This gorgeous kale Caesar salad, with avocado, crunchy croutons, and a creamy, tangy dressing is a fabulous twist on the classic. Healthy and full of flavour, it comes together quickly for a nutritious lunch or dinner.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Total Time35 minutesmins
Servings: 4to 6
Ingredients
For the croutons
4slicescrusty breadcubed into 1/2-inch pieces
1tablespoonolive oil
For the dressing (see notes for two more dressing options)
1/2cupraw cashews(or use 1/2 cup cashew butter)
1/2cupwater
1/4cupfresh lemon juicefrom 1 to 2 lemons
1fat garlic clove
2teaspoonsbrine from a jar of capers
1teaspoonDijon mustard
2tablespoonsolive oil
¾teaspoonkosher salt
½teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
For the salad
5cupscurly kale leaves,lightly packed, ribs removed, and chopped into bite-size pieces (wash and dry thoroughly)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1tablespoon olive oil
4cupschopped romaine lettuce
1-2ripe avocados cut into large wedges
3/4cupshaved Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375ºF.
Place cubed bread on a parchment lined baking sheetbaking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and toss the croutons making sure they are all coated with oil. Bake until croutons are pale golden brown and crisp, about 12-15 minutes, flipping half way through.
Add all the dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until silky smooth. Add a bit more water if it seems too thick.
Place the kale in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. With clean hands, knead the leaves until they break down and become soft and almost wilted, for about 2 minutes.
Add the romaine to the massaged kale and toss to mix. Drizzle with about half of the dressing and toss again to coat all the leaves.
Transfer the dressed kale and romaine to a serving bowl or deep platter. Top with avocado, if using, the croutons and Parmesan. Drizzle with a bit more dressing and season with a pinch more salt and pepper, to taste.
Notes
Make ahead: You can prep a lot of the salad ahead of time. The dressing can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Massage the chopped kale and refrigerate up to 2 days in advance. Make the croutons and store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week in advance.
To store leftovers: If not dressed too aggressively, the salad is hearty enough to make great leftovers. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. If possible, store any leftover croutons separately at room temperature so they don't get soggy.
Caesar salad dressing options (nut-free):
Standard Caesar dressing (nut-free)- You can't go wrong with this simple and crowd-pleasing Caesar salad dressing. It's not quite classic because mayo (I use vegan mayo) takes the place of the raw egg. The rest of the standard ingredients that make a great Caesar dressing—lemon juice, dijon, anchovies(optional), Parmesan cheese, and garlic—are there.
Tahini Dressing (nut-free/vegan)- This Caesar-esque tahini salad dressing is absolutely delightful with kale. Just make sure to use lemons and not limes.