air fryer vegan chicken caesar salad with tahini dressing

This is one of the BEST vegan chicken Caesar salads you will ever have! This baby is absolutely loaded with flavor! And thanks to the air fryer, it is so easy to make!

Air fryer vegan Chicken Caesar salad is made with romaine lettuce, vegan parmesan cheese, a healthy tahini and white bean caesar dressing, vegan chicken, air fried capers and seasoned sourdough crumbles.

This vegan chicken Caesar salad is everything you want in a Caesar salad and more! It’s light and refreshing…yet very satisfying and filling. Made with a super healthy, creamy and flavorful vegan caesar dressing, that only takes 2 minutes to make…this is a salad you can truly feel good about. And best of all…this entire vegan chicken Caesar salad recipe can be prepped and ready in about 15 minutes!

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Why you will love this vegan chicken Caesar salad

• UNIQUE AND DELICIOUS – This vegan chicken Caesar salad has few unique things going on. First of all it’s vegan. The healthy tahini caesar dressing is super healthy and absolutely LOADED with flavor…dare I say way more flavorful than pretty much any caesar dressing I’ve had (with a few exceptions that would consider it’s equal). The addition of air fryer capers bring a nice salty, flavorful crunch to the dish. AND crumbling your bread into smaller pieces vs. the traditional croutons is a nice change!
• EASY TO MAKE – This recipe is so easy to make! The dressing only takes 2 minutes and a blender. And thanks to the air fryer, the vegan chicken, capers, and sourdough bread crumbles can be prepped and ready with very little time or effort.
• LOADED WITH NUTRIENTS – This air fryer vegan chicken Caesar salad is LOADED with nutrients. Between the romaine lettuce, the super healthy tahini caesar dressing, and the vegan chicken…you will be giving your body a huge energy boost with this salad!
• PERFECT FOR LARGE CROWDS – This recipe is incredibly easy to double or triple…making it a perfect healthy vegan recipe to feed a crowd. This vegan Caesar salad is also super versatile! If you have a guest list of vegans AND meat eaters, you can make both groups super happy with this salad. Just prep the romaine lettuce, dressing, capers and bread crumbles and combine them. Leave the vegan chicken and vegan cheese on the side. This way you can also make regular chicken and cheese for the meat eaters. Giving your guests the option!
• PERFECT FOR MEAL PREP – This recipe is excellent for meal prep! Simply prepare all of the elements and combine everything except for the dressing. Leave the dressing on the side and add to salad right before you are ready to serve it.

Ingredients needed to make air fryer vegan chicken Caesar salad

• ROMAINE LETTUCE
• VEGAN CHICKEN – I used the brand Daring. Their plant-based chicken is fantastic! But use the vegan chicken brand of your choice? Want to skip the vegan chicken, but still want protein? Substitute chickpeas or tofu instead.
• VEGAN PARMESAN CHEESE – I used the brand Follow Your Heart because it’s so good! If you want to skip the vegan cheese, but still keep things plant-based, you can substitute nutritional yeast, which has a nice cheesy flavor. Or you can use regular parmesan cheese of course.
• SOURDOUGH BREAD – This is used to make air fryer bread crumbles. Substitute any bread if desired. To make this salad gluten free swap out gluten free bread.
• OLIVE OIL
• SALT
• PEPPER
• LEMON ZEST – Lemon zest is the grated skin of a lemon. If you don’t have a grater, just slice of a super thin piece of the skin of the lemon.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE TAHINI CAESAR DRESSING

