Vegan Cashew Caesar Salad

For the salad:

½ block firm tofu, drained, cut into 1-inch cubes

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

kosher salt, to taste

olive oil, as needed to sear to sear the tofu

romaine lettuce leaves, cut or torn into small pieces

For garnish:

crunchy chickpeas, purchased, optional

vegan parmesan cheese, shaved thin with a peeler

For the dressing:

5½ ounces roasted salted cashews

4½ - 6 ounces water from soaking the cashews

2 heads roasted garlic (see note)

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire

1 teaspoon nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

juice from ½ a lemon, freshly squeezed

kosher salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To make the dressing:

Soak the cashews overnight in cool water in the refrigerator. The next day, drain the water from the cashews, reserving the soaking liquid for the dressing.

Combine drained cashews, the roasted garlic, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire, nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard and lemon juice in a blender. Add a couple ounces of the soaking liquid and blend the dressing. Add more liquid as needed to achieve a creamy, smooth dressing that is your desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as desired.

To make the salad:

Season the tofu with onion powder, garlic powder and salt to taste. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a sauté pan, a nonstick pan works best. Sear the seasoned tofu until golden brown.

Dress the lettuce with as much of the Caesar dressing as desired. Transfer lettuce to a serving dish. Top with the seared tofu, crunchy chickpeas and vegan parmesan, if using. Garnish with a few cracks of freshly ground black pepper.

For the roasted garlic:

To make oven-roasted garlic, slice off the top ¼-inch of a whole bulb to expose the cloves, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt. Wrap it in aluminum foil and bake at 400˚F for 40–70 minutes until the cloves are golden brown and soft. Let cool enough to handle and then squeeze out the soft garlic cloves and reserve for the recipe. Discard the garlic skin.

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