizzle with the vegan caesar dressing, then toss to combine.
Crispy Tempeh Caesar Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Crispy tempeh ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 8 ounces tempeh, crumbled into small pieces
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
Salad ingredients:
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- 4 fluid ounces vegan caesar dressing, about 1/2 cup
- 2 cups croutons, try homemade sourdough croutons
- ½ cup shaved vegan parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Roast tempeh: Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (about 200 degrees Celsius). To a medium mixing bowl, add soy sauce, lemon juice, maple syrup, garlic powder, and onion powder and whisk to combine. Then add crumbled tempeh, mixing to coat, and let marinate for 5-10 minutes. Then add oil to a baking sheet and add marinated tofu. Bake until tofu is crispy, about 13-15 minutes, stirring halfway throughout to cook on both sides.2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 teaspoons maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 8 ounces tempeh, 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Prep and cut romaine lettuce: Remove romaine lettuce leaves from the core and then wash and remove excess water by using a salad spinner or laying flat to dry. Then stack the leaves and cut into 1 inch thick strips, removing any hard white stems.1 head romaine lettuce
- Toss salad: Add sliced romaine to a large bowl and add vegan caesar dressing, tossing to coat the lettuce in the dressing. Then transfer salad to a plate and garnish with roasted tempeh, croutons, and parmesan cheese.4 fluid ounces vegan caesar dressing, 2 cups croutons, 1/2 cup shaved vegan parmesan cheese
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet
- 2 mixing bowls
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
MY Favorite
Vegan Caesar Salad Recipes
- Vegan Caesar Salad (traditional)
- Vegan Caesar Dressing
- Buffalo Cauliflower Wrap
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