• TAHINI – Tahini is pureed toasted sesame seeds. It is thick in consistency, similar to a nut butter, making this a perfect ingredient to create a super creamy, vegan, caesar dressing. You can find Tahini in the nut butter section or the International section of the grocery store.
• WHITE BEANS – Use cooked white beans for this recipe. I personally used canned cannellini beans.
• WATER
• LEMON JUICE
• LEMON ZEST – Lemon zest is the grated skin of a lemon. If you don’t have a grater, just slice of a super thin piece of the skin of the lemon.
• NORI FLAKES – Nori flakes are seaweed flakes. They help develop a nice, fishy flavor that replaces the sardines that are traditionally found in Caesar dressing. You can usually find them in the International section of the grocery store and always online.
• NUTRITIONAL YEAST – Nutritional yeast, also known as nooch, is basically nature’s vegan cheese powder! Nutritional yeast is yeast made from living saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast, which is the same yeast used to make bread. Nutritional yeast is a powdery, with large flakes and has a mustard-like color. Nutritional yeast has a unique, cheese-like flavor that can be described as savory and slightly nutty. This delicious, flavor boosting ingredient is very popular in vegan and dairy free cheese recipes and is often the key ingredient to create a dairy free, cheese-like flavor. You can find nutritional yeast in the seasoning or vegan section of most grocery stores. It’s always at Whole Foods and online as well.
• CAPERS – Capers help develop the fishy, salty flavor that is traditionally found in Caesar salad
• DIJON MUSTARD – can substitute any mustard
• BLACK PEPPER – Fresh ground black pepper is the best option because it has more flavor.
• BLACK SALT – Black salt is also known as Kala Namak. It is a volcanic rock salt produced in the Himalayan region. Black salt is an amazing addition to your spice cabinet. With its pungent, egg-like flavor it is a significant player in making this vegan tahini Caesar dressing taste more like egg that is traditionally found in Caesar dressing.
• GARLIC – Fresh garlic is best! But you can substitute garlic powder if needed.

How to make air fryer vegan chicken Caesar salad

Making air fryer vegan chicken Caesar salad with tahini dressing is soooo incredibly easy. You can have this meal prepped and ready in about 15 minutes. Here’s how…

AIR FRY THE VEGAN CHICKEN, CAPERS, AND SOURDOUGH CRUMBLES

Begin by preheating your air fryer to 425ºF. If your air fryer does not have a preheat button, simply turn on your EMPTY air fryer 5 minutes before using.

PREPARE THE SOURDOUGH BREAD CRUMBLES

Break 2 thick slices of sourdough break into smaller crumbles. This should equal about a half a cup of bread crumbles. They don’t have to be overly small, just a make them a good amount smaller than a crouton.

Place the crumbles in a mixing bowl, and combine with 2 tsp olive oil, 1/8 tsp garlic powder, 1/8 tsp onion powder, salt and pepper to taste. Mix until evenly combine.

AIR FRY THE INGREDIENTS

Place the seasoned bread crumbles, 2 tsp of capers, and 5 oz of vegan chicken on an air fryer tray. Sprinkle bread crumbles with 2 tbsp of vegan parmesan.

Place in preheated air fryer and cook at 425ºF for 5-7 minutes. Everything will be ready when sourdough bread crumbles are a crispy golden brown and vegan chicken is cooked. Remove from air fryer and set aside.

While the ingredients are air frying. Use your time wisely and prepare the rest of the recipe.

PREPARE THE TAHINI CAESAR DRESSING

Simply combine 1/4 cup of tahini, 1/2 cup cooked white beans, 1/4 cup water, 2 tbsp lemon juice, zest from half a lemon, 1 tsp nori flakes, 2 tsp capers, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/4 tsp black salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1 clove of fresh garlic, and 1 tbsp of Nutritional yeast in a blender. Mix on high for 30 seconds to one minute, or until the dressing is creamy and smooth. Set aside.

PREPARE THE ROMAINE LETTUCE

Wash, dry, and chop two heads of romaine lettuce into bite size pieces.

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER

Place chopped romaine lettuce in bowl and add half of the dressing. I like to start with half and add more if needed or leave the extra on the side. Mix until evenly combined.

Top salad with the vegan chicken, sourdough crumbles, capers, 2 tbsp of vegan parmesan, and lemon zest from 1/2 a lemon.

Serve and enjoy!

Tips for making vegan chicken Caesar salad with tahini dressing

• USE SOFT BEANS – You want to make sure your cooked white beans are super soft. I recommend using canned beans to make things simple. But if you use beans that you cooked from scratch, make sure they are soft so they blend into a smoother consistency.
• TASTE TEST – Always taste test your dressings and adjust as needed. When you are using natural ingredients, like lemon juice and lemon zest, the flavor of each lemon will vary. So always taste test and add more of an ingredient if needed.
• ALTER THE AMOUNT OF DRESSING IF NEEDED – This recipe makes about one cup of dressing. People tend to like their Caesar salads to have a lot of dressing on them so the recipe caters to that. If you are more of a light dressing person, you will have left overs…or you can cut this recipe in half.
• DRY YOUR LETTUCE – Make sure you properly dry your romaine lettuce after washing. Use a salad spinner or set your lettuce on a towel…or both. You don’t want wet, soggy lettuce.

