Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad
Dressing recipe from Love Real Food by Kathryne Taylor
I was obsessed with the Caesar dressing from Kate’s book the first time I had it (because it was a vegetarian take on it, when normal Caesar dressing is a no-go for me), but I immediately wanted to make the salad more filling and more interesting. I decided to sub romaine and kale for thinly sliced Brussels sprouts, added roasted cauliflower and baked tofu, and created my own garlic and cheese croutons. The result is my absolute favorite salad to make at home. You should feel free to try your own substitutes as well — I simply insist that you keep the roasted cauliflower, croutons, and dressing. Recipe serves two.
Roast the Cauliflower & Bake the Tofu
Half of a head of cauliflower (or a whole head if you want even more cauliflower!)
Half of a block of tofu, extra firm is best
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Preheat the oven to 425F.
Line a large baking sheet with tin foil and spray it. (You may need to use two sheets if you are using a whole head of cauliflower.)
Chop the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces and combine in a large bowl. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper before spreading onto half of the baking sheet. (You can use this same large bowl for the Brussels sprouts.)
Drain and pat dry the tofu as best as you can. Cut into inch-ish bites. Usually I cut into 6 strips (thirds from one long direction, half from the other) and then cut each strip into 4 pieces. Place the tofu on the other half of the baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes, flip the tofu and toss the cauliflower, and bake for another 15 minutes.
Make the Croutons
3 pieces of bread, standard sandwich bread is just fine - I used two end pieces and one middle. I actually save my end pieces explicitly for croutons
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
Salt & pepper
Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray it with olive oil.
Cut the bread into inch-ish pieces and put them into a small bowl.
Add the olive oil, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, and some salt and pepper to the bowl and toss well to combine, trying to coat each piece.
Spread the pieces out onto the baking sheet, and shake any excess nutritional yeast onto them.
When you flip the tofu and cauliflower, add the croutons to the oven as well and bake for 10 minutes. You can also wait until you have 10 minutes left for the tofu and cauliflower, but I like to let them sit out for a few minutes to crisp up more.
Prep the Brussels Sprouts
1 lb Brussels sprouts
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
While everything is baking, trim the Brussels sprouts and remove any tough outer leaves. Slice as thinly as you can and put them in a large bowl (the one you used for the cauliflower).
Toss the sprouts with just a little bit of olive oil, some salt and pepper, and let them sit. This step helps soften any tougher slices.
Make the Dressing & Assemble
1/4 cup tahini
3 tbsp lemon juice (or 1 large lemon)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp water
Salt & pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan or asiago cheese
In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic powder, and mustard. Add the water and some salt and pepper, and whisk again. Taste the dressing to make sure it’s to your liking - you can add more water if it seems too thick.
Add the roasted cauliflower and tofu to the large bowl with the Brussels sprouts. Add half of the dressing to this bowl, and toss everything to combine. If it does not look well coated or you like more dressing, continue adding until you are happy.
Divide the salad into two bowls, top each with croutons and grated cheese, and enjoy!
As always, leave a comment and let me know how your Caesar salad was!