This vegetarian Caesar dressing adds zest, brightness, and tang to salads! This cashew-based dressing is inspired by Caesar salad dressing and comes together in just about 15 minutes.
This vegetarian Caesar dressing is inspired by the flavors in Caesar salad dressing, but instead of an egg or mayonnaise base, this dressing is made with raw unsalted cashews.
Unlike Caesar dressing, this cashew dressing is both vegetarian and vegan! Caesar dressing usually contains anchovies in the form of actual anchovies and Worcestershire sauce. This is the dressing that I use on my vegetarian Caesar salad and Caesar salad bowls recipes.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Smooth and creamy: Soaking and blending cashews turns them into a fantastic creamy base for dressings and sauces.
- Zesty and salty: Just like Caesar salad dressing, this cashew dressing has a complex blend of flavors. It uses miso, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and anchovy-free Worcestershire sauce to saltiness and acidity.
- Quick & versatile: This recipe makes about ¾ cup of salad dressing in 15 minutes. The ingredients can easily be doubled or tripled to make a larger portion, and the cashew dressing freezes well.
Ingredients
- Raw unsalted: I love using cashews as the base of dressings because they become rich and super creamy when blended. They also add healthy fats and protein to the dressing. For best results, choose raw, unsalted cashews. If unable to find these, roasted cashews do work but will yield a slightly different flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce: This traditionally contains anchovies, but many store-brand Worcestershire sauces are actually anchovy-free. Just check the ingredients on the offerings at the grocery store and choose one that doesn't have anchovies in the ingredients.
- Nutritional yeast: This adds a bit of body and umami flavor to the Caesar dressing. If you don't have nutritional yeast, feel free to add a tablespoon or two of fresh Parmesan.
- Lemon juice adds brightness and tang. I recommend just fresh-squeeze lemon juice for the best flavor.
- Dijon mustard: This acts as an emulsifier (holds the dressing together) and enhances the flavor of the dressing.
- Olive oil is added for an extra-smooth mouthfeel. For a lower-fat dressing, you can omit the olive oil.
Steps to make
Top Tip
Unless you have a very strong blender like a Vitamix or Ninja, I recommend soaking cashews in hot water before blending them into a cashew dressing. This is my blender (I love it because it's strong and a fraction of the cost of higher-end blenders).
I use my water kettle to heat water to boiling, then cover the cashews with at least an inch of water in a heat-safe bowl.
Alternatively, add the cashews to a small sauce pot and bring water to a boil on the stove.
Let sit for just 10 minutes and up to an hour. I use this same method in my cashew cream recipe. If you have the forethought, feel free to soak the cashews in cool water overnight instead.
After soaking the cashews, drain off the liquid and add the cashews to a blender with the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth. This will take 1-2 minutes, depending on the blender's strength.
Add additional water or lemon juice to thin the cashew dressing. Taste for seasonings, adjusting for salt (Worcestershire sauce, salt) and tang (lemon juice, mustard).
Variations and tips
- Tanginess: For a zestier dressing, add additional lemon juice or lemon zest.
- Saltiness: Comes from the salt and Worcestershire sauce. Adjust these ingredients for a saltier Caesar dressing.
- Consistency: I recommend starting with ¼ up water and adding up to ½ cup water for a smooth, pourable dressing. Starting with a smaller amount of liquid keeps the cashew dressing from becoming watered down.
- This recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc. Just double or triple all ingredients.
Storage tips
Freezing: Vegetarian Caesar dressing freezes well. I like to freeze it in pint-sized Ball jars. Make sure to leave at least 1 inch at the top of the jar before freezing. Let thaw overnight in the fridge.
Leftovers: This dressing is best within a week of making. It will thicken up when refrigerated. If needed, add a splash of water to thin.
Looking for more salad dressings?
This vegetarian Caesar dressing is included in my guide on how to make homemade salad dressings. I also have a few more dressings on the blog that you might like:
Did you try this recipe? You can leave a star rating in the recipe card or a review in the comments below. Or check out my cookbook and keep up to date with my YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or newsletter!
Recipe
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Vegetarian Cashew Caesar Dressing
Equipment
- 1 Blender
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw unsalted cashews
- 2 small garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice from one small lemon
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ to ½ cup water as needed
Instructions
- *You can skip this step if using a strong blender*. In a heat-safe bowl, cover the cashews with an inch of boiling water. Let sit for 10 minutes. Alternatively, cover with cool water and soak overnight.
- To a blender add the drained cashews, garlic, olive oil, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, and ¼ cup water.
- Blend until smooth and creamy. This will take 1-2 minutes depending on the strength of your blender. Add up to an additional ¼ cup of water as needed to thin the dressing.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. For more saltiness, add additional salt or Worcestershire sauce. For additional tanginess, add more lemon juice or mustard. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cashews: I use raw, unsalted cashews because they provide a blank palette. Roasted cashews tend to add an oilier flavor, but they will work in a pinch.
- I serve this dressing with my Vegetarian Caesar Salad. It makes enough for 4 decently-sized salads.
- The dressing keeps for up to a week. It will thicken up during refrigeration. Add a splash of water to thin, as needed.
- This dressing freezes well. I like to use mason jars for storage and freezing. When ready to use, let thaw overnight in the fridge.
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