These Tempeh Caesar Salad Pitas are made with the BEST vegan caesar dressing, crispy tempeh and plenty of fresh veggies. Seriously addicting and a great vegan lunch idea!
Caesar salad is just downright delicious. And when you add crispy tempeh, avocado and toasted pita bread to the mix, it is a whole other level. Plus this vegan caesar salad dressing is so, so good! I might go as far as saying I like it better than my Tahini Caesar Dressing - shocking, because I LOVE that dressing.
How to make Tempeh Caesar Salad Pitas
Start out by making the vegan caesar dressing. It is a combo of vegan mayo, lemon juice, parsley, capers, garlic, spicy mustard, salt and pepper. Give everything a quick blend in the food processor and adjust the seasonings if needed.
Next, prep the tempeh - combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl and cut the tempeh into strips. Heat some olive oil, then brown the tempeh on both sides. Add the sauce to the pan and continue to cook until the sauce is absorbed and the tempeh is crispy.
Toast up some pita bread, and now it is time to assemble!
How to serve Tempeh Caesar Salad Pitas
Spread some hummus on each pita, then top with arugula, tempeh, avocado and cherry tomatoes. Drizzle the caesar dressing over top and sprinkle with black pepper. Now get ready to dig in!
You could also serve this as a salad with the pita on the side - if you want a less messy option. You could swap the arugula for kale or romaine. I also wouldn't be mad about some pickled onions on these!
Need more recipe inspo? Check these out:
Tempeh Caesar Salad Pitas
Ingredients
FOR THE VEGAN CAESAR DRESSING
- ½ cup vegan mayo
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 1 clove garlic peeled
- 1 teaspoon capers
- 2 teaspoon caper brine
- 1-2 teaspoon spicy mustard
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- salt to taste
FOR THE TEMPEH
- 8 oz tempeh cut in strips
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon agave or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1.5 tablespoon olive oil plus more if needed
FOR THE PITAS
- 4 pitas
- ¼ cup hummus
- arugula
- 1 avocado
- cherry tomatoes halved
- pepper
Instructions
- Add all of the caesar dressing ingredients to a food processor and pulse to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Place in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Add the soy sauce, agave, garlic powder, smoked paprika, pepper and liquid smoke to a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet* over medium heat. Add the tempeh slices and cooked until slightly browned on both sides (approx. 2-3 minutes). Pour the soy sauce mixture over the tempeh and cook until the liquid is absorbed by the tempeh, adding more oil if the pan dries out too much. Be sure to keep the tempeh moving, lower the heat and/or flip as needed - the sauce can burn if left sitting. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Place the pita bread directly on the oven rack under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, or until toasted. Remove from the oven.
- To assemble, spread hummus on the pita bread and top with arugula, tempeh, avocado and cherry tomatoes. Drizzle the caesar dressing over top and sprinkle with black pepper.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Julie
This is fantastic! There aren't a ton of meals that my sons and I all like equally but this one definitely hit the mark! I used garlic sauce in place of hummus because they like that better, and romaine in place of arugula. Also added some sliced cakes. Served it on top of homemade bread. Amazing and a definite make again!
Rene
Yum, those all sound like great swaps!
Tanya
Flavor here was so great—husband is looking forward to having this one again!
Rene
Hi Tanya - so glad you both liked it!
Brianne K.
Just made this recipe--loved it! Was quick to make, with big flavor pay off. Excited to make this vegan caesar dressing again, too. Thanks, Rene!