Vegan Grilled Romaine Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup baby spinach leaves
½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 cup fresh basil leaves
3 green onions, trimmed and sliced into 1 inch pieces
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove
½ tsp cider vinegar
2 tsp honey
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup raw cashews
1 tsp avocado oil, plus extra for grilling
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 romaine hearts, trimmed, washed, dried, and cut in half lengthwise
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup cooked corn kernels

Directions:

In a food processor, combine together spinach leaves, parsley leaves, basil leaves, green onions, lemon juice, garlic clove, cider vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil until creamy and smooth. Transfer green dressing to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
When ready to make salad, preheat grill over medium-high heat and preheat oven to 350 ºF (180 ºC).
In a medium bowl, toss together cashews, avocado oil, smoked paprika, and nutritional yeast. Tumble into a single layer on a parchment lined baking tray and bake, stirring once halfway through cooking time, until lightly golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
Drizzle cut side of romaine lettuce with a little avocado oil and place on grill, cut side down, and grill just until grill marks start to appear, about 1 minute. Flip lettuce over and grill another minute.
Transfer grilled romaine to serving plates or a large platter. Drizzle with some of the green dressing before topping with avocado, tomatoes, corn, and toasted cashews.

Serve immediately with additional green dressing alongside for diners to help themselves if desired.