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    Home » Recipes » Dressings

    May 28, 2014 125 Comments

    Vegan Cashew Caesar Salad Dressing

    46.8K shares
    Jump to Recipe

    I'm OBSESSED with this recipe. This vegan cashew caesar salad dressing is oil-free, whole-foods, creamy, tangy, garlic-y perfection! Not only does this dressing taste just like traditional Caesar salad dressing, but it's so easy to make. Just 7 ingredients and only takes 5 - 15 minutes (depending on the kind of blender you have). Then you have this gorgeous creaminess that's, of course, perfect for making a homemade Caesar salad, but it's also fantastic as a dip for veggies, tofu bites, or even pizza!

    Vegan Cashew Caesar Salad Dressing! Just 7 ingredients and only takes 5 - 15 minutes to make. This healthy oil-free salad dressing tastes just like the traditional version but is SO much better for you! Great for dipping veggies as well. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #wfpb

    The creaminess in this dressing comes from raw cashews. When cashews are raw they are fairly mild in flavour and when blended becomes creamy and rich, no oil needed! Traditional Caesar dressing is made with anchovies so to get a similar brine-y taste I use capers. Capers can easily be found in your grocery store in the pickle aisle. The combination of the two with garlic and a few other seasonings results in a dressing that is healthy, but it tastes like a guilty pleasure. See why I'm obsessed?

    Vegan Cashew Caesar Salad Dressing! Just 7 ingredients and only takes 5 - 15 minutes to make. This healthy oil-free salad dressing tastes just like the traditional version but is SO much better for you! Great for dipping veggies as well. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #wfpb

    This vegan Caesar salad dressing recipe has been on my blog since 2014, so I recently updated the photos (see the original photo above), but the dressing recipe hasn't changed at all as it was perfect just the way it was.

    To make vegan cashew caesar salad dressing:

    If you have a high-powered blender such as a Vitamix, Blendtec, or Breville (my personal fave), you can just add everything straight to the blender and combine until completely smooth.

    If you have a regular blender, you may want to soften the cashews first to ensure they blend smoothly. To do this add the cashews to a small pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes until the cashews are very tender. Drain and rinse with cold water before using. Then simply add the cashews along with all the remaining ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

    Vegan Cashew Caesar Salad Dressing! Just 7 ingredients and only takes 5 - 15 minutes to make. This healthy oil-free salad dressing tastes just like the traditional version but is SO much better for you! Great for dipping veggies as well. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #wfpb

    The dressing thickens up when chilled so it will become perfect for dipping, but feel free to thin with a bit more water as needed.

    Whenever I whip up this dressing I make a double batch because I end up using this dressing everywhere! (I told you I'm obsessed).

    Bon appetegan!

    Sam Turnbull.

    Print Recipe
    4.98 from 40 votes

    Vegan Cashew Caesar Salad Dressing

    Just 7 ingredients and only takes 5 - 15 minutes to make. This healthy oil-free salad dressing tastes just like the traditional version but it's SO much better for you! Great for dipping veggies as well.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time15 mins
    Course : Salad
    Cuisine : Italian
    Servings: 4 (makes about ¾ cup)
    Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup raw cashews
    • ½ cup water (or as needed)
    • ¼ cup lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
    • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • 2 teaspoons capers
    • 1 clove garlic
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    Instructions

    • If you have a high-powdered blender you can skip straight to step 2. If you have a regular blender, you may want to soften the cashews first to ensure they blend smoothly. To do this add the cashews to a small pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes until the cashews are very tender. Drain and rinse with cold water before using.
    • Add the cashews to your blender along with all the remaining ingredients and blend until completely smooth, stopping to scrape the sides as needed. For a thicker dressing, use less water. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week. The dressing gets thicker as it cools, great for dipping! If needed you can always add more water to thin as desired.

    Notes

    I almost always double this recipe as it's so yummy on everything, but also if you have a larger blender it will make it easier to blend. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving (about 3 tablespoons) | Calories: 110kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 74mg | Potassium: 197mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram and Hashtag #itdoesnttastelikechicken
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mark Stewart says

      January 21, 2023 at 7:01 am

      Can you use almonds instead of cashews?
      🙂 Mark

      Reply
      • Jess @ IDTLC Support says

        January 24, 2023 at 2:28 pm

        Yes, you can blanched almonds. The taste and texture will be a bit different but should still be delicious!

        Reply
    2. Lisa says

      September 10, 2022 at 12:04 pm

      This dressing is delicious! I love capers and mustard so I added a bit more of those -amazing. Even my very picky teenager loves it. Thanks so much!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        September 13, 2022 at 3:24 pm

        Wonderful!

        Reply
    3. Debbie says

      April 25, 2022 at 7:47 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent dressing - exactly what I was looking for, thanks!

