Captain’s Plant-Based Kale Caesar Salad Recipe

Morning loves! Okay anyone that’s tried Justin’s Kale Ceasar Salad Dressing, has told me that it’s their favourite salad for life … it was actually the FIRST thing he ever made me and maybe that’s part of the reason I fell in love with him! LOL … a way to this woman’s heart … FOOD! However, as our household evolves into reducing animal products in our diet, I’m always thinking of ways to replace and reduce. And one of the EASIEST replacements for me has been mayo.

A while back, Hellmann’s  had sent me a dressing that was called “Carefully Crafted” and I was pleasantly surprised when they reached out again recently and informed me that it was certified vegan!! (YES, certified VEGAN!).

Their vegan dressing is now called “Hellmann’s Vegan” and it’s made without eggs, cholesterol and artificial colours and flavours and it’s made WITH non-GMO sourced ingredients! I was pretty excited about this and really wanted to put it to the test and revamp Justin’s top secret kale caesar salad recipe, so I did just that and DAMN … I nailed it, I think it might just be better than the original!! (sorry babe, lol!!) … I REALLY wanted to share this recipe with you today not just for the fact that it’s yummy BUT it also has some great plant-based twists to it as well!

Get your pen and paper out … you’re going to want to make a little grocery list! Here we go …

For the salad:

• • 2 bunches kale
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp vegan Worcestershire
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced or grated on microplane
  • 1 tsp capers, minced
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
  • 2 tbsp Hellmann’s Vegan
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast (or vegan parmesan)
  • 1 full lemon squeezed
  • 1 recipe Homemade Croutons (recipe below)
  • 1 recipe Smoky Tofu Bacon (recipe below)

Method: 

1. De-stem kale and chop into bite-sized pieces. Wash, dry and set aside in a large bowl.

2. Prepare croutons and tofu bacon (recipes below). Set aside.

3. In a large mason jar with a lid, combine olive oil, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, Worcestershire, garlic, capers and salt & pepper. Shake until combined.

4. Add in Hellmann’s Vegan, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice and shake again.

5. Taste and adjust seasonings.

6. Pour dressing over kale and massage until thoroughly combined.

7. Serve with croutons, more vegan parmesan, and tofu bacon. ENJOY!!

Croutons:

• • • 1 day old baguette, cut into 1-inch pieces
    • 2-3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
    • Sea salt, to taste

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet.

2. Place the croutons in a single layer onto the skillet. Sprinkle with salt and toast for 3 minutes until golden. Flip each piece over and toast until each side is golden, adding more olive oil if necessary.

3. Serve immediately with Captain’s Plant-Based Kale Caesar Salad.

Smoky Tofu Bacon

• • • • 1 block smoked extra-firm tofu
      • 2 tsp smoked paprika
      • 1 tsp maple syrup
      • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
      • 1/2 tsp tamari
      • 1/4 tsp liquid smoke
      • 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

Method:

1. Slice tofu into long, 1/4 inch slices and set aside.

2. Combine smoked paprika, maple syrup, vinegar, tamari, liquid smoke and olive oil in a shallow dish.

3. Add tofu to the marinade and lay each slice down on the bottom, ensuring each piece is thoroughly covered with marinade. Place in the fridge and marinate for at least half and hour.

4. Heat cast-iron or large skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add each slice of marinated tofu. Cook for 3-4 minutes on medium-high heat, and then flip each piece and repeat. In the final minutes of cooking tofu, add any remaining marinade leftover to the hot pan.

5. Remove from heat, let slightly cool and chop into smaller, bite-sized pieces.

6. Serve tofu bacon atop Captain’s Plant-Based Caesar Salad.

*If you’re running short on time, skip the marinade and simply fry smoked tofu using method above. The marinade adds a rich, smoky flavour to the tofu that really enhances its bacon flavour, but it’s not crucial!!!

Soooo … what do you think?? Will you be testing this out tonight? If so, make SURE to share your photos with me over on Facebook!!

xo

Jilly

Thank you Hellmann’s for sponsoring this post. All comments and opinions are my own.