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Caesar Salad with Garlic Sticks

You’ll make a plant-based Caesar salad from scratch, including a creamy chickpea-tahini dressing and crispy garlic-topped breadsticks that bake right alongside your prep. This recipe shows you how to build bold, savory flavor without dairy or anchovies, using nutritional yeast and tahini to create that unmistakable Caesar richness. In just 30 minutes, you’ll have a complete meal with fresh greens, juicy tomatoes, and warm, garlicky bread—plus a versatile dressing technique you can use again and again.

Makes 3 servings | Active Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes
Chef's Notes

Suggested adult serving: 3 cups salad; 5 garlic sticks

Store any leftover salad and breadsticks in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

RECIPE TIPS
Tahini: Tahini is a condiment made from toasted ground hulled sesame seeds. You may find it in the international or Kosher aisles, or among the nut butters or salad dressings.

Unflavored Plant Milk: Plant milk is the term we use to describe the plant-based milk of your choice. Rice, oat, hemp, almond, and soy milk are all varieties of plant milk. Look for unsweetened, unflavored plant milks.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust: Oil-free pizza crusts include those from Engine 2.

Nutritional Yeast: Popular in plant-based cooking for its “cheesy” flavor, nutritional yeast comes in both flaked and powdered form. If you buy powdered, use ⅓ cup for every 1 cup of flakes specified in a recipe.

Photo by Green Evi

Step 1: Prepare Salad Fixings
  • 1/3 cup cooked chickpeas, undrained
  • 1⁄4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 1⁄2 tablespoons tahini
  • 3 cloves garlic coarsely chopped (≈1 tablespoon)
  • 3 tablespoons unflavored plant milk plus more as needed
  • 3⁄4 whole-wheat pizza crust
  • 1 1⁄2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 3 oz kale stemmed & chopped (≈3 cups)
  • 4 1⁄2 oz romaine lettuce chopped (≈3 cups)
  • 15 oz cherry tomatoes halved (≈3 cups)
  • freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

MAKE DRESSING
In a high-powered blender (or food processor), purée undrained chickpeas, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, tahini, and garlic until smooth, gradually adding plant milk until dressing is pourable.

MAKE GARLIC STICKS
Place pizza crust on a baking sheet. Brush 1 1⁄2 tablespoons dressing over crust and sprinkle with nutritional yeast. Set aside remaining dressing for serving.

BAKE GARLIC STICKS
Bake until crust starts to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven.

Cut into 15 strips, each about 1 inch wide.

MAKE SALAD
In a large bowl, toss kale, romaine, tomatoes, and remaining dressing. Season with black pepper to taste.

Serve Caesar salad with garlic sticks.

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