Tempeh Caesar Salad: Protein-Packed and Vegan
An umami-rich, crunchy vegan salad packed with protein and nutritious deliciousness. This tempeh Caesar salad recipe is both popular and easy to make. Enjoy it as a hearty main course for two or divide it up, add more lettuce and dressing and you have a light lunch for four.
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 771kcal
Equipment
- air fryer (affiliate link) optional
- salad spinner (affiliate link) optional
Ingredients
Tempeh
- 200 g tempeh
- 1 ½ tbsp tamari (affiliate link) or coconut aminos
- 2 tsp maple syrup*
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp black pepper freshly ground
- 1 pinch smoked sea salt (optional)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil* (optional)
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil or other neutral tasting oil
Croutons
- 2 slices wholemeal sourdough bread or other hearty bread
- 1 clove garlic finely grated
- ½ tsp herbes de Provence or dried herbs of choice
- 1 ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salad
- 1 head romaine type lettuce
- 4 tbsp caesar dressing (I used my homemade vegan caesar dressing)
Instructions
Tempeh
- Dice or crumble the tempeh into pieces, roughly 1 cm (not quite half an inch) cubed.200 g tempeh
- In a medium sized bowl, stir the marinade ingredients together, then add the tempeh pieces. Stir well until everything is well coated and leave to marinade for at least 20 minutes. Give an occasional stir if you can so the tempeh has a chance to soak the whole lot up.1 ½ tbsp tamari (affiliate link), 2 tsp maple syrup*, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika, ¼ tsp black pepper, 1 pinch smoked sea salt, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil*
- Heat a cast iron skillet or non-stick frying pan to medium high. Pour in the oil. Give the tempeh pieces a final stir, then scrape them into the hot pan and stir. Leave to cook for 6-10 minutes, depending on how soft or crunchy you want them. Give an occasional stir to ensure they're evenly cooked all over.1 tbsp sunflower oil
Croutons
- Whilst the tempeh is marinading prepare the croutons.
- Slice or tear the bread into small cubes and place in another medium sized bowl.2 slices wholemeal sourdough bread
- Sprinkle with the herbs and grated garlic, then drizzle the olive oil over the top.1 clove garlic, ½ tsp herbes de Provence, 1 ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Again give everything a really good stir so that the bread cubes are as evenly coated as possible.
- Bake them in a pre-heated air fryer at 200℃ (400℉) for 4 minutes. Give them a good stir or shake then bake for a further 2-3 minutes until crispy and golden all over. Alternatively, place them on a baking tray and bake in a preheated oven at 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4) for 8-10 minutes until crisp and golden.
Salad
- Wash the lettuce leaves well then drain. Either shake them dry or use a salad spinner.1 head romaine type lettuce
- Chop or tear the lettuce into bite sized pieces and transfer to a salad bowl. Add both the croutons and tempeh.
- Spoon the dressing over the top and toss the salad until everything is evenly coated.4 tbsp caesar dressing
- Serve straight away with extra dressing on the side.
- Serves two as a main course. However, just add a bit more lettuce and dressing and you have a light lunch for four.
Notes
If liked, sprinkle on some vegan parmesan or if not vegan some shavings of a vegetarian version of parmesan.
Feeds two hungry people as a main, but works as a light lunch for four people if you add a bit more lettuce and dressing.
If you'd prefer to omit the oil for the tempeh, you can air-fry or even bake the tempeh instead of frying it in a pan.
You’ll find additional tips and info about this recipe in the main body of the post.
Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on serving size and exact ingredients used. Please refer to my nutrition disclaimer for further information.
Nutrition
Calories: 771kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 1532mg | Potassium: 1364mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 28022IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 285mg | Iron: 10mg