This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.
I’m so excited for you to try this vegan Caesar salad dressing. It has a creamy texture, without using cheese or mayo, and tastes remarkably like the real thing. You can drizzle it over salads or use it as a dip for pizza and sliced veggies. Really, I want to pour it over everything!
The secret ingredient? It’s white miso. It tastes surprisingly like Parmesan cheese, and it’s become a staple in my fridge ever since I discovered it. It also makes an amazing cheese-free filling for vegan lasagna and dairy-free stuffed shells.
I originally shared this recipe nearly 10 years ago, but I recently revisited it with a minor tweak. It’s small, but adding a bit of Dijon mustard makes this dressing taste 100% better. It has that extra hint of umami flavor that makes you want to keep coming back for more salad! So, I hope you’ll love it as much as I do.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“This dressing is so easy to make and tastes delicious! In my opinion, you can’t tell that this is vegan. I will be making this on a regular basis now.” – Fallon
Cashew Caesar Dressing Ingredients
- Cashews. Use cashews that aren’t salted or roasted for the most neutral flavor. These make the dressing creamy with minimal oil.
- Garlic. Caesar dressing requires plenty of garlic. I use 3 medium cloves, but you can adjust the amount to your liking.
- Lemon Juice. Fresh lemon juice is key to a good dressing, so don’t use bottled juice. I usually get 3 tablespoons of juice from one large lemon. (You should be able to squeeze it gently, so you know it’s juicy!)
- White Miso. This adds a Parmesan cheese flavor. Don’t use another variety of miso here; only white miso tastes like this. You can omit this if you need to, but I think it’s worth keeping this in your fridge.
- Dijon Mustard. I recently started adding a tablespoon of Dijon mustard to help boost the overall flavor. If you’re not a mustard fan, you can start with just 1 teaspoon to see how it impacts the flavor. I think 2 to 3 teaspoons is perfect. (1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons, FYI.)
- Olive Oil. I add two tablespoons of oil to this dressing to help it “stick” to the leaves. If you are following an oil-free diet, you can leave it out.
- Salt & Pepper. Do not skip these, or your dressing will be quite bland.
How to Make Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing
Step 1:
Add the cashews, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, miso, mustard, salt, pepper, and water to a high-speed blender. You can use a personal-size blender for this, since it makes about 1.5 cups total.
If you’re wondering why blender size matters, check out my Vitamix review video. If you use a blender with a wide base, the cashews might not break down as smoothly.
Note: I don’t soak the cashews before blending them. I know many recipes might tell you to, but that’s usually only required if you don’t have a powerful blender. I’m using a Beast blender in these photos, and it had this dressing silky-smooth in 60 seconds.
Step 2:
Once the dressing is smooth, you can taste and adjust anything as needed. I felt like the dressing was missing something, so I added Dijon mustard, and then it was perfect. (Hence, why I added mustard to the printable recipe below.)
The dressing might have a slightly runny consistency at first, but it will thicken when chilled in the fridge. The flavor gets even better the longer it sits, so this is perfect for meal prep.
Storage Tip: You can store this dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It’s not only good for making vegan caesar salads. You can also use it as a dip for pizza crust, sliced veggies, and anything else you want to dip!
Vegan Caesar Dressing (with Cashews)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup cashews (not roasted or salted)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon white miso
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 to 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ¾ cup water
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teapoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender, combine the cashews, garlic, lemon juice, miso, olive oil, 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard, water, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth and silky, with no visible cashew pieces.
- Taste and adjust any seasoning, if needed. I usually add another teaspoon of Dijon mustard and sometimes more black pepper, too. Pour into an airtight container and refrigerate until you're ready to use it. The dressing will thicken slightly when chilled. It will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes to Try
- Kung Pao Tofu
- Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Veggie Sushi Rolls
- Vegan Egg Roll in a Bowl (with tofu)
- Protein Smoothie with no protein powder
If you try this Vegan Caesar Dressing, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it. And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too!
I have made this dressing a couple times and really like it! I have recently heard cashews are unhealthy, would you agree?
Hi Karen! I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the dressing. I haven’t heard something specifically that makes cashews “unhealthy” so my family loves them!
This dressing is so easy to make and tastes delicious! In my opinion, you can’t tell that this is vegan. I will be making this on a regular basis now, thank you so much for creating healthier versions of our favorite recipes, Megan!
Better than the original and super easy! Tastes great without the miso too if you don’t have it on hand.
This recipe is a keeper. I passed it on to a friend and she makes it a lot (as do I!). Thank you!
I just made this vegan Caesar dressing using the hemp heart substitution like you suggested, and it’s amazing! Thank you for always offering substitution ideas for those of us who can’t eat cashews.
If there is a ever a dressing recipe that has oil in it, can I sub water instead? I try to avoid oil as much as possible.
I literally can’t stop tasting this straight from the blender. It tastes just as good as I remember real Caesar Dressing tasting!