Annual Food & Drink Issue

Plant-Based Caesar Dressing Recipe

Dressed to Impress

Salads are a staple at any dinner table, but a good salad is nothing without a tasty dressing to take it to the next level. These Chattanooga locals share their go-to salad dressing recipes, packed with herbs, healthy oils, and big flavor.

Photos by Rich Smith

Marco and Romana Biscarini’s Plant-Based Caesar Dressing

“This is one of our favorite family salads. It’s a dairy-free, animal-free alternative to the traditional Caesar salad. Cashews make up the base of the dressing to mimic that sought-after creamy texture, while the capers substitute for the flavor-punch typically delivered by anchovies. (Yes, traditional Caesar salad has anchovies!) It’s a relatively simple recipe that is full of nutrient-dense, brain-fueling fats for the whole family to enjoy.”

Marco and Romana Biscarini in their kitchen

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
1 cup filtered water, for soaking
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove
1 Tbsp. coconut aminos
4 tsp. capers
½ tsp. salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions

Place the cashews in a bowl of water and let them sit on the counter overnight, until they become soft. Add all ingredients except the olive oil to the blender. Blend on high for 1 minute. Set the blender on low and slowly add in the olive oil for 1 additional minute. (This will keep the sauce from breaking up.) Place the sauce in a Mason jar and store in the fridge for up to 1 week.