This Crunchy Vegan Broccoli & Brussels Sprout Caesar Salad is a delicious spin on the classic. With crunchy cruciferous vegetables, chickpea croutons, vegan bacon bits and dairy-free Parmesan. Tossed in an easy Vegan Homemade Caesar Dressing.
If you love extra crunch to your salad than this recipe is for you! This salad combines all the traditional elements of a Caesar salad but with a twist. The base lettuce is swapped with chopped broccoli and thinly sliced Brussels sprouts. “Bacon” bits are made from TVP. Croutons are made from chickpeas. Parmesan is made from grated tempeh mixed with cheesy nutritional yeast. Of course you can always just use store bought alternatives but this is more cost effective and equally tasty.
Not only is this salad tasty but it is also incredibly nutrient dense. Broccoli and Brussels sprouts are rich in many nutrients and fiber. The chickpeas, “bacon” bits, and vegan Parmesan cheese add a good protein element.
How to make this Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad:
Ingredients:
- Brussels Sprouts
- Broccoli
- Chickpeas
- TVP
- Dark Soy Sauce
- Liquid Smoke
- Tempeh
- Nutritional Yeast
- Vegan Mayo
- Lemon
- Dijon Mustard
- Various Spices
Spread out a drained and rinsed can of chickpeas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toss with oil and spices. Soak tvp in a broth mixture before draining and spreading out on its own baking sheet. Bake each for approximately 15 minutes or until nice and crispy. Finely chop the broccoli and thinly slice the Brussels sprouts. Grate a piece of a block of plain tempeh into a bowl and mix with some nutritional yeast. Whisk together the simple dressing before finally tossing all the ingredients together.
Storage:
If you plan to store leftovers, refrain from adding the chickpeas and “bacon” bits until ready to eat. If they are mixed and stored in the fridge they will lose their crispiness. You can store the chickpeas and “bacon” bits outside of the fridge in an airtight container.
Tips:
TVP “Bacon” Bits: Spread these out into as thin of a layer as you can on your baking sheet. Check on them throughout cooking. Give them a toss to make sure all sides are nice and crispy.
Vegan Parmesan: When grating the tempeh use the extra fine side of the cheese grater.
Brussels Sprouts: To get them nice and thin, use a mandolin if you have one. If not, try to slice them as thin as possible.
Crunchy Vegan Broccoli & Brussels Sprout Caesar Salad
Difficulty: Medium8
servings10
minutes20
minutesThis Crunchy Vegan Broccoli & Brussels Sprout Caesar Salad is a delicious spin on the classic.
Ingredients
6-7 Brussels Sprouts
1 head of Broccoli
- TVP “Bacon” Bits
1 cup TVP (the small crumble kind)
3 cups of water
1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 tsp Liquid Smoke
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- Chickpea Croutons
1 tsp Cooking Oil
1 can Chickpeas
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Paprika
Salt and Pepper
- Homemade Caesar Dressing
1/2 – 3/4 cup Vegan Mayo
2-3 Tbsp Plant Milk
Juice of half a Lemon
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
Salt and Pepper
- Vegan Parmesan
1/4 block of Plain Tempeh
1/4 cup small flake Nutritional Yeast
Directions
- Start by pre-heating the oven to 400F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan combine all the “bacon bits ingredients except for the tvp. Wait for it to come to a boil before adding the tvp. Remove from the heat. Let sit for 10 minutes before draining. Press out as much liquid as you can and spread it onto one of the baking sheets.
- Drain and rinse chickpeas, spread onto the baking sheet and toss with its oil and seasonings.
- Bake both the chickpeas and “bacon” bits for 15- 20 minutes until nice and crispy, Check part way through to toss.
- While you wait for them to bake, assemble your dressing by whisking together all the dressing ingredients. Add more or less plant milk depending on the consistency of your vegan mayo. Set aside.
- Using the smallest side of your cheese grater, grate tempeh and place in a small bowl. Stir in nutritional yeast and set aside.
- Chop broccoli into small florets and slice brussels sprouts as thin as possible. Add to a large salad bowl.
- Once the chickpeas and “bacon” bits are more or less cooled add the remainder of of the salad elements. Toss well until everything is well coated.
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