Pepita Parma

The other day I had a major hankering for vegan caesar salad, & in this house, a caesar salad is not complete without a generous sprinkle of vegan “parmesan.” A few months ago, after running out of my coveted Parmela, I set out to make my own homemade version with walnuts, nutritional yeast, sea salt & garlic. Not only was it a snap to prepare, but it was also absolutely delicious.

I realized I was fresh out of walnuts, having used them all for raw cheesecake making over the holidays. I sifted through all the nuts in my pantry & saw the pepitas. I’ve been loving pepita pesto & sprinkling them on my salads, so why not make a “pepita parm?” They are power-packed with goodness, so all the more reason to use them. Pepitas, a.k.a. shelled pumpkin seeds, are high in plant-based protein, & an excellent source of vitamins, minerals & antioxidants such as vitamin E, magnesium & zinc.

PEPITA PARMA

Author: Melissa, Honey Bee Vegan

Recipe Type: Condiment

Cuisine: Vegan, Raw

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place all ingredients into a food processor & pulse to combine. Continue to pulse until desired texture is achieved. Store in an airtight container & refrigerate. Lasts for 3-4 weeks.

My go-to vegan caesar lately has been the Classic Vegan Caesar with Chickpeas & Avocado from Post Punk Kitchen. I like to doctor it up to my own specifications by adding a squeeze of lemon to the tahini dressing, & tossing in additional toppings to the salad, in this case, sun-dried tomatoes & pepita parmesan. While the sprinkle of vegan parm on a caesar salad is a given in my book, I also love this pepita topping on just about anything where a salty & savory bite is desired - sprinkled on pasta, in popcorn, on steamed or roasted vegetables - you name it! It just gives that extra bit of garnish & flavor. Enjoy!