vegan kale Caesar salad with garlic croutons

All hail to the Kale Caesar salad!

All hail to the Kale Caesar Salad ~vegan~

Yes, technically a caesar salad is a salad, but it can be a true diet disaster!

Some restaurant caesar salads weigh in with a calorie count similar to a whopper!  Globs of dressing, mounds of cheese and white bread croutons.

Here is a vegan spin on the traditional caesar salad.  Instead of raw eggs, cheese and anchovies, this dressing is made with tahini and nutritional yeast.  Nutritional yeast is a great vegan source of B vitamins and tahini is made from sesame seeds, which are loaded with calcium!  To boost the nutritional value even more, Red Russian kale is used in place of Romaine lettuce.

All hail to the Kale Caesar Salad ~vegan~

 Red Russian kale is more tender than the every day curly kale.  I highly recommend it, especially for salads!  Thanks to my friend Pilar, our garden is overflowing with kale this year…I’m a happy girl :)

All hail to the Kale Caesar Salad ~vegan~

vegan kale ceasar salad with garlic crutons
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
  • For the dressing:
  • ¼ cup tahini
  • ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon water (more if needed to thin out dressing)
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • sea salt and pepper to taste
  • For the garlic croutons:
  • ½ whole wheat baguette, cut into ½ inch cubes
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • sea salt
  • For the salad:
  • 1 bunch of Red Russian kale, coarsely chopped
Instructions
  1. In a food processor, blend all ingredients together until creamy and set aside. (you can whisk together as well, using a food processor or blender is just quicker!)
  2. To make croutons: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-low heat and add garlic. Sauté until fragrant, around 3-5 minutes. Place cubed bread in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and garlic, add sea salt to taste, toss to coat and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until golden and crispy. Set aside to cool.
  3. Add dressing to chopped kale, toss to coat. Top with croutons and enjoy!

You can serve this caesar salad alone or as a side to any meal!  For added protein, top with crispy chickpeas!

All hail to the Kale Caesar Salad ~vegan~

I hope everyone had a wonderful summer solstice weekend :)

spring pea soup with lemon and dill ~vegan, gluten free~

Fresh, light and screaming of spring!

Spring Pea Soup with Lemon and Dill ~vegan, gluten free~

Fresh peas, kale, leeks, lemon and dill…

Aborio rice and butter beans add a velvety texture, filling and delicious!

Spring Pea Soup with Lemon and Dill ~vegan, gluten free~

Dill, super easy to grow and super healthy for you too!

Got gas???  

Add dill to meals or chew it raw to tame tummy troubles!

Similar to many spring herbs and vegetables, dill promotes detoxification of the liver.  It activates liver enzymes, which attach to toxins in body preventing them from doing damage making dill a chemoprotective food.  The active components in dill are limonene, carvone and anethofuran, which contain antimicrobial and anticancer properties.

Besides adding dill to soup or chewing it raw, try making dill sauce!   Combine fresh dill, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and lemon zest in a blender.  Blend and serve over roasted vegetables, salads or grains.  Or drizzle it over spring soup like this one!

spring pea soup with lemon and dill
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 leek, chopped, white parts only
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1-2 carrots, chopped
  • ½ cup aborio rice or brown rice
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 4-5 large kale leaves, de-stemmed and finely chopped
  • 1 (15.5 ounce) can butter beans, drained and rinsed
  • ⅓ cup fresh dill, chopped
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
  • sea salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add leek and sauté for a few minutes, until soft.
  2. Add garlic and carrots, saute for another few minutes or until garlic is fragrant.
  3. Mix in rice. Stir to coat rice with oil.
  4. Add broth, kale and beans. Bring to a soft boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Partially cover and cook until rice is tender.
  5. Stir in dill, lemon juice and peas. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Serve with a lemon wedge and enjoy!

Spring Pea Soup with Lemon and Dill ~vegan, gluten free~

I would be so grateful if you could take a few seconds and vote for my recipe!

My Toasted Coconut Chocolate Cream Pie recipe made it to the top 10 in a Nasoya Tofu recipe contest!

If you’re on Facebook…click the link below to vote!

 http://nasoya-think-beyond-the-block.pgtb.me/mbnCGV

If I win, money will be donated to a good cause!

Many Thanks :)

mean, clean and green smoothie

Refreshing, rehydrating and radiant!  

Mean, Clean and Green Smoothie ~raw, vegan~

Drink your greens for an energizing start to any winter day!

This smoothie packs a powerful punch of nutrients to keep your body running strong!  Hemp seeds provide a healthy dose of protein, omega fatty acids and fiber to boost the nutrition content and to keep you satisfied!

Mean, Clean and Green Smoothie ~raw, vegan~

 Mean, Clean and Green Smoothie

1 banana

1 cup frozen pineapple

1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

1/2 cup water or coconut water

3 large kale leaves

2 tablespoons hemp seeds

~Blend and Enjoy!~

Mean, Clean and Green Smoothie ~raw, vegan~

Your body will thank you :)

It’s kid friendly too!  This guy asked for a second helping!

Mean, Clean and Green Smoothie ~raw, vegan~

This smoothie made it on our favorite list!  What’s your favorite green combination?