Vegan Caesar Salad with Tempeh and Sweet Potatoes
A flavorful vegan Caesar salad with tempeh and sweet potatoes. This salad is the perfect combination of fresh and comforting. The warm sweet potatoes and salty tempeh make this the perfect winter salad, along with a flavorful dressing and a sprinkle of vegan parmesan.
Servings 2
Ingredients
Tempeh
- 1 8oz block tempeh, cut into small cubes
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Salad
- 1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2" thick slices
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Sprinkle of salt
- 6-8 cups leafy greens (Romaine, mixed greens, spinach or kale)
- Vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast (see notes)
Vegan Caesar Dressing
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoon water, more as needed
Instructions
- Cut the tempeh into small bite-sized cubes and place in a small bowl. Add the remaining tempeh ingredients and toss to coat. Let marinate in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the recipe or marinate overnight.
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Place the sliced sweet potatoes on a large baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon of oil to coat. Sprinkle with salt. Roast for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and flip. Toss the marinated tempeh onto the same sheet and return to the oven for an additional 15 minutes. The sweet potatoes should be golden and slightly crispy on the outside.
- While the sweet potatoes and tempeh are cooking, prepare the dressing: In a small jar or bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Add more water as needed to thin. The sauce will thicken as it sits. Set aside.
- Assemble the salad: Add the leafy greens to a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Top with the cooked sweet potatoes and tempeh. Sprinkle with vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast. Serve immediately.
Notes
This recipe serves 2-3 people as a main dish and more as a side dish.
I like to add a small touch of maple syrup to the tempeh to balance the salt and flavor. This is optional.
You can replace the sweet potatoes with regular potatoes in this recipe.
If you're using kale as your green, make sure to massage it before adding the rest of the ingredients. This will tenderize the kale and make it easier to eat and digest.
I use this recipe for vegan parmesan. Feel free to use your favorite recipe.
This recipe is inspired by my basic vegan Caesar salad with chickpea croutons.