Vegan Marinated Kale Caesar Salad with Shiitake Bacon
This vegan marinated kale caesar salad with crispy shiitake bacon is just as satisfying and savory as it is nourishing. The key to transforming kale from drab to fab is to massage the dressing into it for several minutes, or until its fibrous exterior gives way and begins to tenderize. In this case, an ultra creamy hemp seed caesar dressing is massaged into shredded kale until the kale. The finishing touch? A sprinkling of crisp shiitake bacon.
Servings: 2 to 4
Ingredients
Shiitake Bacon
- 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, destemmed and thinly sliced (⅛ to ¼-inch thickness)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Hemp Seed Caesar Dressing
- ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons shelled hemp hearts
- ¼ cup filtered water
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Salad
- 1 large bunch curly kale, thoroughly washed and destemmed
- ¼ cup dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
Instructions
Shiitake Bacon
- Preheat oven to 375F. Line a small baking tray with parchment paper.
- Spread the shiitakes out over the pan. Drizzle with the olive oil; sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Toss to evenly coat the mushrooms. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the mushrooms are golden brown and mostly crisp, using tongs to flip every 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool. They’ll continue to crisp as they cool.
Hemp Seed Caesar Dressing
- Meanwhile, make the dressing by combing all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blending on high for 2 minutes or until completely smooth and creamy.
Salad
- Tear the kale into bite-size pieces. Pour as much of the dressing over the kale as desired. Now for the fun part: roll up your sleeves and use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale for 2 minutes or until the kale begins to soften and wilt.
- Divide the kale between bowls or plates and top with the sun-dried tomatoes and shiitake bacon. Season with freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.