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Vegan Kale Caesar Salad Recipe

See how to make the BEST vegan kale Caesar salad recipe! Kale, spiced pepitas, + avocado slices are drizzled with the most addicting vegan Caesar salad dressing recipe ever.

by Maya Last Updated on February 28, 2020 22 Comments

Vegan Kale Caesar Salad Recipe - salad in bowl with spoons
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Today we’re updating (and vegan-izing) an old classic with my vegan kale Caesar salad recipe! You know I love Caesar salads… I’ve shared buffalo chicken Caesar, and now, vegan Caesar salad! It’s a flavorful mix of hearty kale, red onion, avocado, and spiced pepitas. It’s all drizzled with my addicting vegan Caesar salad dressing recipe! You’ll want to put this dressing on just about everything. I know because I do it! 😉

How To Make Vegan Kale Caesar Salad

First, gather the ingredients and seasonings. The whole kale Caesar salad recipe comes together in three easy steps:

  • Make the vegan Caesar dressing. In a blender, combine the avocado, garlic, lemon, apple cider vinegar, and salt and pepper. Add water as needed to thin it out.
  • Make the spiced pepitas. Toast pepitas in olive oil and the paprika, cayenne pepper, sea salt, onion powder, and garlic powder. Toast until they are golden and fragrant. They make a delicious salad topper, but also are delicious for snacking!
  • Assemble the salad. Top the kale and veggies with the vegan Caesar salad dressing recipe. Sprinkle with pepitas and avocado slices.

vegan kale Caesar salad in a bowl with wooden salad spoons

What Is Kale?

Kale is an edible leaf that used to be most often found as a garnish. Over the years it has gained lots of popularity because of its healthy qualities and the fact that you can do so many things with it.

Kale has lots of vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, vitamin K, omega-3 fatty acid, and protein. All for just 33 calories per cup. It packs a nutritional punch!

With this delicious vegan Caesar salad, you will be eating the kale raw. However, you can saute, boil, steam, stir-fry, or add it to soups. So, if this is your first time trying it, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how versatile it is.

Can Vegans Eat Caesar Salad?

Many Caesar salads that you buy at the store or order in restaurants are not vegan. Between the cheese, the mayonnaise (in some dressings), the egg yolks, and the anchovies, there are a lot of non-vegan ingredients.

But my vegan Caesar salad dressing recipe is made with vegan-friendly (and paleo-friendly!) ingredients and still full of traditional Caesar flavors! Combined with the kale and pepitas, I think this is one of the best vegan salads!

Vegan Kale Caesar Salad Recipe - bowl with salad

How Do You Store This Vegan Caesar Salad?

Always store this kale caesar salad recipe in the fridge. Like many salads, it’s best to have everything chopped and ready to go so you can assemble the healthy vegan salad when you are ready to eat, instead of combining everything ahead of time.

Even though kale can stand up to dressings better than many greens, I would recommend waiting to add the vegan Caesar salad dressing recipe until right before serving.

Store this easy vegan salad in an airtight container or plastic zip lock bag in the crisper area of your fridge. The ingredients for this healthy vegan salad will last 4-5 days, cut up and prepped.

When it comes to the avocado, I recommend not having it cut and just slicing a few pieces when you’re ready to eat the salad.

Can You Make Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe Ahead Of Time?

You can make the dressing ahead of time and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last 3-4 days, but it’s best fresh!

Vegan Kale Caesar Salad Recipe - salad with avocado and spoon

More Paleo Vegan Recipes To Try

If you can’t get enough of this vegan kale Caesar salad, you are going to love some of my other paleo vegan recipes:

  • Easy Almond Strawberry Spinach Salad – Everything about this salad is amazing!
  • Easy Paleo Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip – Creamy, vibrant, and full of flavor!
  • Red Cabbage Mexican Slaw – Gorgeous colors and tons of flavor! Plus, you only need 5 minutes to throw it together.
  • Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies – They are egg-free, so vegan, too!

Vegan Kale Caesar Salad Recipe:
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RECIPE CARD

Vegan Kale Caesar Salad Recipe - salad in bowl with spoons
4.91 from 11 votes

Vegan Kale Caesar Salad Recipe

See how to make the BEST vegan kale Caesar salad recipe! Kale, spiced pepitas, + avocado slices are drizzled with the most addicting vegan Caesar salad dressing recipe ever.

Course Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword kale caesar salad recipe, vegan caesar salad, vegan caesar salad dressing recipe, vegan kale caesar salad
Calories 256 kcal
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Total Time 7 minutes
Author Maya Krampf from WickedSpatula.com
Servings 4 servings
★ Review Print

Ingredients

Please ensure Safari reader mode is OFF to view ingredients.

Avocado Caesar Dressing

  • 1 medium Avocado (pitted)
  • 3 large cloves Garlic (peeled)
  • 1/2 medium Lemon (juiced)
  • 1 teaspoon Apple cider vinegar
  • Sea salt (to taste)
  • Black pepper (to taste)

Salad

  • 6 cups Kale (chopped finely)
  • 1/4 medium Red onion (minced)
  • 1/2 medium Jalapeños (minced; adjust amount to taste)
  • 1 medium Avocado (sliced)

Spiced Pepitas

  • 1/3 cup Raw pepitas
  • 1/2 teaspoon Olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon Paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon Sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder
Click to convert between US & metric measurements:

Instructions

More TIPS about this paleo recipe in the post above!

