Chickpea & Brussels Vegan Caesar Salad uses capers and tahini to mimic the sea-like, creamy quality of traditional Caesar salad. Oil-free option.
A nutritious and flavorful meal, Chickpea & Brussels Vegan Caesar Salad is easy to make and a complete meal. The sweetness of the dried cranberries balance the tangy and briny flavors of the creamy caper and lemon dressing.
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🥗 Why this Salad Recipe is Fabulous
- This nourishing salad is rich in plant-based protein from chickpeas, heart healthy fats from tahini and sunflower seeds, as well as several vitamins and minerals from the Brussels and fresh lemon.
- It's an easy recipe to make.
- All the ingredients are budget-friendly.
- The Brussels sprouts are easily shredded using a food processor, making the prep a breeze for this recipe. No chopping required.
📖 How to Make this Recipe
Chickpeas
Dry the chickpeas with a clean kitchen or paper towel so they get even crispier in the oven. You can remove the skins too, as desired.
Toss with the spices. Season with salt. Add olive oil for a delicious mouthfeel, or skip it for an oil-free option.
Broil the chickpeas after roasting to make extra crispy chickpea croutons.
Brussels Sprouts
A food processor will shred the Brussels evenly and quickly. If you don't own a food processor, a sharp knife also works perfectly well, but it will take a bit longer.
For oil-free, skip the step of sautéing the Brussels.
Sauté the Brussels in olive oil until golden brown. The texture of sautéed Brussels paired with the creamy dressing is nothing short of delicious.
Vegan Caesar Dressing
Simply mix the dressing ingredients in a medium bowl. No blending required. To pack in even more flavor, the garlic and lemon zest is grated directly into the dressing.
The capers and their brine mimic the sea-like quality of a classic Caesar salad. Try to find jarred capers packed in brine. Otherwise, canned will also work.
The creaminess comes from the tahini, which is the base of the dressing.
Serving Your Chickpea & Brussels Vegan Caesar Salad
Add one half of the dressing to the shaved Brussels sprouts and mix. Gently stir in the sunflower seeds and dried cranberries, so the salad doesn't become mushy. Top with the roasted chickpeas for serving, so that they remain crispy. Drizzle with more dressing as desired.
👩🏼🌾 Ingredients & Nutrition
Capers are the green, unripened buds of the caper bush. The plant is native to the Mediterranean, but now grown in many countries. Once picked, the capers are dried and brined, or packed in salt. This brings out their lemony, slightly floral green-olive like flavor. They add a briny, salty quality to a dish, which is what makes them a perfect addition to this vegan Caesar salad. They are also used to add texture and tanginess to soups, stews, sauces, roasted veggies, salads, or used as a garnish. A little goes a long way, so use sparingly.
Substitutes: Substitute capers for finely chopped green olives.
Storage: This recipe uses brined capers. Once opened, keep the capers submerged in their brine, and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to nine months.
Dried fruit are easy to store and eat. They are a convenient way to add a burst of flavor, or a touch of sweetness, to a dish.
Both fresh and dried fruit are a healthy source of calories. But because dried fruit is smaller and more concentrated than the fresh fruit from which it comes, it's easier to consume a lot of calories and sugar eating dried fruit. In addition, some manufacturers of dried fruit add additional sugars beyond those which are naturally occurring. Enjoy dried fruit in moderation, and try to find brands with the least amount of added sugar.
Dried cherries can be substituted for dried cranberries in this recipe. Dried cherries tend to be a lot less sweet, but they are typically more expensive.
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📖 Recipe
Chickpea & Brussels Vegan Caesar Salad
Ingredients
- 15 ounces chickpeas canned, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt & black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for chickpeas (optional: plus 1 tablespoon for Brussels sprouts)
- ¾ pounds Brussels sprouts ends trimmed
Dressing:
- ¼ cup tahini
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped capers
- 2 teaspoons caper brine from the jar
- 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 clove garlic
- Salt & black pepper to taste
Other:
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- ½ cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick silicon mat.
- Prepare the chickpeas: Rub the chickpeas with a clean towel to remove excess moisture. Transfer the chickpeas to a medium bowl. Add the smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Mix in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, if using. Transfer the chickpeas to the prepared baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes. Change the oven setting to broil and cook for about 3 minutes more, or until crispy.
- Prepare the Brussels sprouts: Shred the Brussels sprouts using a food processor or a sharp knife. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the Brussels for about 7 minutes, or until just wilted and golden brown. (For oil-free, use raw shredded Brussels to make the salad.) Transfer the Brussels sprouts to a large bowl.
- Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, mix the tahini, chopped capers, caper brine, Dijon, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons warm water. Grate the garlic into the bowl. Adjust the warm water and lemon juice to taste, as desired. Season with salt and pepper.
- Make the salad: Add one half of the dressing to the Brussels sprouts and mix to combine. Add the sunflower seeds and cranberries. Gently incorporate the ingredients. Add more dressing to taste. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add chickpeas: Top with the roasted chickpeas for serving.
Notes
- For oil-free, roast the seasoned chickpeas without oil. Use the shredded raw Brussels sprouts for making the salad.
- Jarred capers preserved in brine work best for this recipe.
- Refrigerate any remaining dressing in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
Maneesha
Great recipe, Nisha! Loved it! The dressing was amazing!
Nisha Melvani
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Have a lovely evening.
Gillian
I love this, especially because it’s nut and fish free! Can’t wait to try it, Nisha!
Nisha Melvani
Hi Gillian, I'm so happy you will try the recipe. Have a fab day.