Plant-Based 'Chicken' Caesar Salad — a plant-based American recipe by BOSH!
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Plant-Based 'Chicken' Caesar Salad

We are genuinely obsessed with this one. A Caesar salad is already a classic, but swap in king oyster mushrooms shredded up to look and feel like pulled chicken and suddenly you've got something that stops people in their tracks. The mushrooms get this incredible savoury, slightly crispy texture in the oven that pairs so well with a creamy, garlicky Caesar dressing. It's the kind of dish we make when we want to impress someone who reckons plant-based food can't be satisfying. Trust us, this one will change their mind.

Cook: 35 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • Roasting tin
  • Baking tray
  • Microplane or fine grater
  • Two forks
  • Mixing bowl

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp plant-based chicken seasoning
  • 9 king oyster mushrooms
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp Italian herbs dried
  • 200g unsliced seeded brown bread
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp Nooch
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp water (to loosen)
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 60g plant-based mayonnaise
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • ½ Juice of 1 lemon - zest & juice
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast - to serve, optional
  • 300g romaine lettuce

Method

1

First, prepare the “chicken”

  • Cut the caps off the king oyster mushrooms and finely slice them
  • Pull the prongs of two forks along the length of the mushroom stems, roughly tearing them into 1-2 inch long matchsticks
  • Put the mushrooms in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle over the chicken seasoning and toss to combine making sure mushroom is evenly coated with the flavouring
  • Put the roasting tin into the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes
2

Now make the croutons

  • Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes
  • Add the olive oil, Italian herbs, garlic powder and a pinch of salt and pepper to a bowl and stir to combine
  • Add the bread to the bowl and toss to combine, making sure the cubes are well covered
  • Spread the cubes out on a baking tray, put the tray in the oven and bake for 15 minutes until golden and crispy
3

Now make the salad dressing

  • Grate the garlic clove
  • Put the garlic, nutritional yeast, plant-based mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, lemon zest and juice in a mixing bowl and stir to combine
  • Taste the dressing and season to perfection with salt and pepper
  • Add a splash of water to the mixture if the sauce needs loosening
4

Assemble the salad

  • Trim and roughly chop the lettuce
  • Add the lettuce, the pulled oyster mushrooms and half the croutons to the bowl and toss to combine
  • Sprinkle the remaining croutons, and second tbsp of nutritional yeast (if using) over the Caesar Salad and serve immediately

Tips & Variations

  • Get the mushrooms really dry: If your king oyster mushrooms have any moisture on them, pat them dry before seasoning. Wet mushrooms steam instead of roast and you miss out on those crispy edges, which are honestly the best bit.
  • Make your own croutons: We always toast chunks of sourdough in olive oil with a bit of garlic while the mushrooms are in the oven. Takes five minutes and is so much better than anything from a bag.
  • Double the mushrooms: We always make extra. Cold leftover shredded mushrooms are brilliant stuffed into a wrap the next day with some leftover Caesar dressing. Ian actually thinks that's better than the salad itself.

Why This Works

The trick is in how you prep the king oyster mushrooms. Pulling them apart with two forks along the grain gives you these long, fibrous strips that genuinely mimic the texture of shredded chicken when they roast up. That coating of chicken seasoning and olive oil caramelises in the oven and gives you real depth of flavour before the dressing even touches it. It's a simple technique but it makes all the difference.