This Vegan Brussels Sprout and Kale Caesar Salad is a healthy spin on the classic with crisp Brussels sprouts, crunchy homemade rosemary croutons and a tasty cashew caesar dressing. Great for a crowd!
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a Brussels Sprout Kale Caesar Salad!
We’re salading with the best of ’em today, friends. I whipped up this kale caesar back in December when I had all the ginger molasses and peanut butter cookies to share and sadly, this salad got temporarily put on the back burner.
Not that salad isn’t worth celebrating! You folks now how much I love a meal-worthy salad. Not only do I require crunch, tang, and creaminess, but I also want a wicked and totally non-boring dressing to tie it all together. Mission accomplished!
This gem is an ode to the Kale Caesar we sell at Alchemy, piled high with carrot ribbons, lemony roasted chickpeas, and crushed hazelnuts. Fantástico!
I feel like no one has hazelnuts at home, so I swapped them out for super duper simple homemade rosemary croutons that will exponentially improve your salad game, guaranteed. They’re SO DAMN GOOD.
If you’re anything like me, you always have a loaf or three of bread in the freezer just dying to become a salad topper. Orrrrr French toast. Or both!
I wanted lots of bright, colorful, crisp veggies in this salad. I went with purple kale, red cabbage, and Brussels for texture but it’s super forgiving. Not a fan of Brussels or craving a more traditional caesar salad? Ditch the kale for crisp romaine! Just be sure to store the dressing separately.
Let’s talk dressing details. This vegan caesar will likely knock your socks right off. The combination of creamy cashews and plenty of garlic paired with tangy capers, lemon juice, and Dijon make for an insanely satisfying salad dressing if I do say so myself.
I mean if you don’t have garlic breath, did the caesar even happen?!
We enjoyed this salad as a side dish paired with soup for lunch, but it can totally stand on its own and is perfect for a crowd because it gets better with age and holds up well in the fridge.
For more oomph, feel free to add roasted chickpeas or whatever protein floats your boat.
Your salad, your rules, boo thang.
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This Brussels Sprout and Kale Caesar Salad is a healthy spin on the classic with crisp Brussels sprouts, crunchy homemade rosemary croutons and a tasty cashew caesar dressing. Great for a party!
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 bunch kale (I used purple), de-stemmed and sliced into ribbons
- 12 oz Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved and very thinly sliced or shredded
- 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage or radicchio
- Optional add-ins: 1/2 cup toasted walnuts
For the caesar dressing:
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 6 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup water (more to thin if needed)
- 1 1/2 tsp dijon
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp capers
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- Lots of freshly ground black pepper
For the rosemary croutons:
- 1 heaping cup stale/crusty bread, cut into cubes (I used defrosted from frozen multigrain bread)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp each dried rosemary, garlic powder, and kosher salt
Instructions
- Place cup cashews in a small bowl. Cover with boiling water.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Place bread cubes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silipat. Add oil, spices, and salt tossing to combine. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Meanwhile, chop the Brussels, kale, and cabbage and place in a large mixing bowl. (If you have a mandolin or shredding attachment on your food processor, feel free to use for the Brussels and cabbage.)
- Drain and rinse cashews. Combine dressing ingredients in a blender (I used my nutribullet) and blend until very smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust if needed.
- To serve, place veggies and as much dressing as desired in a mixing bowl and toss thoroughly so everything is coated, massaging the dresses into the kale. Top with croutons just before serving. If you’re only eating a portion, toss a small amount and keep the rest separate in the fridge and combine just before serving. Dressing will thicken as it sits in the fridge, so add water if needed. I love this shaker bottle for leftover dressing!
I make this weekly. So good!
★★★★★
My new favorite salad. All the flavors and textures are spot on! So goo for lunches.
★★★★★
This recipe is FAB! Love the flavor of the dressing. We are not vegan, so we added some grilled chicken to it and instead of croutons, roasted chickpeas with rosemary…very tasty! Can’t wait to make it again!
★★★★★
Love the chicken addition to make it a whole meal! Thanks for taking the time to comment and leave a star rating, so extremely appreciated.
You had me at Brussels sprouts and Caesar! This is by far my favorite dressing! Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
XOXOXO Thank you so much for leaving a fab comment and star rating, makes my day 🙂
Absolutely perfect! This recipe has so much flavor, texture, & color. It’s appealing to the eyes, mouth, & stomach. Matt & I love it!
★★★★★
Wahoooo! I agree–texture is everything. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know, Kori!
Love the dressing! Makes me feel so much better about eating a Caesar salad because of the nutrition packed into the dressing! Also with just kale, radicchio/ cabbage and Brussels, it’s super fast to chop and lasted me for three days of work lunches, a win!
★★★★★
Three days of lunches? I call that a major win! Thanks, Dani 🙂
My husband and I have been making more salads lately, and this looks right up our alley! I recently found out I’m allergic to spinach and so kale is my next go-to, but I’ve had a hard time finding yummy looking recipes! Thanks for this!
Eating this as I speak and it’s so tasty!! I kind of wish I would have dressed the lettuce a little bit in advance but the dressing tastes amazing and ive been snacking on the croutons by themselves. Thanks!
Yay, I’m so glad! The croutons are so divine, right?!
Hey again Laura! If you’d be so kind as to leave a star-rating, I’d really appreciate it! It’s super helpful for other readers. Thanks again!
Made this for dinner last night alongside the Hummusapien best salmon burgers recipe. Such great texture. LOVED the homemade croutons – so easy! To be honest I cheated and used store-bought Caesar dressing however can’t wait to make again, dressing included! Be sure to massage your kale and fully toss your kale and veggies in a large mixing bowl to blend the flavors. Can’t wait to have leftovers for lunch this week!
Mmmm good combo! Hope you loved the salmon burgers as well, Danielle!
Hey again Danielle! If you’d be so kind as to leave a star-rating, I’d really appreciate it! It’s super helpful for other readers. Thanks again!
Absolutely perfect! This recipe has so much flavor, texture, & color. It’s appealing to the eyes, mouth, & stomach. 💁🏼♀️ Matt & I love it!
Hey again Kori! If you’d be so kind as to leave a star-rating, I’d really appreciate it! It’s super helpful for other readers. Thanks again!
This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it.
Let me know if you do!! XO