Two simple steps to a healthier Caesar salad

Who would have thought that curry powder would be the perfect addition to a Caesar dressing?  And the nutritional yeast gives this dressing a cheese-like flavour plus it packs in amino acids, B-vitamins, folic acid, selenium and zinc.  This recipe makes extra dressing that you can store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Topped with our Quick Garlic Croutons, capers, avocado, and hemp seeds, this dynamic salad will delight your adventurous taste buds.

Eccentric Caesar Salad

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

Caesar Dressing

½ cup  raw cashews

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 large garlic clove

¾ tsp salt

¼ tsp curry powder

Freshly ground black pepper

Salad

2 large heads romaine lettuce, chopped or torn into bite-size pieces

2 cups quick garlic croutons

1 ripe avocado, medium dice

½ cup hemp seeds

⅓ cup capers

DIRECTIONS

ONE: To make dressing: Combine the cashews, oil, lemon juice, yeast, mustard, garlic, salt, curry powder, and pepper in a food processor and add ¼ cup plus 3 tbsp/75 ml warm water. Process until the mixture is very smooth, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.

TWO: To make salad: Toss the romaine with ½ cup/120 ml of the dressing. Add more to taste if desired. Divide the lettuce among six plates, and top each with some of the croutons, avocado, hemp seeds, and capers. Serve immediately.

NOTE: Nutritional yeast is made from a single-celled organism called Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is typically grown on molasses and then harvested, washed, and dried with heat to deactivate it. It should be stored in a cool and dry place in an airtight bag or container.

1 Serving (using ½ cup of dressing): Calories: 390;  Fat : 26g,  Carbs: 30g,  Protein: 13g,  Sodium: 830mg

Looking to fid more ways to add  garden varieties to you meals? Tyy this Cabbage and Carrot Crunch Salad.

Reproduced with permission from Straight from the Earth: Irresistible Vegan Recipes for Everyone (Chronicle Books) by Myra and Marea Goodman.