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This super creamy caesar salad dressing without anchovies or raw eggs has a savory umami flavor that tastes just like traditional caesar dressing! It’s an easy vegan dressing that uses capers, anchovy-free Worcestershire sauce, and plant-based mayo for the BEST flavor.
Why You’ll Love this Caesar Salad Dressing without Anchovies!
If you’re on the hunt for a really good vegan salad dressing this is the recipe for you! This super creamy homemade caesar dressing is eggless and vegan since it doesn’t use egg-based mayo or any anchovies! It’s also made without any cashews, making it more affordable and easy to make.
Emily’s Recipe Notes:
- Flavor: The best savory flavor that’s just like your favorite authentic caesar dressing… but without any fish!
- Texture: Ultra creamy.
- Difficulty: Super easy with only 7 ingredients.
- Time: Less than 5 minutes.
Ingredients
Ingredient Highlights & Swaps
This plant-based caesar dressing uses a few key simple ingredients that replicate that distinctive caesar dressing flavor. Below are the main ingredients for this dressing.
Capers
Capers are a great substitute for the anchovies that are in traditional caesar dressing. Capers are thankfully vegetarian-friendly. They’re stored in a salty brine and have an amazing olive or lemony flavor.
The capers add a briny flavor similar to anchovies, so I don’t recommend subbing them out. I haven’t tried this particular substitution, but you could try using miso paste or green olive brine instead if you can’t find capers.
Vegan Worcestershire
Did you know regular Worcestershire Sauce typically has anchovies in it!? Luckily there are many vegetarian and vegan friendly brands like Annie’s!
Vegan Mayo
To keep this recipe egg-free we’re using a plant-based mayo like Hellman’s Vegan Mayo.
If you want to make a caesar dressing without anchovies and mayo, you can use dairy-free plain, unsweetened yogurt instead. However, the mayo adds a lot of flavor to the dressing. More salt, garlic, or mustard may need to be added to taste if using yogurt.
Dairy-free Parmesan
I’m using a vegan parmesan like Violife to keep this recipe dairy free. You can also use your parmesan of choice if you’re not dairy free.
Traditional caesar dressing gets a lot of its flavor from parmesan cheese. While adding vegan parmesan is optional in this recipe, it adds SO much flavor to the dressing.
Dijon Mustard
A little Dijon mustard goes a long way in terms of flavor. This can be substituted for dried mustard powder or regular yellow mustard.
To make a classic caesar salad you’ll need:
- Crisp Romaine Lettuce
- Herbed Garlic Homemade Croutons
- Avocado
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
How To make the easy caesar dressing
All you need is 1 small bowl and 5 minutes!
Start by mixing all the dressing ingredients together in the medium-sized bowl.
Transfer the dressing to an airtight container or a sealable Mason Jar. Place the dressing in the fridge for at least 1 hour for the flavors to develop. (You can use it right away too but the flavor is better if left to sit in the fridge for a little bit!)
To make the Caesar Salad without Anchovies:
Toss the homemade dressing with chopped romaine (or other salad greens of choice), garlic croutons, lemon juice, and vegan parmesan.
Serving the Salad
Once you’ve tossed the romaine with the creamy dressing, top everything off with fresh cracked black pepper and avocado chunks. You can also add a drizzle of olive oil on top for more flavor.
I also love serving this salad with slices of vegan chicken breast. If you’re vegetarian you can still have plant-based ‘chicken’ caesar salads thanks to this vegan chicken recipe.
And there you go, it’s ready to serve and enjoy!
Storage
- FRIDGE: You can store this egg free caesar salad dressing covered in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- FREEZER: I don’t recommend freezing this dressing.
FAQ
This vegetarian and vegan caesar dressing uses capers, lemons, and vegan Worcestershire to replicate the anchovy flavor found in traditional caesar dressings.
A lot of the flavor comes from the vegan mayo. Vegan mayo can be substituted with a 1:1 ratio with regular mayo. I don’t recommend substituting anything for the vegan mayo in the recipe. However, there are many other recipes that use cashews as the base of the dressing. I’ve found that vegan mayo provides a more authentic ‘caesar’ flavor.
When I want to make a slightly healthier version of this dressing, I will substitute 1/2 of the vegan mayo for dairy-free plain unsweetened yogurt.
More Sauces & Dressings
Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing without Anchovies or Egg
Rate this RecipeIngredients
Caesar Dressing without Anchovies:
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1 tsp capers, minced if not using a blender
- 1 tsp brine from the jar of capers
- 1 cup Hellman’s vegan mayo, or mayo of choice if not egg-free- see notes for more substitutions!
- Juice of 1 lemon, about 1 ½ tbsp
- 2 tsp vegan & anchovy-free Worcestershire sauce, like Annie’s
- ¼ tsp dijon mustard, or yellow mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste, about ¼ tsp each
- ¼ cup finely grated dairy-free parmesan, like Violife
Caesar Salad:
- 2 cups herbed homemade croutons
- ¼ cup dairy free parmesan, like Violife (or parm. of choice if not dairy free)
- ¼ tsp fresh cracked black pepper
- 1-2 tsp lemon juice
- 3 hearts of romaine, chopped
- 1 avocado, diced
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. OR finely mince the capers and mix all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl/jar.
- Cover the bowl or transfer to an airtight container. Place it in the fridge for at least 1 hour for the flavors to develop.
- Store covered in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- To make the salad: toss the homemade dressing with chopped romaine (or other salad greens of choice), garlic croutons, lemon juice, and vegan parmesan. Or follow the instructions in this caesar salad recipe.
Recipe notes
- Vegan Mayo Substitute: this recipe uses a mayonnaise base, but if you want to make a caesar dressing without anchovies and mayo, you can use dairy-free plain, unsweetened yogurt instead. However, the mayo adds a lot of flavor to the dressing. More salt, garlic, or mustard may need to be added to taste if using yogurt.
- Vegan Worcestershire: Did you know regular Worcestershire Sauces typically have anchovies in them!? Luckily there are many vegetarian and vegan friendly brands like Annie’s!
- Caper Substitute: The capers add a briny flavor similar to anchovies, so I don't recommend subbing them out. I haven't tried this particular substitution, but you could try using miso paste instead if you can't find capers. Miso will add an umami, salty flavor but it doesn't have the same briny flavor as capers.
- While adding vegan parmesan is optional, it's highly recommended and helps this dressing taste even more like the non-vegan version.
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