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Creamy Vegan Caesar Dressing – Connoisseurus Veg

May 7, 2022

22 3 minutes read

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This vegan Caesar dressing is rich, creamy, and loaded with flavor! It’s super easy to whip up and absolutely delicious. You’d never guess it was dairy-free!

Bottle of Vegan Caesar Dressing with garlic, lemon and bread in the background.

Is there any salad dressing more luscious, more delicious than classic Caesar? I don’t think so!

Sadly, traditional Caesar dressing isn’t vegan. In fact, it’s not even vegetarian! You’ll find all kinds of animal-derived ingredients in most Caesar dressings, including dairy, eggs, and even anchovies.

But that doesn’t mean that Caesar salads are out if you’re vegan. This vegan Caesar dressing is just as delicious and creamy as any non-vegan Caesar dressing, without any of the animal products!

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Ingredients You’ll Need

Raw cashews. These must be raw. Raw cashews have a neutral flavor, and when they’re blended up they make an excellent dairy substitute. You can even make them into vegan cream.
Garlic.
White miso paste. Look for this in the international foods section of your supermarket. You could substitute another type of miso paste, but the flavor will vary a bit.
Lemon juice. Make sure you’re using fresh lemon juice. The bottled stuff won’t add nearly as much flavor to your dressing.
Vegan Worcestershire sauce. You can use a store-bought variety, such as Annie’s or Edward & Sons brand, or make your own vegan Worcestershire sauce.
Dijon mustard.
Water.
Salt.

How It’s Made

The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!

Start by soaking your cashews to soften them up. Cover them with water, let them soak for several hours, then drain and rinse them.

Tip: If you forget to soak your cashews you can boil them for 15 minutes as an alternative. They won’t blend up quite as smooth.

Place the cashews into a blender or food processor with all of the remaining ingredients.

Ingredients for making Vegan Caesar Dressing in a blender.

Blend everything until smooth, then thin the mixture with additional water until it reaches your desired consistency.

Tip: If you don’t have a high-powered blending device, place only ¼ cup of water into the vessel to start with. Blend your ingredients to a paste, then add more water and blend again. This will help you to achieve a nice smooth consistency.

Give the dressing a taste-test and adjust the seasonings to your liking. This is usually where I add more salt!
Drizzle your vegan Caesar dressing on a salad, use it as a dip for vegetables, or bottle it up for later!

Hand pouring Vegan Caesar Dressing from a bottle onto a salad.

Shelf-Life & Storage

Homemade vegan Caesar salad dressing will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 5 days, or in the Freezer for about 3 months.

Because the shelf-life is rather short, I like to divide my batches into smaller portions and freeze them individually.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this dressing gluten-free?

It can be! I’d recommend checking the label of your miso paste and Worcestershire sauce to ensure that both are certified gluten-free.

Is there a substitute for raw cashews?

Try raw sunflower seeds or macadamia nuts. Both are often good substitutes for cashews, though I haven’t tested either in this particular recipe.

How can I get my vegan Caesar dressing super smooth?

The best way is to use a high-powered blending device, such as a Vitamix or Blendtec. If your device isn’t that powerful, just be patient! It can take 5 or 10 minutes of blending to achieve maximum smoothness. Make sure to give your device a break every few minutes to ensure that it doesn’t overheat.

Bottle of Vegan Caesar Dressing surrounded by lemon slices and fresh garlic.

More Vegan Salad Dressings

Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!