The Perfect Kale Caesar Salad

Creamy, garlicky dressing tossed with finely chopped kale, parmesan cheese, and toasted bread crumbs all come together for The Perfect Kale Caesar Salad.

Kale caesar salad has taken Los Angeles by storm in the last few years. It’s on almost every menu in some variation and for good reason, it’s absolutely delicious!

There are a few things that differentiate a kale caesar from a more traditional, romaine based version. First of all, after removing the tough, fibrous stem the kale is cut into very thin slivers. The dressing is then massaged into the slivered kale. Second, rather than big croutons, kale caesar is tossed with coarsely chopped toasted bread crumbs.


While I cannot relate to this personally, I know there are a lot of people who don’t like anchovy in their caesar salad. Here are a few substitutions you can make if you don’t want to use them:

Anchovy Alternatives:
-1 tbsp of capers
-1 tbsp soy sauce
-double the Worcestershire

The Perfect Kale Caesar Salad Step by Step→

This dressing is so easy to make and no raw egg yolks are required! Just blend all of the ingredients together until smooth and creamy.

Chop the toasted bread with a knife or pulse it in a food processor!

Print Recipe

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The Perfect Kale Caesar Salad

Creamy, garlicky dressing tossed with finely chopped kale, parmesan cheese, and toasted bread crumbs all come together for The Perfect Kale Caesar Salad.

Prep Time25 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Course: Salad

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 2 bunches lacinato kale
• 2 cups torn bread
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Caesar Dressing

• 1 c mayonnaise
• 1 c grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 2 large cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 filets anchovy
• 1/4 c lemon juice
• 2 tsp worcestershire

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350. Toss the torn bread in olive oil, season with salt and pepper and place on a baking tray. Toast the bread in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Let cool then chop into coarse crumbs.
• Place all of the dressing ingredients into a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy.
• Remove the stems from the kale and chop very finely. Toss the kale with enough dressing to coat. Use your hands to massage the kale with the dressing. Season with black pepper, parmesan cheese, and toss in some of the croutons.
• Serve with more pepper, parmesan, and croutons on top!

Notes

The reason you want to “massage” the kale with the dressing is becasue kale is a very tough and fibrous lettuce. When you massage the kale it breaks down the fibers and makes the kale more pleasent to eat!

Anchovy Alternatives:
-1 tbsp of capers
-1 tbsp soy sauce
-double the Worcestershire

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