Kale Caesar Salad

I love dark greens, such as chard, collard or what have you may, but my most favorite is kale. It's not too bitter and is amazing cooked or raw. My favorite thing to do with it is simply make kale chips by tossing them in some s&p, then roasting it in the oven for a bit. Fixes my craving for something salty and crunchy while being healthy too! If that isn't a win, I don't know what is...

Another thing I love is a good caesar salad. If you've got a great recipe for caesar dressing, it's something to tuck into your recipe book to pass along to your kids and cherish forever. I'm pretty serious about a good caesar dressing. Anyways, kale smothered in a good caesar dressing plus some crispy croutons makes a great meal.

Wouldn't you agree?!

Kale Caesar Salad

Yields: 2 full servings, or 4 small servings

Original dressing recipe here.

For the croutons:

6 1" slices of crusty white bread, cut into cubes

2 tbsn. olive oil

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tbsn. fresh flat leaf parsley, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

For the dressing:

2 anchovy filets, or to taste

2 garlic cloves, or to taste

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup half-and-half cream or milk

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsn. fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1 tbsn. Dijon mustard

salt and pepper, to taste

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, or to taste (optional)

buttermilk or half-and-half, for thinning

2 bunches of kale, washed and dried thoroughly, torn into bite-sized pieces

shaved Parmesan cheese, to taste


To make the dressing, in a small food processor or blender, mince the anchovy filets and garlic together until finely minced. Add in the remaining ingredients and process for 30 seconds or more until well combined. Adjust the seasonings to taste and thin with buttermilk or half-and-half for a thinner consistency, if desired. To make the croutons, preheat the oven to 350 F. In a medium-sized bowl, toss the bread cubes with the remaining crouton ingredients. On a large parchment paper lined baking sheet, toast the croutons until golden brown, about 10 - 15 minutes. To assemble the salad, add the kale leaves into a large bowl. Add croutons and parmesan cheese according to how much you like in your salad. Add enough dressing to coat, then divide among plates. There will be a lot of dressing left over!