Our gorgeous marinade turns these carrot strips into smokey vegan bacon, which we add to a delicious caesar salad.
- You’ll want to find a large carrot because it will give you more ‘bacon’ strips and the carrot will shrink in the oven.
- You can make this gluten-free using tamari instead of soy sauce.
- It’s important to keep an eye on the carrot ‘bacon’ when it’s in the oven because it will burn easily if you leave it in for too long.
Carrot ‘Bacon’ Caesar SaladHands up if you’ve tried our incredible Carrot ‘Bacon’ Caesar Salad 🙌
Posted by So Vegan on Friday, 30 July 2021
Ingredients
- salt + pepper
- olive oil
- 2 tsp soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 large carrot, peeled into strips
- 1 Romaine lettuce, chopped
- 2 large handfuls of kale, chopped
For the sauce:
- 70 g (2.5 oz) cashews
- 1/2 lemon, juice only
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp capers
- 120 ml (4 fl.oz) unsweetened plant-based milk
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160°C fan / 350°F and line 2 large trays with baking paper. Meanwhile, add the cashews to a bowl and cover with hot water from a kettle. Leave to soak.
- Add the chickpeas to one tray, season with pinches of salt and pepper, drizzle over 1 tsp of olive oil and mix. Then roast for 35-45 minutes or until crispy.
- Meanwhile, combine the soy sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, pinches of salt and pepper, and 1 tsp of olive oil in a mixing bowl. Add the peeled carrot strips and stir. Leave to marinade for 20 minutes, then lay out the strips on the second tray and roast for 10-15 minutes or until crispy, turning halfway to prevent them burning. Tip: if the carrot isn’t getting crispy, turn the oven down 20 degrees or so and leave them in for longer to dry out a bit.
- Add the soaked cashews to a blender with the lemon juice, garlic clove, Dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, capers, plant-based milk and pinches of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Add the chopped lettuce and kale to a large bowl, then stir in the sauce.
- When you’re ready to serve, divide the salad between bowls, then top with the chickpea croutons and carrot ‘bacon’. Delicious!
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