The part I loved most about the Caesar Salad I adored at Adama Comfort Cuisine? The tofu and crouton cubes were the same size and looked so similar that you weren’t sure whether you were going to receive a soft and chewy mouthful or a hard and crunchy mouthful with each bite.
The mixture of textures was so interesting and so deliciously sublime!
Let’s flashback! ♥••*´¨`*•.☆•
To top it all off, it also had tasty pumpkin seeds sprinkled throughout the leaves, reminding me how great spicy pepitas are in salads.
And then I met a Caesar Salad at Cafe Gratitude in Santa Cruz loaded with creamy avocado pieces (way to get creative with the Caesar!) and thought – why not throw those gorgeous bad boys into the dressing??
There are a few steps involved but they’re all super easy and use most of the same ingredients. Plus you can make extra, keep them in separate containers for up to a few days, and then just re-assemble another salad (or sandwich or wrap) whenever you fancy! WIN!

Spicy Pepitas
Ingredients
- 1 cup Pepitas pumpkin seeds
- 1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Squeeze Lemon/Lime Juice
- 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Smokey Paprika
- Pinch Sea Salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 150C/300F.
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well until pepitas are evenly covered.
- Place pepitas in a single layer on a lined baking tray and bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Herb Croutons
Ingredients
- 4 slices bread I used gluten-free, cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Dried Thyme
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- Pinch of Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper
Instructions
- Increase oven temperature to 170C/340F.
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well until croutons are evenly covered.
- Place croutons in a single layer on a lined baking tray and bake for 10 minutes or until golden.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Baked, Herb Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 small packet Extra Firm Tofu organic & non-GMO, cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup Tamari or Soy Sauce
- 1/2 Lemon juiced
- 1 tsp Dried Thyme
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- Pinch of Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well until tofu is evenly covered.
- Place tofu in a single layer in a baking dish and top with remaining 'juice'.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until tofu has absorbed all the 'juice'.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Avocado Caesar Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Macadamia Nuts or Pine Nuts or any nuts you fancy
- 1 cup Water
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 small Avocado pitted and peeled
- 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 1 Lime juiced
- 1 tbsp Agave Nectar
- Pinch Cayenne Pepper
- Pinch Sea Salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy.
Vegan Caesar Salad
Sprinkle Spicy Pepitas, Herb Croutons and Baked, Herb Tofu on a bed of Cos Lettuce leaves, drizzle with Avocado Caesar Dressing and enjoy!
Kristy
February 20, 2013 at 7:17 am (12 years ago)That avocado dressing sounds perfectly dreamy! Yum!
Gabby @ the veggie nook
February 20, 2013 at 11:36 am (12 years ago)Yum! I love the sound of that dressing 🙂
Somer
February 20, 2013 at 2:47 pm (12 years ago)Gabby! That looks like such an incredibly lovely salad! I haven’t been to the store in 10 days and I really need some fresh greens! I think that dressing is a must make too! Wouldn’t you know that I have hoards of pepitas right now too! It’s a sign! xx
Sophie
February 21, 2013 at 7:17 pm (12 years ago)It looks even better then the original you savoured in the States!
Waw!!
All of the ingredients look so good together in this amazingly awesome looking salad! 🙂
I must make this tasty & fabulous vegan super salad soon! xxx
Angela
February 26, 2013 at 12:19 am (12 years ago)OK – YUM! I do a Vegan Caesar (http://www.vegangela.com/2011/06/21/vegan-ceasar-salad/), which I now regularly add tempeh bacon to, but I LOVE that your dressing uses avocado instead of tofu mayo. Oh, and the pepitas – genius! I love crunchy things in my salad. Makes it seem more like a “meal”. Thanks for stopping by my blog and reminding me to visit yours more often! X
Stephanie @ Snacking on Sunshine
February 28, 2013 at 6:02 pm (12 years ago)This looks delightful! I’ll definitely be giving it a go <3