If you're looking for a Caesar dressing without anchovies, you're in luck! Instead we're using capers and roasted garlic to make a creamy indulgent tasting Vegetarian Caesar Dressing that's lightened up with the help of Greek yogurt.
All hail Vegetarian Caesar Dressing!!!
Folks! I've got good news for you. I have an amazing Vegetarian Caesar Dressing Recipe to share with you all today. There's nary an anchovy in sight! No raw eggs to worry about. And it's incredibly, incredibly good. This is the vegetarian Caesar dressing I use on my favorite Kale Caesar Salad, but it's also fantastic on a classic Caesar green like romaine.
After many, many tests, I realized that for the best vegetarian caesar dressing, you just need to replace the salty, briny flavor of the anchovies with something that packs a similar punch. In this case we're using a big spoonful of capers AND the brine from the capers jar.
We're also throwing in an entire bulb of roasted garlic (roasting really mellows the flavor out, trust me on this), some Dijon mustard, Parmesan*, and a blend of olive oil and Greek yogurt to keep the dressing on the lighter side. (I do this with our Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing as well. It's sooo good!) All you need to do is add all of the ingredients to a blender, blend till smooth, and you're dressing is good to go.
*Is Parmesan cheese vegetarian?
Technically, authentic Parmesan cheese is not vegetarian because it uses rennet in the cheesemaking process. However, there are other Parmesan-esque cheeses out there that don't use rennet (they use a microbial enzyme instead), so if you're not comfortable with Parmesan, there are lots of good options out there.
Let's make Vegetarian Caesar Dressing together!
Step 1: put everything in a blender
Just chuck everything on in. The order doesn't matter here!
Step 2: blend, baby, blend!
Blend your Caesar dressing until it's nice and smooth.
That's it! You're done!
How long will Caesar dressing last in the fridge?
Because this vegetarian caesar dressing is made without eggs it can be kept in the fridge for *slightly* longer than a regular homemade caesar dressing. HOWEVER, food safety recommendations for dressings that contain raw garlic stipulate that they should be used within four days due to the risk of botulism.
They do say that if kept below 4°C / 40°F it's fine to keep for 10 days, and I've definitely kept and consumed mine for that long, but be sure you're aware of the risks.
Vegetarian Caesar Dressing with Roasted Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 bulb roasted garlic
- 1 large lemon juiced
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 tablespoon caper brine
- 2 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic smashed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup full-fat Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a blender.1 bulb roasted garlic, 1 large lemon, 1 tablespoon capers, 1 tablespoon caper brine, 2 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard, 1 clove garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, ½ cup full-fat Greek yogurt
- Blend until smooth.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only
- Vegetarian Caesar dressing will keep for 4-10 days in the fridge
Alison says
Hi, how much garlic do I add to the dressing? Just one clove from the roasted bulb? Or the whole roasted bulb + 1 more clove? Also would it change the taste much if I skipped the roasting? Thanks!
Katie Trant says
Hi Alison! You add the entire roasted bulb + 1 clove of raw garlic. Roasting garlic completely changes the flavour—it makes the garlic soft, sweet, and very mellow in flavour compared to the harsh bite of raw garlic. So I definitely don't recommend skipping the roasting step! Otherwise you'd be keeping vampires away for weeks and weeks.
Ani C says
This is so delicious! I was surprised at how very Caesar-y this dressing is. This could be served in a restaurant.
Katie Trant says
What a lovely comment! Thanks Ani, super nice to hear that you enjoyed this so much 🙂
Ari says
Hi, just wanted to let you know that most Parmesan cheese is not vegetarian as it is usually made with animal rennet. So if using it, be sure it’s labeled for vegetarian use. I have yet to find one that is where I live. Other than that, recipe looks amazing.
Katie Trant says
Hey there. This information is covered in the post in the section titled "Is Parmesan Cheese Vegetarian?" Specifically: "Technically, authentic Parmesan cheese is not vegetarian because it uses rennet. There are other Parmesan-esque cheeses out there that don't use rennet (they use a microbial enzyme instead), so if you're not comfortable with rennet, you've got options."
Priscilla says
I’m not vegetarian, but since I Didn’t have anchovies, I decided to make this salad Dressing . Really yummy vegetarian Caesar dressing, But it was a little heavy on the Dijon mustard - The salad dressing tasted too much of the mustard. I’m looking forward to making it again with maybe half of it.
Greg R says
I am vegetarian and absolutely LOVE this dressing. It's got a great flavor and even more interesting to me than traditional caesar dressing. Delicious!
Katie Trant says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this Caesar dressing as much as we do. It's definitely one of our favourites.
Stephanie says
Do you think this would freeze well if I don't use it all?
Katie Trant says
You know, I've never tried freezing this recipe (or any salad dressing, really) but I can't think of any reason why it wouldn't work out. Give it a try!
Arobee says
I have everything but the greek yogurt. do you think vegan mayo will work as a substitute?
Katie Trant says
It might? I've never tried this before.
Angel says
I love this recipe but substituted parmesan cheese as it is not vegetarian.
Animal rennet is used in several kinds of cheese including parmesan. It is taken from dead calves (they are not killed exclusively for this, however it is a byproduct of veal production.) For many people, vegetarianism isn't simply "no meat."
Just wanted to bring it up as it may have been an honest mistake, but I do hope you take it on board for future posts.
Thanks for reading. 🙂
Katie Trant says
Hi Angel, the rennet issue is actually addressed in the body of the post in a title sectioned "Is Parmesan Cheese Vegetarian?" which I include in any recipe that calls for this type of cheese. This is also why the recipe calls for Parmesan, or a similar hard cheese, so that people who choose to avoid rennet are informed and have options. Thanks, KT.
Alice says
I use Stella Parmesan. Easy to find and no rennet
. There are others such as Whole Food,s 365 and Trader Joe’s.
Alice says
I use Stella Parmesan. Easy to find and no rennet
. There are others such as Whole Foods 365 and Trader Joe’s.
L says
LOVE this dressing!
Ella says
The BEST Caesar dressing I have ever made - will never use another recipe again 🙂
Katie Trant says
Yasss! It's my favourite too.
Emily says
Such a tasty dressing, I love it! Anchovies kind of creep me out and this is a great alternative. So good with the roasted garlic in it!!
Katie Trant says
It's my favourite caesar dressing!
Casper says
made this up really quick for my salads this week, i’m going to toss it with kale, parmesan, and crispy chickpeas! the dressing tastes really good and i was pleasantly surprised at how much it tastes like regular caesar dressing!