Vegan Caesar Dressing Is Way Easier To Make From Scratch, Here's Why
Caesar salad is a staple at most restaurants and in most home kitchens. All you really need is romaine lettuce, some parmesan cheese, croutons, and, of course, Caesar dressing. For those looking for the easiest salad possible, they find their Caesar dressing in a bottle. However, purists prefer to make batches of homemade Caesar dressing from scratch. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done.
The original Caesar salad was invented, according to most historians, in Tijuana, Mexico (via BBC Travel). An enterprising restaurateur mixed together some leftover ingredients to create a simple salad with dressing, and today, that classic sauce has evolved to include mustard, anchovies, Worcestershire sauce, eggs, oil, and lemon juice. Of course, while this combination of ingredients makes for a tangy, salty creation that's undeniably "Caesar," achieving the perfect dressing is a little more difficult than just mixing everything together.
To get the right texture, you have to engage in a little emulsification, or the combining of two liquids that don't necessarily want to go together. The process is used to make many salad dressings, as well as mayonnaise, but getting the technique right takes a lot of practice and a lot of whisking. However, if you ditch the eggs and anchovies when you make your Caesar dressing, you can likewise ditch the emulsification process, making vegan Caesar salad dressing way easier to make than its traditional counterpart.
How to make vegan Caesar salad dressing
But how do you achieve that perfect Caesar flavor without the saltiness of the anchovies or the velveteen texture of the eggs? Turns out, there's one big ingredient swap that makes all the difference. According to Bon Appétit, you can simply leave out your eggs and anchovies and add in a scoop of hummus to achieve a similar creamy effect without the emulsification. You'll still use the traditional oil, citrus juice, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce, and you can always adjust the amount of hummus you use to achieve the texture you're after.
Of course, you can keep the anchovies in the dressing if you're not worried about it being 100% vegan. However, the simple swap from eggs to hummus makes the dressing far easier and quicker to make. And if you're offended by the idea of tinkering with the egg-filled original, the key is to go slowly when emulsifying your dressing. The easiest route? Use an immersion blender or food processor to mix everything but the oil, then slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking, which should result in the dressing of your dreams.