Savory French Toast with Vegan Caesar Salad
„snit denne aht snitten arme ritter und backe die in smalze niht zu trüge.“ This is the oldest written German-language recipe for French Toast which is called „Arme Ritter“ in German — which translates literally to „poor knights.“ It dates back to the 14th century and appeared in the "Buch von guter Speise" (Book of Good Food). There's no „smalze“ (lard) in our version, and chances are you're about to discover French Toast from a whole new angle today — because we're making them: savory!
What Are „Arme Ritter“, Anyway? And Do „Rich Knights“ Exist?
Traditionally, bread rolls or slices of white bread are soaked in a mixture of egg and milk, fried until golden brown, and served with cinnamon and sugar, for example. Fun Fact: They become „Reiche Ritter“ (Rich Knights) when you spread jam between the bread slices before frying. The dish is pretty simple, quick to make, and because stale bread works brilliantly for it, it's become a beloved breakfast classic — chances are you've got a childhood memory or two tied to it as well.
The origins of this dish go all the way back to the Middle Ages, which also explains the name. During the post-war period, it became a kind of emergency meal, since people often had nothing else on hand and would simply throw old pieces of bread into the pan. What was once considered humble food is now often a highlight at fancy breakfast cafés. It's just called "French Toast" there.
How to Make Savory French Toast:
We already have a recipe for sweet French Toast, but as the „Jagdwurst“ half of this blog, I've always wondered why we hadn't made them savory yet. Well, today's the day. The milk mixture for soaking the bread slices gets seasoned with nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and onion powder, and the topping is a vegan Caesar salad, crispy homemade croutons, and fried capers. Trust me on this — it's delicious. I mean, the fact that I'm adding capers to a recipe at all was a surprise even to me.
And Here's How to Make It Gluten-Free Too:
With a good gluten-free bread, you can whip up these French Toasts in no time — whether for yourself or for friends with an intolerance. We used the Meisterbäckers Classic by Schär, which — like every Schär bread — is made with its own gluten-free sourdough. We're not a strictly gluten-free food blog ourselves, but we've heard from many of you that you'd love more options for people with gluten intolerance and celiac disease. You've probably known Schär breads longer than we have, but we're still amazed every time we taste them at just how little difference there is compared to conventional bread. For this recipe — where the bread really is the star — the slices were absolutely perfect: they soak up the plant-based milk mixture without falling apart and get beautifully crispy in the pan.
If you're cooking for someone with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, make absolutely sure to use a clean work surface and appropriate utensils to avoid any risk of cross-contamination. And if you're looking for more gluten-free recipes, check out this vegan pita pizza with mushrooms, our lentil dal with garlic-cheese pita, or our strawberry and cream chocolate muffins.
Savory French Toast with Vegan Caesar Salad
Ingredients
For the French Toast:
- 8 slices gluten-free bread (e.g. Schär's Meisterbäckers Classic)
- 250 ml (1 cup) plant-based milk
- 50 g (0.5 cup) chickpea flour (or soy flour)
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- salt
- pepper
For the croûtons:
- 4 slices gluten-free bread (e.g. Schär's Meisterbäckers Classic)
- salt
- garlic powder
- neutral vegetable oil for frying
For the vegan Caesar Salad:
- 2 romaine lettuce hearts
- 50 g (1.75 oz) vegan mayonnaise
- 50 g (1.75 oz) vegan plain yogurt
- 2 tbsp cashew butter
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1 tbsp capers
- tbsp mustard seeds
- salt
- pepper
For the fried capers:
- 3 tbsp capers
- vegetable oil for frying
- salt
For serving:
- vegan parmesan cheese
Instructions
First, prepare the Caesar salad. Chop the romaine lettuce hearts and add to a bowl. For the dressing, mix vegan mayonnaise and plain yogurt, cashew butter, one grated garlic clove, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, nutritional yeast, olive oil, mustard, capers, and mustard seeds. Season generously with salt and pepper and, if desired, more lemon juice or nutritional yeast to taste. Toss the chopped lettuce with the dressing and set aside. Season to taste again before serving.
Remove the remaining capers from the jar and pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels so they don't splatter too much in the pan. Heat vegetable oil in a pan and fry the capers in the hot oil until crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
For the croutons, cut the gluten-free bread slices into small cubes. If needed, heat a little more oil in the pan and fry the bread cubes until crispy. Remove from the pan, season with salt, sprinkle with garlic powder, and set aside.
For the French Toast, whisk together plant-based milk, chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and onion powder, and season with salt and pepper. If the mixture is too thick, add more plant-based milk as needed.
Return the pan to the stove and heat a little vegetable oil in it. Briefly dip the gluten-free bread slices in the plant-based milk mixture on both sides, then add directly to the pan and fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining bread slices.
Top the bread slices with the vegan Caesar salad, croûtons, fried capers, and vegan parmesan.
