Recipe: Vegan Cajun Tempeh Caeser Salad

caeser salad cashew parm dinner lunch meal prep recipe tempeh vegan Oct 27, 2019

This one has a lot of components, but each is really simple. The dressing was definitely some trial and error so I'll do my best to provide the best guide I can, but please taste-test and adjust as you need!

Make a cup of Quinoa - I added some lemon juice to the water, just because.

Cashew Parmesan

I used Minimalist Baker's Vegan Parm recipe for this one.

3/4 C Cashews
3 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
3/4 tsp Salt

Pulse in your food processor or blender until the cashews have broken down and the texture resembles parm.

Cashew Caeser Dressing

I used a combination of It doesn't taste like Chicken and Oh She Glows' recipes for the general idea as I had never made a non-vegan caeser dressing.

1/2 C Soaked Cashews
1/4 C Water - I ended up adding another 1/4 C, but start with less and add
1/4 C Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
1 1/2 tsp Capers & Brine
1 Clove Garlic - it probably could handle a second clove
1/8 tsp Cayenne Powder - start there and add more if desired
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth - 2ish minutes. Taste and adjust as needed.

*Note: my partner doesn't like mustard (and Whole Foods didn't have the 360 Organic Dijon) so I left out the mustard, but both recipes include mustard. I also didn't add oil so I increased the water a bit - I like a slightly thinner dressing.

Cajun (Blackened) Tempeh

Cut the block of tempeh in half and boil for approximately 10 minutes - this is supposed to help remove some of the bitter taste that tempeh can have.

Cajun Seasoning

I had some homemade seasoning from before and I can't find the recipe I used, but this one is close.

4 Tbsp Paprika
1 Tbsp Onion Powder
2 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Thyme
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Garlic Powder
3/4 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Cayenne Powder

Leftovers of this will last for about a year or so.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Melt some vegan butter. Cover a small plate in 1mm of the Cajun Seasoning mix.

Thinly slice the tempeh & dip it in the melted butter, then coat in the seasoning. Put on a reusable baking sheet and bake until crispy (more than 10 minutes) - flip half-way.

Assembly