Kale Caesar With Sourdough Croutons
The first time I tried kale in a salad I wasn't impressed, then I grew it. It is easy to start from seed, can be planted in cool weather and, once established, it withstands drought, pests, heat and a light frost. A plant that robust had to have a place in my garden! Over the years, I have found some fantastic ways to use it in recipes. This kale Caesar is one of them. Super easy, simple and delicious and the best part of this recipe is that the salad can be prepared in advance, and actually tastes better when dressed and refrigerated for at least 30 minutes. A salad that can be prepared in advance! That's a reason to give kale a chance!
Equipment
- rimmed baking sheet
- optional: salad spinner
Ingredients
Salad:
- 16 cups curly kale stems removed and ripped into small pieces
- ½ cup fresh parmesan cheese reserve for topping each serving
- optional: crisp crumbled bacon
Croutons:
- 6 slices sourdough bread cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Dressing:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup fresh parmesan cheese finely grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- optional: 3 anchovy fillets rinsed and chopped fine
Instructions
- Rinse the kale, spin it using a salad spinner or pat dry and then add it to a large bowl.
- Combine the ingredients for the dressing, pour over the kale and mix. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 6 hours.
- While the salad is marinating in the refrigerator, preheat the oven to 350°F and set the rack to the middle position.
- Toss the sourdough cubes with the olive oil, salt and pepper and then spread them out on the rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool completely.
- To serve, first stir the salad again to redistribute the dressing. Mound 6 portions on individual plates, top with croutons and additional parmesan cheese.
Notes
You can reduce the amount of dressing  used to marinate the salad to just ¾ cup but make sure to serve the remaining dressing on the side.
Nutrition
Serving: 1=â…™ of saladCalories: 493kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 20gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 1083mgPotassium: 990mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 17959IUVitamin C: 217mgCalcium: 447mgIron: 5mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
A crowd pleaser! Made this for dinner tonight and wow! We couldn’t stop eating it. If topping it with bacon I would suggest leaving the salt out of the dressing as the bacon will add quite a bit of salt. We give it a 20/10 (will definitely make again)!