Last Updated on May 11, 2024

This Simple Romaine Caesar Salad with Crispy Chickpea Croutons features crisp romaine lettuce tossed with my easy vegan caesar dressing and then topped with crispy breaded chickpeas. It makes a delicious side salad to impress your guests at a dinner party or a light and fresh meal all on its own.

Caesar salad is definitely a popular classic salad that goes great with essentially any meal. If there’s a salad recipe that I could eat over and over again, it’s this Simple Romaine Caesar Salad with Crispy Chickpea Croutons! And when I say simple, I don’t mean boring, because the combination of the crisp romaine lettuce, my favorite egg and anchovy-free vegan caesar dressing, and the crispy breaded chickpeas is filled with so much flavor and texture you’ll be saying “mmm!” with every bite!

As we head into the warmer months, this light and fresh Caesar salad recipe would be a perfect simple side dish for a dinner party. But it can also be served as a side dish around the holidays making it an all-year-round recipe.

This yummy salad can certainly be a meal all on its own. I particularly love this Caesar salad because it’s vegan (no eggs or anchovies here!) but still tastes like a traditional Caesar salad you might order at a restaurant.

Caesar Salad Recipe Ingredients

Romaine lettuce. In this recipe I’m using the whole head of romaine lettuce, you will need two heads of romaine lettuce, but if you want to just use the romaine hearts (my favorite part of the lettuce because it’s so crunchy!) then you may want to use three heads of romaine.

Remove any blemished or damaged outer leaves, and you can either wash the leaves before you chop or you can chop and wash using a salad spinner.

How to Chop Romaine Lettuce

Simply remove any outer leaves that look wilted, blemished, or damage. Then slice off the root (end of the head of romaine and start chopping upward like this:

You can either use the full head of romaine lettuce or you can use the hearts or romaine (the lighter, crispier part of a head of romaine).

Don’t forget to wash your lettuce! 💦

Breaded crispy chickpea croutons. The crispy breaded chickpea “croutons” are made with only 3 ingredients: cooked (canned) chickpeas, olive oil, and gluten-free bread crumbs.

I LOVE the Paleo Powder Foods AIP Seasoned Breading Mix made grain-free with cassava pulp, Himalayan pink salt, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, oregano, and sage seasoning (not sponsored, just love it!). This mix makes the perfectly seasoned breadcrumb coating on the chickpeas.

Homemade caesar dressing (vegan!). My Vegan Caesar Dressing tastes just like real caesar dressing but made without dairy, eggs, or anchovies! It’s a perfect vegan, gluten-free substitute for caesar salad or as a dip with fresh veggies. This easy dressing is made in just 5 minutes and is so delicious and creamy!

You will need:
Vegan mayonnaise for creaminess.
Dijon mustard for some tang.
Tahini for some earthy nuttiness, without the nuts.
Lemon juice for a zing.
Garlic powder– a must in caesar dressing.
Maple syrup for just a touch of sweetness.
Vegan parmesan cheese is commonly used as one of the foundational ingredients in traditional caesar. I used my own homemade vegan parmesan cheese, but you can also use a store-bought vegan parmesan cheese.
Salt & pepper to top it off.

How To Make The Chickpea Croutons

It’s really simple to make the crispy chickpea croutons. Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas and then dry them off. Drying them off ensures they will be come crispy.

Add the chickpeas to a medium-sized bowl along with a tablespoon of olive oil and the gluten-free bread crumbs. Stir to coat all the chickpeas in the breadcrumbs.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add another tablespoon of olive oil and saute the chickpeas, tossing occasionally, until they start to turn crispy and golden brown.

Alternative Chickpea Cooking Method

Alternatively you can roast the chickpeas in the oven on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 425 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, tossing occasionally.

What If My Chickpea Croutons Aren’t Crispy?

I have made this salad recipe several times, and there was a time or two when the chickpeas weren’t very cripsy, mostly due to my impatience and not drying the chickpeas before coating in breadcrumbs and sautéing in the pan, lol. BUT the salad still tastes so delicious whether they are crispy or not.

The chickpeas are the crispiest when enjoyed right away. If you store them for later, they will most likely lose their crisp (again, still so delish!), but you can reheat them in a small skillet to crisp them up again for another salad.

How To Make Homemade Vegan Caesar Dressing

I love making my own salad dressing at home. For one, it’s so simple, and two, it tastes super fresh, not to mention that I know exactly what ingredients are going into my dressing.

You can make the dressing ahead of time also, a great little meal prep tip! 😉

To make the dressing, combine all of the ingredients in a blender, preferably a small blender, and blend until smooth. You could alternatively use a bowl and immersion blender. Add water to thin if desired and more salt & pepper to taste. Keep the dressing stored in an airtight container in your fridge for up to a week.

Caesar Salad Serving Suggestions

My favorite way to enjoy this Simple Romaine Caesar Salad is as a meal all on it’s own, as a fresh and nourishing lunch or a light dinner. I love that the crispy chickpeas add some plant-based protein to this salad, and they certainly satisfy my crouton cravings, but feel free to grill up some plant-based chicken to go on top too.

Recipe Tips & Suggestions

Combining the salad ingredients. I like to toss the romaine lettuce with half a cup of the Caesar dressing, serve into bowls or plates and then top with the crispy chickpeas.

This ensures that the chickpeas stay crispy. This method is best when you’re planning on enjoying the salad right away.

If you’re making this salad ahead of time, I would suggest not tossing the chopped lettuce in the dressing until serving time. Or you could even serve the dressing on the side.

Dry the chickpeas well before sautéing or roasting them. This will ensure that they are crispy. Even if the chickpeas don’t completely crisp up, they are still such a delicious garnish on this Romaine Caesar Salad.

If you’re making the chickpea croutons ahead of time, keep them stored uncovered in a bowl to ensure they stay crispy.

You can make the dressing a few days ahead of time to help with meal prep! It will stay fresh in the fridge for about a week.

I recommend using seasoned breadcrumbs as they will have more flavor, but if you can’t find Italian seasoned gluten-free breadcrumbs you can add your own seasoning, such as garlic and onion powder, dried basil, dried oregano, dried sage, salt and pepper. My favorite breadcrumbs to use in this recipe is this grain-free Paleo Powder Foods AIP Seasoned Breading Mix.

Ways To Use Leftover Caesar Dressing

You can store this Vegan Caesar Dressing in your fridge for a week or more for the next time you want to enjoy this Simple Romaine Caesar Salad, but you can also use the Caesar dressing in one of these recipes:

More Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes

I’d love to hear how like this Simple Romaine Caesar Salad with Breaded Chickpea Croutons down below in the comments section, as well as giving it a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ so that others can discover this crisp and fresh salad recipe! Tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!