Kale Caesar salad

5 from 1 vote

Kale Caesar salad is a twist on the classic with sliced kale leaves as the greens, plus fresh Parmesan and croutons and a creamy Caesar dressing. Great for a side salad or for some healthy meal prep!

Prep Time20

Total Time40

Yield: 4 -6 servings

Ingredients

For the salad:

1 large bunch of kale, trimmed and thinly sliced (about 8 cups)
1 ½ teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
½ cup freshly shaved Parmesan cheese
1 cup croutons

For the dressing:

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
4-5 dashes Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

In a large bowl, add the sliced kale and drizzle with the 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil. Use your fingers to gently massage the oil into the kale leaves to help tenderize them. Let sit for 15 minutes.
Add the halved tomatoes and Parmesan cheese to the bowl. Toss lightly to get the salad mixed.
Next, make the dressing: Combine all ingredients in a small jar or container with a tight fitting lid. Shake well to combine.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad, starting with about ⅔rds, adding more as needed to get the salad well coated.
Allow the salad to sit for another 5 minutes to help the flavors meld.
Add croutons to the salad and stir gently to get them mixed in.
Serve and enjoy!

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Notes

This is a simple salad -- just the kale, croutons and Parmesan cheese, plus the dressing. Very classic. You could add other salad add-ins, however. Halved cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, cucumbers, olives and sliced red onions are delicious additions. Or pick your favorite salad toppings and use those.

Add a protein, too, if you want to make this more of a main dish. Grilled or roasted chicken, shrimp or salmon would be great here. Sliced hard-boiled eggs would be a good option for a vegetarian protein.

I used some store-bought croutons (they even have a Caesar-style flavor – sooo good!) but homemade would be fabulous if you want to make some.

You can definitely prep this salad ahead if needed by slicing up the kale a day or two ahead of time. (Store it in a plastic bag or covered container in the fridge until you’re ready to toss everything together.)

To slice the kale: Remove the kale leaves from the tough center stem. Wash the kale well and pat dry. You don’t want extra water in your salad. Pile the kale leaves up and roll them together in bunches. Finely chop each bunch until all the kale has been finely chopped.

For the dressing: I use a cheater’s homemade version of Caesar salad dressing. It doesn’t include anchovies, which are more traditional, but this means I can whip it up anytime.

If you do want to make a Caesar dressing with anchovies, your can add a teaspoon of anchovy paste or 3 small oil-packed anchovies, finely chopped. (It helps to mash them with the side of a knife along with the garlic and salt on your cutting board.)

This version also doesn’t have raw egg, which means no tempering to eliminate any risk for salmonella. However, you could add a tablespoon of mayo or even Greek yogurt if you’d like a creamier texture to your dressing.

To make it, you just have to combine everything in a jar and shake it up or put it all together in a bowl and whisk it well.

Feel free to make the dressing ahead of time too. It’ll keep for up to a week in the fridge. Keep it in a covered container. You may need to re-whisk or re-shake your dressing before using to get it mixed back up.

Or you could use a store-bought Caesar dressing if you prefer. Totally fine.

Nutrition

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