Mealime recipe · lives on in MealPot
Vegan Caesar Salad with Kale, Kidney Beans & Herbed Croutons
- 25 min
- 2–6 servings
- 628 kcal / serving
- ★ 4.2 on Mealime
This hearty vegan caesar-style salad pairs kale, beans, and romaine with a tangy lemon-cashew dressing and crispy herbed croutons. It comes together fast for a weeknight meal, with textural contrast from crunchy croutons and creamy dressing.
Free on iPhone · servings scaled, grocery list written for you.
Ingredients
- ½ tbspcapers
- ½ cupcashews, roasted unsalted
- 1 clovegarlic
- ½ small bunchItalian (flat-leaf) parsley
- ½ bunchkale
- 1 (15 oz) cankidney beans
- 1lemon
- ⅛ cupnutritional yeast flakes
- ½ headromaine lettuce
- 1whole grain bun or roll
- lemons
- whole grain buns or rolls
From the pantry: black pepper, Dijon mustard, extra virgin olive oil, garlic powder, salt, soy sauce
Cookware
baking sheet pan · can opener · chef's knife · citrus juicer (optional) · colander · cutting board · grater · hand or regular blender · measuring cups · measuring spoons · mixing bowls · oven mitts · salad spinner (optional) · spatula · tongs · whisk or fork
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet for the croutons.
- Wash and dry the kale, romaine, and parsley; trim the kale stems and chop the kale leaves, then tear the romaine into bite-sized pieces.
- In a bowl, grate a little lemon zest and whisk in oil and spices to create the dressing base.
- Strip the parsley leaves from the stems, mince them, and add to the bowl with the dressing base.
- Cut the bun into bite-sized pieces, toss them in the dressing mixture to coat, and spread the coated pieces on the baking sheet to become croutons.
- Bake the croutons for 12–15 minutes, tossing halfway through, until they are golden and crisp; remove and let cool.
- Juice one lemon into a blender, then add garlic, cashews, water, nutritional yeast, capers, soy sauce, Dijon, salt, and pepper; blend until smooth, adding water as needed to reach a thick dressing.
- Drain and rinse the kidney beans; fold the kale into the dressing and massage until slightly softened, then add the romaine and beans and toss to combine; finish by topping with croutons and serving
Two tips
- Make ahead: refrigerate the dressing for up to a day and assemble the salad just before serving.
- Serving idea: crumble the croutons on top of the salad plate right before serving or mix them through for extra crunch.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 628 kcal
- Protein
- 27 g
- Carbs
- 65 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fiber
- 17 g
- Sodium
- 426 mg
Estimates from the recipe's published nutrition data; they change with the version you pick above.
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One of 1,676 Mealime recipes in MealPot.
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Ingredient quantities, timing and nutrition are recorded from the original Mealime recipe ↗ (captured 2026-09-12). Photo: MealPot, an AI-rendered illustration of the finished dish. Description and directions written by MealPot.