There's a number of foods that I didn't like until I went vegan. Sushi, donuts (I know. Crazy, right?), and cereal (I actually didn't like the milk in my cereal. Once I replaced it with a plant-based alternative, I was good to go) all top that list. Caesar salad is also one of those meals I couldn't stomach before going vegan.
I'm pretty sure it had to do with the dressing. I didn't care for the taste at all and I was also grossed out by the idea of anchovies in anything, let alone blended up in a dressing. Not. Appetizing. At. All. When I went vegan, it was awhile before I decided to see if my new vegan palate had a taste for the salad, but when I did, I was pleasantly surprised by it! The crunchy romaine, the tangy dressing, the hint of vegan parmesan- it was a lovely combination. Pretty soon, I went from hating the salad to craving it regularly.
I've actually been dreaming of these tacos for awhile. I've had the title of the recipe scribbled down in my notebook reserved for random thoughts, ideas, lists, and recipes for a few months now, I'd say. When Tessemae's All Natural contacted me about reviewing their new Ranch and Caesar dressings my first thought was "No. I make my own dressings, thank you." I like to know what's going into my dressings and be able to make as much or as little as I need so I don't have a bunch leftover that ends up going bad in the back of the fridge. But I decided to check out their products anyway. Of course, the first thing I looked for was to see if they were vegan (they are), and then I took a second look at the ingredients to see exactly what was in them. I was surprised at the short ingredient lists but kind of elated to see that I actually had every single one of the ingredients in my kitchen. No crazy stuff. No preservatives. Nice and simple. So I decided to give them a try, thinking that the Caesar dressing might be a great fit for these caesar salad tacos I'd been craving.
One thing to keep in mind when using this dressing (and any oil-based dressing, really) is that it separates and congeals. This is normal. It's actually a good thing because it means that there aren't a bunch of stabilizer ingredients trying to keep it from separating. All you have to do is shake the bottle before you pour. It's that simple. No need to get your panties in a bunch. Just shake before you pour. If it congeals when chilled, you can just place the bottle in a cup of warm water for a few minutes to make it easier to pour.
Now before I tell you how this dressing exceeded my expectations ten-fold, let me tell you about how simple this recipe is. First, you cook up the chickpeas with some liquid aminos and finish them off with a squeeze of lemon juice. Then you add it to a bowl of thinly chopped romaine lettuce and avocado chunks and then add the dressing. Then you stuff the salad into corn tortillas and sprinkle pecan parmesan on them. Boom. Done. Insert into mouth. Be amazed.
After I added the dressing to the salad, I needed to taste it, of course, and then I quickly had to take a second, and then a third, and let's be honest, a fourth and fifth bite. It was so good I could barely contain myself. In fact, I probably snuck about 10 more bites while I cooked the tortillas. I couldn't get enough. During the photo shoot, I was like, "Okay. Okay. Let's wrap it up, Chris." Because I couldn't wait to shovel the salad into my mouth via taco. I'm an animal.
So, should you make these tacos? Absolutely. Should you try Tessemae's All Natural Dressings? Definitely. Should you use the promo code Keepin'ItKind to get 10% off your order when you shop online (through 12/31/15)? I think it'd be silly not to. Are you ready for the simplest, most tasty dish you'll try this summer? You bet your pants I am you are!
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas or two 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained
- 3 tablespoons liquid aminos
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- black pepper to taste
- 1 head of large romaine lettuce, chopped very thin
- 2 avocados, chopped
- 1/2 cup Tessemae's All Natural Caesar Dressing
- Cooked or heated corn tortillas
- 1 cup Pecan Parmesan
Instructions
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the chickpeas and liquid aminos. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has been absorbed. Add the lemon juice and pepper and remove from the heat. Let the chickpeas cool for about 5 minutes (while you chop your lettuce and avocado).
- Combine the lettuce, avocado, and chickpeas in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat.
- Fill the corn tortillas with the salad and sprinkle with pecan parmesan. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Follow Tessamae's!
Tessemae’s: http://www.tessemaes.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TessemaesAllNatural
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tessemaes
Instagram: https://instagram.com/tessemaes
Disclaimer: I was compensated for this post by Tessemae's All Natural, but the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.
Photography by Chris Miller
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan
Wait, you didn't like donuts?! Whoaaa! Moving past that though, these look brilliant and I think I might just have to have something like this for lunch 🙂
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
What fabulous tacos!! Love love love this idea!
Luna
that looks absolutely amazing! and what a good idea to put the dressing bottle in warm water to make it easier to pour... it worked, thanks!
Nicole {VeganShowOff.com}
Yum, these tacos look amazing and I agree I never liked Caesar dressing because of the whole anchovy thing! Gross! These dressings look delicious though : )
Millie | Add A Little
These look so delicious! I love vegan caesar!
Fleanette
I can't wait to try it! But i'll have to find an alternative for the Caesar dressing which I won't find in France...
Sam ~ it doesn't taste like chicken
How you didn't like caesar salad is beyond me! It's one of the first things I veganized when I went vegan, and I even have two variations on caesar salad dressing on my blog! I am so so glad you changed your ways Kristy! These tacos look outstanding! 😀
Stacey
Looks delicious. We don't have Tessemae's, so I'll use Follow Your Heart Ceasar dressing, which is quite yummy. Thanks for another creative recipe!
Amy @ Parsley In My Teeth
Wow - these looks wonderful! Can't wait to get them a try - yummy!
Carla
I think I may have cursed while eating these. ; p
Caitlin
these tacos look freakin amazing, kristy. i have been thinking about them all weekend since they showed up in my feed last week. and that dressing. i reeeeally want to try it. i am hoping i can find it at whole foods?
Sarah | Well and Full
This combines two of my favorite things - caesar salad and Tacos. What?? I'm so excited to try this recipe. Also, I hear you on the caesar dressing thing. Little tiny fish ground up into a paste. Ugh. I didn't really want caesar salad until I had the vegan caesar dressing at Whole Foods. Game changer! I've never tried Tessemae’s brand but after reading your review I'm really excited to! 🙂
Jennifer Harmon {Peppers and Peaches}
Just followed Tesse Maes! I love to make my own dressing too, but sometimes it is nice to have a go to dressing in the fridge for when I am feeling em, er...lazy. Plus, my husband is obsessed with Caesar anything so 1) this recipe will be made asap 2) I may be using your code soon to try a bottle! Great recipe, anything shoved into a taco is good in my book!
Susannah (Lemon and Coconut)
Beautiful looking tacos! Going to give this recipe a go, what would you suggest instead of liquid aminos as I can't get hold of them in the UK as far as I know, are they tamiri-esque?
Michelle
I think I'm going to have to try their Caeser now. I tried a chipotle ranch or something close and didn't like it very much - but this sounds really good! and I love the idea of salad in a taco. yes. sign me up. 🙂
Kiran | HappyGut
Omigodness, this recipe is getting me so excited!
Mr. Frugal Cents
The photos look splendid. I am really looking forward to trying it out for lunch tomorrow and seeing how it compares with my current favorite — vegan bean burgers (for lunch).
C
I love your blog! It is so clean and fresh, and don't even get me started on your instagram - the dogs are adorable (I'm @razzledazzlelove). The food looks great - I can't wait to try it!
Tim Hordo
I stopped eating Caesar salad long ago because of the ground up fish thing...this is a recipe I've been waiting for! Everything about this is on point, they were delicious!