      Reply
    4. Yojanna says

      March 23, 2022 at 6:52 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe was amazing! Our salad tasted so much better with it. Thanks!

      Reply
    5. B says

      January 11, 2022 at 4:42 pm

      5 stars
      Very Pleasantly surprised!!! Capers are so good....and good for you! Very tasty and easy. My favorite kind of recipes!

      Reply
    6. Nicole says

      October 03, 2021 at 8:59 pm

      5 stars
      Amazingly simple and oh so delicious recipe!! Not to mention healthy & good for you <3 thank you for sharing this. Goes great with a kale salad!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        October 14, 2021 at 12:23 pm

        You're most welcome, Nicole! I also love it on kale 🙂

        Reply
    7. Helen says

      June 18, 2021 at 1:59 pm

      I substituted the cashews with hemp hearts and it was totally amazing! So creamy and flavorsome! I'm so happy to have found this simple vegan Caesar dressing...you're the best!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        June 28, 2021 at 3:48 pm

        Aww thank you Helen! I will have to try the hemp heart variation 🙂

        Reply
        • Mary D says

          July 28, 2021 at 9:12 am

          okay, I havent made this yet, but looking forward to. Thank you for your excellent site and work. All you are doing looks fabulous and I will be visiting here often I suspect.

    8. Laura says

      February 09, 2021 at 12:28 pm

      So good and really has a good Cesar taste. My super picky teenage son rated it 6/10 which is impressive for this kid that hates anything new and is a Cesar salad freak! A couple more tries and I’m sure he’ll score even higher!

      Reply
    9. Yvie says

      June 02, 2020 at 8:42 pm

      5 stars
      Yessssss! This dressing is absolutely amazing!!! I crave salads so much more now - I’m so serious!!! The first time my roommate made it and I was blown away! I won’t make any other Caesar dressing recipe!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        June 04, 2020 at 10:13 am

        Haha! Amazing!!

        Reply
    10. Liana Spyropoulou says

      April 20, 2020 at 12:56 pm

      Hi there! This recipe sounds delicious I would love to make it this week! Is there a substitute I could use instead of nutritional yeast? It has proven kinda hard to find those days...

      Reply
      • Kat says

        April 22, 2022 at 12:30 am

        I added some store-bought vegan parmesan (Earth Island brand) and it tasted very good!

        Reply
    11. Meg Selby says

      April 15, 2020 at 2:34 pm

      5 stars
      So, so great on our big lunchtime salad! This passed the taste test for my husband, which is not always easily accomplished. This will become a go-to recipe. Thanks!

      Reply
    12. Linda says

      April 13, 2020 at 2:19 pm

      Hello Sam! Thanks much for this EASY oil free Cesar dressing. This is the best tasting cashew dressing/sauce of any I’ve made. I actually love the taste. I will be making this again!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        April 19, 2020 at 9:53 am

        Wonderful! So happy you love it, Linda 🙂

        Reply
    13. James Sider says

      March 01, 2020 at 12:39 pm

      How long can these dressings e kept in fridge

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        March 09, 2020 at 9:20 am

        3 - 5 days

        Reply
    14. Chris says

      April 18, 2019 at 1:47 pm

      Could I use almonds instead of cashews? Much cheaper.
      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        April 22, 2019 at 4:15 pm

        Yes, blanched almonds will work. Enjoy!

        Reply
        • Martha says

          September 29, 2019 at 11:20 pm

          I have 2 cups of soaked cashews that I made into cashew cream. How much should I use for this? Thank you

        • Sam Turnbull says

          September 30, 2019 at 5:26 pm

          This recipe uses 1/2 cup raw cashews and 1/2 cup water, so if you used the same 1 to 1 ratio to make your cashew cream then it would be about 1 cup.

    15. Irene McDonald says

      January 17, 2019 at 3:52 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this and it was delicious. I added about 1 tablespoon of crushed Dulse and it gave it a nice taste. It was a hint of the sea. Will make it again with and without the Dulse. Lovely.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        January 21, 2019 at 1:09 pm

        Sounds delish!!!

        Reply
    16. Stephanie Butcher says

      September 17, 2018 at 5:17 pm

      5 stars
      This dressing is life-changing! First of all, I had no idea you could cook cashews to quicken the process (who can remember to soak nuts in advance :P) We made this like a ranch dressing, so added roasted garlic, dill, and onion powder. We already made two batches in two days!! I haven't had a salad dressing since I went plant based (oil and sugar free) a year and a half ago!!! God bless you!!!!!!!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        September 21, 2018 at 5:47 pm

        So thrilled you enjoy the dressing so much, Stephanie! 🙂

        Reply
      • Linda says

        April 13, 2020 at 2:23 pm

        Loved your comments, especially for the ranch version of this. Thanks for the idea!

        Reply
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