Spicy Caesar Wedge Salad

There is nothing better than a crispy, creamy, delicious salad. And this Spicy Caesar Wedge Salad has all of that and more. Iceberg lettuce is cut into wedges before being topped with a cajun-spiced vegan Caesar dressing, garlic bread crumbs and fresh parsley. It is a comforting salad that is perfect for a picnic or BBQ. It can be made ahead of time and chilled in the fridge!

Here’s what you need

Ingredients

• oil
• bread crumbs
• garlic
• salt & pepper
• vegan mayo
• capers
• caper brine
• lemon juice
• dijon mustard
• cajun seasoning
• iceberg lettuce
• grated vegan parmesan – I used Follow Your Heart
• flat leaf parsley

Equipment

• food processor or blender
• sheet pan

Steps

Step 1: Make the Bread Crumbs

The garlic bread crumbs on this salad really take it to the next level. They give you that crouton crunch, but you get a little bit in each bite.

You can definitely buy the bread crumbs pre-made, but if you have the time to make them yourself, do it. To make them, just add some cubed bread to a food processor and pulse until crumbs form.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs, garlic and a pinch of salt & pepper. Cook until toasted and browned, stirring frequently – should take about 10 minutes. Turn down the heat if it starts to brown too quickly. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Step 2: Make the Dressing

This isn’t the first time you’ve seen my vegan Caesar dressing. BUT, this is the first time we’ve spiced it up.

To give this salad a little something extra, I added some cajun seasoning to our normal recipe. It doesn’t necessarily make the dressing spicy, but it does give it a little smokiness.

To make the dressing, add all of the ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Set aside.

Step 3: Assemble & Serve

To prep the lettuce, cut it into 6 wedges and then cut each of those wedges in half. Place the 12 wedge pieces on a platter and start loading them up.

Drizzle with the dressing, making sure it gets into all of the crevices. Top with bread crumbs, vegan parmesan and parsley.

You can serve this right away OR pop it in the fridge to chill until you are ready. This is why using iceberg lettuce wedges is great – it can hold its shape even with the dressing on it. So, if you are making this for a party, you can easily prep this ahead of time and have it ready to go!

Tips & Tricks

Spicy food not your thing? You can skip the cajun seasoning in the dressing and just make it the traditional way.