Questions answered

• Do I need to use the air fryer – Of course not. You can always use the oven instead. Just adjust cooking time as needed.
• Is this recipe gluten free – Due to the breadcrumbs, this recipe is not gluten free…but that is an easy fix. Everything else is gluten free in this recipe. Just swap out the sourdough for a gluten free version and you are good to go.
• Can I meal prep this recipe – BIG YES! Simply prepare everything, but keep the salad dressing separate until you are ready to serve. This makes the perfect quick lunch or dinner.
• Do I need to crumble my bread – No. You can make your bread whatever size you prefer. You can just cube it and make homemade croutons. I just like the crumble method because you get more bites with bread that way.
• How much dressing does this recipe make – This tahini Caesar dressing makes about 1 cup of dressing.
• What can I substitute for tahini or beans – If you need to skip the tahini or beans, you can also make a super creamy caesar dressing with vegan yogurt, silken tofu, or raw cashews.
• What do you use to replace the anchovies found in traditional Caesar dressing – To replace the fishy flavor of traditional Caesar, you will be using nori flakes and capers. The combination of these two ingredients create a plant-based fishy, salty flavor! If you want even more flavor, add a little caper brine.
• What do you use to replace the eggy flavor found in traditional Caesar dressing – Traditional Caesar dressing is made with egg yolk. To replace that eggy flavor with vegan ingredients, you will use black salt. Black salt is a salt that has a sulfury flavor similar to eggs.
• What do you use to replace the cheesy flavor found in traditional Caesar dressing – A lot of Caesar dressing has Parmesan cheese mixed in. To replace that cheesy flavor you will use nutritional yeast.
• Is this salad vegan – Yes! This salad is completely vegan and plant-based. You can use regular cheese if you want to turn this into a vegetarian Caesar salad. And use regular chicken breast if you want to add meat.

Ways to alter this recipe

This recipe is a perfect recipe to alter, add to, or subtract from. Here’s some ideas…

• MAKE THE VEGAN CHICKEN SPICY – Are you a fan of the heat? Add some cayenne pepper, buffalo sauce, or hot sauce to your vegan chicken before air frying for a spicy chicken Caesar salad. Buffalo chicken Caesar salad is amazing!
• ADD MORE NUTRIENTS – Romaine lettuce does have a lot of nutrients…but not as much as spinach or kale. If you really want to bring things up a notch, just swap out the romaine for a darker green. You can also add nutrients with nuts, seeds, chickpeas, or more nutritional yeast. Sky is the limit!
• MAKE IT INTO A WRAP – Are you on the go and want something hand held? Turn this recipe into a wrap! Simply add the ingredients to your favorite tortilla and roll it up…vegan chicken Caesar wrap in a flash!
• USE DIFFERENT PROTEINS – This is the perfect recipe to swap out proteins. Crispy chickpeas, black bean burgers, vegan chicken nuggets, crispy baked tofu, and chicken breasts are all great substitutes.
• AIR FRY THE ROMAINE – Air fried romaine lettuce might sound strange, but it’s amazing! To make this, simply brush you romaine with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Air fry for 3 minutes.

What to serve with air fryer vegan chicken Caesar salad

Want to turn this vegan Caesar salad into a side dish instead of a main meal? Here’s some delicious, crowd-pleasing recipes to serve along side it!…

• VEGAN SEAFOOD SCAMPI
• BUTTERNUT SQUASH DUMPLINGS WITH KALE AND SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS IN MISO BUTTER
• SMOKY FRA DIAVOLO WITH SLICED BAGUETTE
• AIR FRYER VEGAN HOT POCKETS RECIPE : ITALIAN HAND PIES
• AIR FRYER VEGAN ANTIPASTO STUFFED AUBERGINE AND FETA
• AIR FRYER : VEGAN GARLIC BUTTER STUFFED EGGPLANT PARMESAN

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