Chicken Caesar Salad
Beg, borrow or steal yourself some vegan Parmesan and make this salad dressing. It tastes just as rich and tangy as the real thing and needs to be liberally poured onto everything.
Ingredients
- 4 vegan chicken fillets
- 3 cups iceberg lettuce shredded
- 3 cups spinach shredded
- 2 cups rocket
- 4 spring onions sliced
For the dressing:
- ¾ cup vegan mayonnaise
- ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup vegan parmesan
- ¼ tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp agave syrup
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp malt vinegar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Pinch of white pepper
- Pinch of ground ginger
- Pinch of paprika
- Pinch of ground cloves
- 1 tsp cornflour
- ~⅓ cup water to thin
For the croutons:
- 2 slices wholemeal bread
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
For the coconut bacon:
- 1 cup flaked coconut chips
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp liquid aminos
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp agave syrup
Method
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Preheat the oven to 180°C.
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Cook your chicken substitute according to the instructions, either pan fry or bake and then set aside to cool. Slice into chunky strips before assembling the salad.
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Add all the dressing ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively mix the cornflour and water together in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients together. Gradually add the cornflour mix in and whisk together. Refrigerate until ready to assemble the salad.
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To make the coconut bacon, add the soy sauce, liquid aminos, agave syrup and paprika to a mixing bowl, whisk with a fork and add the coconut flakes . Stir until it is all well covered and let it marinade for 10 minutes.
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Lay the coconut out on a lined baking tray. Lower the oven heat to 160°C and bake on the lowest shelf for 5-10 minutes until crispy and brown. Stir regularly throughout cooking to make sure it bakes evenly. If your oven is powerful it may take even less time so watch it carefully for the perfect bacon-esque crunch.
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Cut the bread into squares, lay out onto a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle over the garlic powder. Toss the croutons with your hands until covered in the seasoning and bake for 10 minutes, turning halfway through. They are ready when they are golden brown.
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Add the shredded iceberg lettuce, spinach, rocket and spring onion to a large mixing bowl. Add 1/3 of the dressing and mix until the leaves are all coated.
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Make a bed of the salad leaves on the plate and top with the chicken strips and croutons. Crush the coconut bacon slightly in your hand and crumble over the salad.
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Finally drizzle the rest of the dressing over the top, top with some shaved Parmesan and serve.
