Vegan Brussels Sprout Caesar with Garlic Bread Crumbs
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Caramelized Brussels sprout bits mixed with crisp, fresh romaine lettuce, and topped with crunchy garlic bread crumbs and a creamy vegan Caesar-style dressing. What’s not to love?
Author: Good Health Gourmet
Recipe type: Salad, Vegan, Vegetables
Cuisine: Italian, Winter Seasonal
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- Garlic Bread Crumbs:
- 1 thick slice (about 3 oz) hearty gluten-free bread¹
- 1 small clove garlic
- Generous pinch kosher salt
- 10ml (2) tsp extra virgin olive oil
- Dressing:
- 75g (½ cup) raw cashews or macadamia nuts, soaked² and drained
- 90ml (¼ cup + 2 Tbsp) filtered water
- 30ml (2 Tbsp) EVOO
- 10g (1 Tbsp) brined capers. drained
- Zest and juice of ½ lemon
- 10g (2 tsp) Dijon mustard
- 1 medium clove garlic
- 18g (1 Tbsp) umeboshi paste³
- 2g (1 tsp) nori or dulse flakes⁴
- Generous pinch kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Salad:
- ¾ lb. Brussels sprouts
- 20ml (4 tsp) extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅛ tsp kosher salt
- 1 head (10-12 oz) romaine lettuce, chopped into bite-size pieces
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 28g (¼ cup) coarsely grated vegan parmesan-style cheese⁵
Procedure
- Set oven to 425˚F with racks in upper and lower positions.
- Make the bread crumbs: Rub a garlic clove all over both sides of the bread. Using a box grater or coarse microplane set over a bowl, grate the bread into large crumbs. Toss with salt and olive oil, and spread on a sheet pan. Transfer pan to oven and toast crumbs for 8-10 minutes, stirring several times to ensure even toasting. When crumbs are deeply golden and crunchy, remove pan from oven and let cool on a rack for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a bowl.
- While crumbs are toasting, make the dressing: add all ingredients except pepper to a blender, and process until smooth. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste, and season with additional salt if desired. Set dressing aside.
- Prep and cook the Brussels sprouts: trim off the ends and any dull outer leaves from the sprouts, and slice them as thinly as possible using a mandolin or knife (you can also shred them in a food processor). Toss Brussels sprouts with olive oil and salt, and divide between two sheet pans, spreading out into even layers. Set pans in oven and roast for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned and crisp. I recommend swapping the pan positions once during roasting so the sprouts cook at the same rate.
- Assemble the salad: add romaine to a large bowl. Drizzle with about ⅓ cup dressing and toss well. Add Brussels sprouts, cheese or nutritional yeast, and bread crumbs. Season with several grinds black pepper and toss again. Taste and adjust seasonings or add more dressing if needed. Serve immediately, and store extra dressing in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Notes
¹ I use homemade GF sourdough, but store-bought bread is perfectly fine. (I feel like I should insert an Ina Garten meme here!)
² If you plan ahead you can soak the nuts overnight in cool filtered water. As a last-minute alternative you can do a quick hot soak. Add nuts to a saucepan and cover with filtered water by one inch. Bring just to a boil, turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let soak for 15 minutes. Drain well.
³ Umeboshi paste is a condiment made from pureed, fermented ume plums. It adds tons of umami with a super savory, tart and acidic flavor. Look for it at a health food store, Asian market, or a good supermarket that has a decent Asian ingredients selection; I recommend Eden Foods brand.
⁴ Nori and dulse are sea vegetables that you can purchase in dried form. Nori is commonly found in sheets for rolling sushi, but you can also find it in flake form. Dulse usually comes as flakes, either in shaker jars or pouches. Seaweed is typically sold in the same section as umeboshi paste, so you can grab both at the same time.
⁵ If you don’t have access to a good vegan parm, substitute 20 grams/¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes.
² If you plan ahead you can soak the nuts overnight in cool filtered water. As a last-minute alternative you can do a quick hot soak. Add nuts to a saucepan and cover with filtered water by one inch. Bring just to a boil, turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let soak for 15 minutes. Drain well.
³ Umeboshi paste is a condiment made from pureed, fermented ume plums. It adds tons of umami with a super savory, tart and acidic flavor. Look for it at a health food store, Asian market, or a good supermarket that has a decent Asian ingredients selection; I recommend Eden Foods brand.
⁴ Nori and dulse are sea vegetables that you can purchase in dried form. Nori is commonly found in sheets for rolling sushi, but you can also find it in flake form. Dulse usually comes as flakes, either in shaker jars or pouches. Seaweed is typically sold in the same section as umeboshi paste, so you can grab both at the same time.
⁵ If you don’t have access to a good vegan parm, substitute 20 grams/¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes.
Recipe by Good Health Gourmet at https://goodhealthgourmet.com/vegan-brussels-sprout-caesar-with-garlic-bread-crumbs/