Healthy Cashew Caesar Dressing (No Mayo!)

by Sarah Harper MS, RD, LDN | Oct 6, 2022 | Lunch/Dinner, Recipe, Salad, Sauces/Dressing | 0 comments

Cashew Caesar Dressing is perfect for a Kale Caesar, Caesar Salad, or as a vegetable dip. There are lots of exciting possibilities.
Hi, I'm Sarah Harper. I am a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who loves to cook, eat, and talk about food! Here at The Addy Bean, you'll discover an array of flexitarian recipes. My mission is to inspire and encourage others to eat and explore the world of plant-based foods!

Cashew Caesar Dressing

This Cashew Caesar dressing is a recent discovery and new favorite. It takes the premise of a Caesar dressing, with all of its rich, creamy, and salty goodness, but is 100% plant-based with zero store-bought vegan mayo. So, how do I do this without using vegan mayo? It’s Easy – I use cashews.

Cashews provide a buttery and nutty flavor without overpowering the dressing’s flavor like a peanut would. Thus, the cashew nut is the perfect base for my sans-mayo, Cashew Caesar Dressing. Moreover, cashews are loaded with unsaturated fatty acids while also providing a healthy dose of fiber and protein. Research shows, that a diet rich with nuts and seeds (*when replacing less healthful foods) has beneficial long-term effects on human health in regard to the prevention of chronic diseases like obesity and other co-morbidities (1-3).

Ingredients for Cashew Caesar Dressing

This dressing is creamy, garlicky, tangy, bold, and briny.

Cashews: The base ingredient of this Cashew Caesar Dressing. Cashews are often used in vegan recipes. 

Nutritional Yeast: An excellent source of B vitamins! This ingredient provides a cheesy flavor. 

Lemon Juice & Apple Cider Vinegar: This ingredient brings acidity to the salad dressing. Lemon is one of the key flavors in your traditional Caesar salad dressing. Option to use fresh lemon or from a bottle.

Capers and Caper Brine: Capers provide a vinegary and lemony tang. These ingredients are the vegan replacement for the anchovies. 

Ingredients Continued

Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard is tangy, sharp, and spicy

Garlic Powder: A classic Caesar dressing ingredient is garlic. I add a tsp of garlic powder, instead of raw garlic for a milder garlicky flavor.

Avocado Oil:  A bit of avocado oil brings additional flavor and helps to smooth the texture.

Water: Water thins the dressing. Without water, the dressing would be too creamy. 

How to make Cashew Caesar Dressing

Homemade salad dressing is at least 10x better than store bought dressing. I will say this over and over because I believe it with all my heart. Not only is homemade salad dressing tastier, and cheaper but it is surprisingly simple and easy to prepare! Forget this recipe for just one moment – and consider fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Maybe throw fresh cut chive in there, and you have a lovely lemon chive vinaigrette perfect for any salad.

This, no mayo, Creamy Cashew Dressing is almost as easy as the basic oil and lemon vinegarette. Once you make this Creamy Cashew Ceasar, you will have made a delicious dressing that can last for days in the fridge. Furthermore, if you make extra Cashew Caesar Dressing, you can use it all week long as part of your meal prep.

Cashew Caesar in bowl w/ spoon

The Four Steps for This Cashew Caesar Dressing

  1. Add all dry ingredients (no oil or water) to your food processor.
  2. Blend the ingredients on low and slowly drizzle in the avocado oil.
  3. After 30 seconds, turn the food processor off and scrape down the sides.
  4. Continue to blend the dressing ingredients on low and add the water 1 tbsp at a time. Continue to blend for 5 to 7 minutes, periodically scraping down the sides and adding tbsps. of water until you’ve reached your desired thickness and consistency.

Sharper Nutrition Fix: Cashews, a Nut and a Heart Healthy food

Cashews are just one of the nuts that are a beautiful addition to a healthy diet. Additionaly, nuts are just one of many foods the American Hearth Associated has coined Heart Healthy (4,5).

You may have seen this mark stamped on various food packaging, but what does it mean? For a food to get the Heart Healthy Symbol, it must meet three criteria. First, the food must be a good source of naturally occurring nutrients. Second, it must have limited saturated and trans fats. Lastly, the food must be limited in sodium.

Don’t see the check? Does your food item come straight from a farmer and doesn’t require packaging? Like peaches, tomatoes, broccoli, or hazelnuts plucked from the tree down the street. Don’t fret, those are heart-healthy foods too.

Five Ways to add nuts to the diet

  • Replace a bag of salty chips with a hand full of nuts.
  • Add nuts such as cashews or almonds to a smoothie as a source of healthy fats and protein
  • Sprinkle your salad with a handful of chopped nuts for a crunchy, and protein-packed addition.
  • Add whole or slices nuts to your morning hot or cold cereal (try almonds or hazelnuts).
  • Serve nuts with a charcuterie board or fruit plate.

Cashew Caesar Dressing

Cashew Caesar Dressing

This mayo-free and vegan Cashew Caesar Dressing is one of my favorite salad dressings.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 214 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup Raw cashew pieces Technically the cashews have been steamed so they are not truly "raw". Actual raw cashews are not safe to eat. See note for if using roasted cashews.
  • 5 tbsp Water, divided or more per desired consistency
  • 1/4 cup Avocado oil
  • 2 tbsp Lemon juice about 1 lemon or use a white vinegar like rice wine or champagne.
  • 2 tbsp Nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
  • 1 tbsp Capers
  • 1/2 tbsp Caper brine
  • 1 tsp Garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp White pepper

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients except water and avocado oil to a food processor.
  • Turn the food processor on low speed and slowly drizzle in oil.
  • After 30 seconds, turn off the food processor and scrape down the sides.
  • Continue to blend the dressing for 5 to 7min, adding 1 tbsp of water at a time until desired consistency, scraping down the sides of the food processor as needed.
    **Note: For a thinner salad dressing, add more water or avocado oil, one tablespoon at a time.

Notes

If you are using roasted cashews, soak the 1 cup of cashews in 4 cups of water overnight. Drain the cashews before using in this recipe. 

Nutrition

Serving: 50gCalories: 214kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 5gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gSodium: 183mgPotassium: 209mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 5IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

References
  1. Liu, Gang, et al. “Nut consumption in relation to cardiovascular disease incidence and mortality among patients with diabetes mellitus.” Circulation research 124.6 (2019): 920-929.
  2. Caldas, A., Rocha, D., Dionísio, A., Hermsdorff, H., & Bressan, J. (2022). Brazil and cashew nuts intake improve body composition and endothelial health in women at cardiometabolic risk (Brazilian Nuts Study): A randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Nutrition, 1-11. doi:10.1017/S000711452100475
  3. Jackson, Chandra L, and Frank B Hu. “Long-term associations of nut consumption with body weight and obesity.” The American journal of clinical nutrition vol. 100 Suppl 1,1 (2014): 408S-11S. doi:10.3945/ajcn.113.071332
  4. “Check for the Heart-Check Mark Infographic.” Heart.ORG, American Heart Assiciation, Mar. 2021, https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/heart-check-foods/check-for-the-heart-check-mark-infographic.
  5. “Choose Heart-Healthy Foods.” NIH.GOV, NIH, 24 Mar. 2022, https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart-healthy-living/healthy-foods#:~:text=These%20foods%20are%20the%20foundation,whole%2Dgrain%20bread%20or%20tortillas.

 

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Hi, I'm Sarah Harper. I am a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who loves to cook, eat, and talk about food! Here at The Addy Bean, you'll discover an array of flexitarian recipes. My mission is to inspire and encourage others to eat and explore the world of plant-based foods!

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