Vegan Tahini Caesar
My grandmother was adamant about her Caesars. No raw egg yolk? No anchovies? Then don’t call it a Caesar! I’m pretty certain my grandma would have loved this salad. She just wouldn’t have loved what I call it. Fair enough, I say. Whatever you call it, my version is vegan (although you are welcome to add toppings; you’ll see tuna and pine nuts in the picture), and it draws more inspiration from the Levant then the Mediterranean.
Crisp romaine is the backbone of this salad, but the dressing is the star. This is no fatty hedonistic gloop to make the vegetables less healthy… Everything we use is packed with nutrition. Sesame tahini is a veritable superfood. The research on heart health alone is compelling enough… Add some nutritional yeast for B-vitamins, trace minerals, and immune-stimulating beta-glucans. Capers have been show to be antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory. Plus lemon, garlic, and the tangy-savory-herbaceous Levantine spice blend, za’atar… The recipe makes enough for two salads. Use the remainder for whatever.
Ingredients
Dressing (enough for at least two salads)
| 1 C drippy tahini (I use Tohum brand) | ½ C organic nutritional yeast |
| ⅓ C lemon juice | 1-4 cloves garlic, pressed |
| 2 Tbsp za’atar (unsalted) | 3-4 heaping dinner fork-fulls capers in brine |
| 1 tsp salt | water and/or olive oil to taste |
The Salad Itself
| 1 head crisp romaine lettuce, washed & torn | 1-2 inclusions of your choice (see below) |
Method
1. Mash and whisk together all dressing ingredients except the water and/or olive oil. It will be pretty thick. Now, use water and/or olive oil to thin to the desired consistency. For the right flavor, make sure to use the organic nutritional yeast grown in Germany, not the U.S. stuff fortified with B-vitamins.
2. Toss together with your lettuce. Use as much as you want. I like to be generous.
3. Add your inclusions. I lean towards protein here: tinned sardines, chick peas, hard-boiled egg, cubed tofu or Pumfu, a jar of very high quality ventresca tuna. Leftover chicken or salmon. You could also lean into the carbs with croutons or cubed potato. Or some fresh avocado. Or some asparagus. Parmesan? Have fun, be creative.