  1. Make the Dressing: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency. I added about 2-3 tablespoons.
  2. Toast the Pepitas: Drizzle the pepitas with olive oil and toss with the spices. Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add the seeds to the pan. Toast for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and golden.
  3. Assemble: Toss the kale with the dressing, onions, and jalapeños. Season with additional salt and pepper to your tastes and top with the toasted pepitas and sliced avocado.

Recipe Notes

Serving Size: ~2 cups, or 1/4 of entire recipe

Nutrition Information Per Serving

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.
Calories 256
Fat 18g
Protein 8g
Total Carbs 21g
Net Carbs 14g
Fiber 7g
Sugar 1g

Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. Net carb count excludes both fiber and sugar alcohols (though the latter are rarely seen on this site), because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.

© Copyright Wicked Spatula. We'd LOVE for you to share a link to this recipe, but please DO NOT COPY/PASTE the recipe instructions to social media or websites. You may share a photo with a link back instead.

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    Recipe Rating




    22 Comments

  1. bindu

    ReplyApril 12, 2021

    The salad looks delicious! All the individual ingredients seem to make this a keto friendly salad but looking at the final carbs, I am not so sure. What could I cut on to make it more keto-friendly?

  2. Katherine

    ReplyAugust 2, 2019

    5 stars
    I LOVE caesar salad!!! I just want a big bowl of this! Toasted pepitas on their own are such a great snack, they’d be soooo good in this! Pinning!

  3. Raia Todd

    ReplyAugust 2, 2019

    5 stars
    I looove caesar salad! Delicious!

  4. Megan Stevens

    ReplyJuly 30, 2019

    5 stars
    I love the avocado base and that you don’t use nutritional yeast. It’s so common in vegan recipes, but it makes me feel unwell.

  5. Maggie

    ReplyJuly 22, 2019

    5 stars
    I am newer to the kale world – I know! So behind! And this salad was amazing! Will definitely be making again.

  6. Nellie Tracy

    ReplyJuly 22, 2019

    5 stars
    Such a great summer recipe! Love this salad!

  7. Beth

    ReplyJuly 22, 2019

    5 stars
    I could eat salads morning, noon and night! Delish dish!

  8. Andrea Metlika

    ReplyJuly 22, 2019

    5 stars
    The avocado Caesar dressing sounds marvelous. I also like that you added pepitas to this, they are so good in salads.

  9. Denay DeGuzman

    ReplyJuly 22, 2019

    5 stars
    This healthy kale salad looks so beautiful and delicious! It’s the perfect mid-week meal for busy families.

  10. Matt

    ReplyJuly 22, 2019

    5 stars
    Definitely excited about the vegan Caesar dressing. Can’t wait to make this again!

  11. Kristine

    ReplyJuly 22, 2019

    5 stars
    This salad was to-die-for. I loved the robust flavors and it kept me full for hours. Very delicious, thank you!

  12. Lori

    ReplyJuly 11, 2016

    What’s the longevity of the salad? Does it keep well a few days in the fridge after making?

    • Lauren

      ReplyJuly 11, 2016

      Hi Lori! It keeps for a day or so. Kale tend to hold up well more so than other greens so you should be good! Maybe add an extra squeeze of lemon to keep the avocado dressing fresh.

  13. Chrisy

    ReplyOctober 28, 2015

    Such a pretty (and flavorful) salad! I’m already craving that dressing just from reading the ingredients!

  14. Alisa Fleming

    ReplyOctober 28, 2015

    I’m impressed! I’ve never gotten the whole prep thing down – not even close. I LOVE that your dressing is so simplistic and those spiced pepitas sound divine!

  15. Kristina

    ReplyOctober 28, 2015

    too much avocado? NEVER. I love kale salads, this sounds so flavorful!

  16. Christie

    ReplyOctober 28, 2015

    I love this recipe. All the ingredients make it so interesting and full of flavor. I love this salad for lunch.

    • Lauren

      ReplyOctober 28, 2015

      Thank you Christie! It does make a wonderful lunch!

  17. Ali

    ReplyOctober 28, 2015

    This salad looks so good for you and delicious. Love the addition of pepitas and the creamy avocado Caesar dressing….wow.

    • Lauren

      ReplyOctober 28, 2015

      Thanks Ali! Those pepitas are addicting!

  18. Kacey

    ReplyOctober 28, 2015

    Seriously super excited to try this one!! I have made a vegetarian Caesar salad for myself, but I like your spin on the dressing. At times I miss Caesar salads so much so this would definitely help my cravings!

    • Lauren

      ReplyOctober 28, 2015

      Thanks so much Kacey! I was honestly surprised at how much it tastes like traditional caesar dressing! I hope you try it 🙂

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