We are always on the hunt for unique spins on Caesar Salad around here, and this simple black lentil version was a fast favorite!
This is a great solution if you’d to pack some lentils into your salad without committing to a fully lentil based salad. In this case we’ve got a leafy creamy Caesar salad and we just fry up a batch of black beluga lentils to toss in. It’s pretty flexible – you can use a whole can’s worth of lentils, or a smaller amount if you’re looking to use up some precooked lentils from a previous recipe or meal prep marathon.
The variety of textures in this salad is what I love so much. We have all the things on this plate: something fresh and crisp (lettuce), something creamy (avocado), something chewy (croutons) and something crispy (lentils). All tossed in a creamy garlicky tangy dressing! Perfection.
The flavors here are pretty classic but you can totally expand on the seasonings of the lentils if you wish to spin this off in a new way. Follow this recipe to the letter or just it as a base recipe to have some fun with! Your choice.
Q. Can I use any other kind of lentils in this salad?
- Puy green lentils (aka French lentils) would work well in place of black lentils.
- Normal green or brown lentils are softer so it wouldn’t be quite the same result, but I think it would still work well (if you were cooking them from dried just keep them on the al dente side).
- It’s a straight up NOPE for red lentils though. They melt down to a creamy texture so you couldn’t fry them.
If you buy a big haul of black lentils for this recipe, be sure to check out my Black Lentil Tacos, Black Lentil Dal (based on Dishoom’s!) and “Marry Me” Lentils!
Let’s Make a Vegetarian Caesar Dressing!
Caesar salads aren’t typically vegetarian friendly, thanks to the anchovies in the dressing and the rennet in parmesan cheese. I know that some cheaper bottled dressings may not use anchovies, but please don’t go down that route. Caesar salads are generally simple and rely heavily on the dressing to be right. If you end up with a bottled dressing that is a bit “meh”, your salad won’t easily recover.
Luckily, my yogurt Caesar dressing recipe is so, so easy.
- First up, to make a vegetarian Caesar dressing, we need a replacement for anchovies. That’s easy. Say hello to capers! Capers swoop in and make briney magic happen, giving the fishies their freedom back.
- While traditionally Caesar dressings would have an egg base, I like to use greek yogurt. It’s a pretty common swap for a lightened up Caesar dressing, and for good reason: it’s creamy, tangy and amazing. But I also add some olive oil to reclaim a bit of richness.
- Garlic, dijon mustard and lemon add the expected punchy flavors.
- Let’s talk cheese. Parmesan is the typical cheese to use in Caesar dressings, but real Italian DOP parmesan uses calf rennet in its processing so is not technically vegetarian friendly. Depending on where you live in the world, you have options! In the UK, plenty of cheeses which mimic parmesan but go by the name of “Italian hard cheese” will do the job. Look for the V sign on the packaging! In the US, the name “parmesan” is not protected the way it is in the EU, so some parmesan cheeses will be American made and use vegetarian rennet. Check out the ingredients list and always avoid the “DOP parmesan”.
If you like the sound of this dressing, you should also check out my Crispy Roasted Kale Caesar Salad and my Chickpea Avocado Caesar Wraps which use it too. I also have a spin-off version in my Halloumi Caesar Salad with an extra surprise ingredient – you might enjoy that one too!
Black Lentil Caesar Salad
Ingredients
- 2 heads Romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 cup black lentils, see notes
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- olive oil, for frying
- 1 cup torn sourdough bread or ciabatta
- optional: fresh chopped chives make a great topping!
Caesar Dressing
- 4 Tbsp greek yogurt, full fat
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, around half a lemon’s yield
- 0.5 clove garlic
- 2 Tbsp grated parmesan style cheese, see notes
- 1.5 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp capers, in brine
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing by blending together all of the ingredients using a mini food processor or a hand blender in a small bowl. It's quite a small batch so it can be hard to get it blending in a full size blender – if you don't have anything small enough you may want to double the recipe.4 Tbsp greek yogurt, 0.5 clove garlic, 2 Tbsp grated parmesan style cheese, 1.5 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 tsp capers, 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Make the croutons. Heat a shallow layer of olive oil over a low-medium heat in a frying pan. Add the pieces of bread to the pan and allow them to slowly fry, until they are golden and crisp. It will take 3-5 minutes depending on your heat and you will want to toss them a few times during this process. Add a little salt and pepper to taste, especially if you are using a less flavorful bread. Don't worry if you can't get every crouton evenly toasted on each side – it will be fine. Once they are ready, remove from the heat and set aside until it's time to serve.olive oil, 1 cup torn sourdough bread or ciabatta
- Fry the lentils. Wipe out the frying pan, then add some new oil. Heat to a low-medium heat, then add the lentils. We want the lentils to be as dry as possible when they are added – drain them well and pat them dry a little.Saute for a couple of minutes, depending on whether you want the lentils fried to a crisp or still on the softer / creamier side (either works!) Once they're almost done, add the smoked paprika and garlic powder and just saute for another moment until fragrant.1 cup black lentils, 1 tsp smoked paprika, olive oil, 1 tsp garlic powder
- Assemble the salad. Add the lettuce to a bowl and toss with enough dressing to get the leaves well coated. Then add in the avocado, croutons and lentils. Drizzle more dressing over the top. Serve immediately.2 heads Romaine lettuce, 1 avocado
