Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
This is one of the most satisfying salads you’ll make! It starts with a classic caesar salad with its creamy dressing, crisp romaine lettuce, crunchy croutons and flavorful vegan parmesan cheese. Delicious as is, the salad is then mixed with cooked pasta for some chewiness and seasoned soy curls for even more texture and added plant protein. It all makes for a really good salad! It’s easy to make and most of the components can be made ahead for even more convenience or meal prep.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 heads Romaine, chopped and washed
8oz (227g) Fusilli Pasta (or any short variety)
4oz (113.5g) dry Soy Curls (or sub 6 oz non breaded plant based chicken)
2 cups (473ml) Vegan Chicken Broth or Water
1 tsp (5g) ground Poultry Seasoning
2 tsp (10ml) Oil for sautéing the soy curls
1 cup (40g) Croutons (recipe below)
1/3 cup (30g) shaved or grated Vegan Parmesan
Pepper to taste
1 cup Caesar Dressing (recipe below)
Caesar Dressing (can be made day before)
2/3 cup (83g) Raw Cashews, soaked
1/3 cup (40g) Raw Sunflower Seeds, soaked
1/2 cup (45g) grated Vegan Parmesan
3 cloves Garlic, peeled
1/2 small Lemon, juiced
1 Tbsp (15ml) Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp (15g) Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp (12g) Nutritional Yeast
1/4 tsp Salt
Pepper to taste
2/3 cup -1 cup (158ml - 237ml) Water
Croutons (can be made the day before)
2 slices thick crusted Bread (like Sourdough)
1 Tbsp (15ml) Oil
1/2 tsp (2.5g) Onion Powder
1/2 tsp (2.5g) Garlic Powder
Salt & Pepper to taste
1.Cut the bread into 1/2” squares and add to a bowl along with the oil, onion powder, garlic powder, salt & pepper.
2. Toss until well coated. Lay in a single layer onto a baking sheet.
3.Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes until golden brown. Flip halfway through baking time. Store in an airtight container.
Directions
1.Make the dressing by soaking the cashews and sunflower seeds in enough hot water to cover for 30 minutes.
2.Rehydrate the soy curls by soaking them in the hot broth and poultry seasoning for about 20-30 minutes. The soy curls will expand once rehydrated.
3.Make the caesar dressing by adding the soaked cashews and sunflower seeds that have been drained and rinsed to a blender.
4.Add the grated parmesan, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic cloves, salt, pepper and 2/3 cup water. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, add remaining water if needed. The dressing should be thick but pourable. Set aside.
4.Cook the soy curls: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Drain any excess liquid from the soaked soy curls and add them to the pan. Allow them to cook through until nicely browned, about 7-10 minutes. Break apart any large pieces. Set aside.
5.Cook the pasta according to package directions for just over al dente in texture. Set aside.
6.Assemble the salad by adding the chopped romaine to a large bowl along with the cooked pasta, cooked chicken, parmesan, croutons, about 1 cup of the dressing and fresh ground pepper. Toss well and serve!
