The Ultimate Gluten-Free Caesar Salad: Healthy and Grain-Free

Looking for a delicious and healthy salad recipe for a grain-free lunch? Or maybe you need something crisp and perfect for a summer gathering? After all, Memorial Day is right around the corner. Well, look no further! This Caesar Salad blends amazing flavors and textures to create a refreshing meal that would satisfy anyone. It features homemade croutons made from Plantiful Kitchen’s gluten-free sesame seed bread, a tasty loaf that is also vegan and paleo-friendly.

This recipe is brought to you through a partnership with Ale Lubezki, an Integrative Nutritional Health Coach who is passionate about helping others heal their bodies and relationships with food. A message Plantiful Kitchen fully supports! Ale loves celebrating the synergy between health and creativity on social media by sharing easy and fun recipes that have helped her navigate chronic symptoms and culinary overwhelm. You can find her on Instagram as @eatswithale and TikTok as @eatswithalee where she will be launching more recipes, personal stories, and wellness discourse.

In today’s digital age, many health stories are unnecessarily complex. Ale believes that by understanding each body’s unique language, we can uncover the answers within ourselves. Her greatest joy comes from witnessing her clients embrace their body’s innate healing abilities when equipped with the right tools— no longer feeling overwhelmed by the unknown or doubting their ability to nourish themselves effectively in the kitchen.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at today’s recipe, an easy and healthy salad that is a powerhouse of nutrition. For example, this salad is packed with protein. Chicken is a lean protein source—which is essential for muscle repair and growth—and there’s even more protein in the cashews and nutritional yeast. And if you are choosing the vegan alternative, chickpeas are also a great source for protein, as well as fiber. Need more vitamins? Through the romaine lettuce, capers, and nutritional yeast, you will get vitamins A, K, and B! You will also find essential minerals like magnesium, zinc, and calcium in a few of the ingredients, plus heart-healthy fats. Capers, those briny little flavor bursts are rich in antioxidants, as are onions. The pickled onions also have anti-inflammatory properties. And our star of the show, the homemade croutons? Well, our sesame seed loaf is filled with fiber, protein, and even more health benefits.

So though this salad is simple and easy to make, there is a complex combination of nutritional ingredients that will keep your body healthy and happy. So please enjoy this recipe, and make sure to buy some quality, gluten-free bread online through our online store.

Ingredients:

• Plantiful Kitchen’s grain-free sesame seed bread
• Lettuce (we used romaine)
• Pickled onions
• Chicken (we used pieces of rotisserie chicken) 

  *vegan option below

• Optional: grated parmesan

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw cashews
• ½ cup water
• 2 ½ lemons, juiced
• 2 ½ tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp capers
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 3 garlic cloves

*Vegan Option (Substitute for Chicken):

• 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Smoked Paprika

Instructions:

1. Prepare the croutons: Cut the bread into small, crouton-sized cubes. Toss with avocado oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and optional Parmesan. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes or until golden and crispy.
2. Finely chop the romaine lettuce and set aside.
3. Cook your chicken, or you can shred a rotisserie chicken.
4. Make the dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
5. Assemble the salad in a large bowl. Mix the chopped lettuce, chicken, croutons, and pickled onions. Drizzle with the dressing and toss until well combined.

*Instructions for Chickpeas for Vegan option:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
2. Pat dry the chickpeas and remove any extra skins. 
3. Transfer to your baking sheet, and toss with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. 
4. Roast 20-30 minutes, until golden brown. 
5. Remove from the oven. While the chickpeas are still warm, sprinkle them with smoked paprika (or your spice of choice).