Dairy Free Shrimp Caesar Salad
- Gluten-Free
- Dairy-Free
- Paleo
- Low Carb
- Keto
- Whole30
- Pescatarian
With these hot summer days, salad season if officially on! And there’s no summer salad quite like a delicious caesar. Add shrimp and it’s nearly perfection. Take out the dairy and there ya go: summer salad perfection. Seriously y’all, you will not miss the dairy in this recipe. I know, it’s hard to imagine that that’s true, but trust me.
Alright y’all, I’ve got to address the elephant in the room: anchovies. I know, I know. They are met with mixed emotions. You either love them or hate them. Or so you think. Do you love a good caesar salad at a restaurant, but can’t stand the idea of anchovies? Well, sorry to say, but your beloved restaurant caesar almost certainly has anchovies in it. Unless it specifically says it’s vegan, of course. Anchovies are what gives caesar dressing it’s delicious, unique umami flavor. You just cannot omit them and call it a caesar. It won’t taste the same. What I’m trying to say here is don’t omit the anchovies in this recipe and expect it to taste like a caesar. That is all.
I made this recipe with a variety of diets in mind, so everyone can enjoy it! The homemade caesar dressing is paleo, Whole30 approved, low carb, keto, dairy free, and gluten free. Yay! Now let’s go through the options for the rest of the salad.
Dairy Free: This salad is amazing without any cheese whatsoever. Seriously. BUT if you feel like you just can’t have a caesar without parmesan, then you’re in luck! There is a great parmesan alternative called Just Like Parmesan that is vegan, dairy free, and gluten free! It also has a super clean ingredients list, so that’s awesome! You can find it at Whole Foods or online.
Paleo: You’re going to want to use a paleo bread to make the croutons. If you’re feeling up to making your own bread for the croutons, check out this paleo french bread recipe! If you don’t want to bake your own bread, you can just use a store-bought paleo bread or omit the croutons altogether. Omit the Just Like Parmesan because it contains rice.
Gluten Free: You can go with a paleo bread like what I’ve listed above or just use any gluten free bread for the croutons! I do suggest a french bread or baguette just because it’ll be more authentic. Although, I’ve gotta say, my favorite croutons were always those dark whole grain ones! Is that weird??
Whole30: For the croutons, try using something like Epic Pork Rinds or just omitting the croutons if they are a trigger food for you. Omit the Just Like Parmesan.
Low carb/keto: You can use Epic Pork Rinds, make your own low carb croutons with a recipe like this one for keto garlic croutons, or just omit them.
I hope you enjoy the recipe!
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Dairy Free Shrimp Caesar Salad
- Gluten-Free
- Dairy-Free
- Paleo
- Low Carb
- Keto
- Whole30
- Pescatarian
Ingredients
Shrimp Caesar Salad
- 1.5 lb 680g wild-caught shrimp, peeled and patted dry
- 1 gluten free baguette see notes above for paleo, keto, Whole30
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- Sea salt black pepper, paprika, and garlic powder for seasoning croutons and shrimp
- 4 hearts of romaine lettuce washed, dried, and chopped
- 1 cup 85g extra moist sun-dried tomatoes, julienned
- 3 oz Just Like Parmesan shaved (omit for paleo, Whole30, keto)
- 12 high quality anchovies packed in extra virgin olive oil drained
- 1/4 cup 56g capers (nonpareils)
- Black pepper for finishing
Dairy Free Caesar Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 2 organic pastured egg yolks room temperature
- 5 high quality anchovies packed in extra virgin olive oil drained
- 1 large clove garlic roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice*
- 1 tsp distilled white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Slice baguette into rounds and then tear into halves or quarters. Torn edges help the dressing cling to the croutons (yum!) and give the salad that rustic look.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, place bread pieces on top, then brush lightly with 1 Tbsp of the avocado oil. Sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper, and a tiny bit of garlic powder.
- Bake for about 10 minutes or until the bread is crunchy throughout, then broil for about 2 minutes if you want a more golden brown color.
- Make the dressing while the croutons are baking. Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar or glass measuring cup and blend with an immersion blender for about 30 seconds or until smooth and well combined. The dressing should be nice and creamy with a good, thick consistency.
- Heat remaining 1 Tbsp avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with some sea salt, pepper, and paprika, and then add to the skillet one by one when the pan is hot. Cook shrimp for about 1.5 minutes per side for medium-large shrimp or until pink in color and opaque throughout. Adjust cook time based on size of shrimp.
- Assemble into individual salads or one big salad by layering on the romaine, sun-dried tomatoes, anchovies, and capers. Drizzle on dressing**, then add shrimp, croutons, and parmesan.
- Finish with freshly ground black pepper and serve!
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Notes
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Did you like the recipe?? If so, let me know in the comments below and leave a review! xx Kit
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