Kale Caesar

Surely, if you’ve spent any time looking for recipes on the internet, you’ve seen dozens of claims that a particular recipe is the recipe that got a very picky eater to eat a meal that they otherwise would have turned down. 

Well, we have another one for you…

This kale caesar salad recipe is the salad to make for the kale-skeptic in your life. 

With a killer dressing and a few tips about preparing the kale, this is unlike any dry and rough kale salad you’ve had before. 

Is caesar salad healthy at all?

We’re glad you asked. 

“Healthy” is somewhat of a subjective term depending on your nutritional needs. 

However, this kale caesar is packed with fiber, iron, and a clean ingredient dressing. 

If you’d like to make this suitable for a filling meal, we recommend adding protein, like a piece of chicken, fish, or a handful of crispy garbanzo beans. 

Do you know someone who would turn their nose up to a kale salad (or any salad for that matter)? 

Get them to try this salad and see their wheels start turning. 

We believe that “healthy” eating, whatever that means for you, happens one step at a time. 

Using familiar flavors (like caesar) to dress up a less attractive ingredient, allows you to more easily step out of your comfort zone and start to experience new flavors and wider nutritional benefits. 

Do I really need to “massage” my kale?

You don’t technically “knead” to, but if you want the best kale caesar salad, you should. 

Massaging your kale breaks down the leaves and makes them far softer and easier to chew. This is key to making raw kale enjoyable. 

Plus, this step helps ensure that you get a little bit of dressing throughout the salad and that each piece of kale is coated.

About the Ingredients in Kale Caesar Salad

Learn more about the ingredients that make our kale caesar so exciting:

Kale

You can use loose or bagged, dinosaur kale or curly kale for this recipe. 

Kale is a dark, leafy vegetable that is made largely of water and a healthy source of vitamins like potassium and calcium.

Mayonnaise 

You can use your favorite brand or whatever is available to you. 

We love Primal Kitchen’s avocado oil mayo because it has clean ingredients. 

They leave out unhealthy additives, like sugars, and use a healthier oil option (avocado) for the base.  

This recipe can easily be transformed into a vegan recipe by using a vegan mayo.

Mustard 

This boils down to preference: you can use dijon mustard, brown mustard, or plain yellow. 

Note that if you’re using honey mustard, this will add a sweetness to your dressing that might make this taste a little less like a caesar you’re familiar with. 

Lemon 

Every good salad dressing needs a little acid to brighten things up. 

You can use fresh lemon juice or bottled (1-2 Tbsp).

Garlic Cloves 

If you’re not a huge garlic fan, go for one clove. 

Garlic lovers, on the other hand… you’re in good company. 

If you’re trying to stave off vampires (and have a very delicious dressing), go for two. 

Olive Oil 

This will help thin out your dressing and adds healthy fats and a nice flavor 

Salt and Pepper 

Use to your taste preference. 

If you have it on hand, freshly cracked pepper makes this taste and look more authentic. 

So, how do you close the kale sale?

Kale has gotten a bad reputation for being a boring health food with little flavor and an unpleasant texture. 

To be honest, this isn’t far from the truth as a stand alone ingredient. 

For a while before kale became cool, it was largely used as a decorative bottom layer for deli platters and then thrown away. 

But who doesn’t love a good underdog story?

Kale, when prepared correctly can actually be delicious and really satisfying because of its fiber content and heartiness. 

Be sure to remove all of the tough stems and rip or cut into small-ish pieces before starting the massage. 

With a healthy helping of our caesar dressing, you won’t recognize that green bunch you picked up at the store.

Don’t just take our word for it. 

Give this kale caesar salad recipe a try and tag us on Instagram or Facebook so we can bask in your creations. 

Enjoy!

Kale Caesar Salad Recipe

Our Kale Caesar Salad recipe is a fiber and iron-rich salad with a fan-favorite dressing.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 12 minutes mins

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Servings 3 servings

Calories 428 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• A bunch or bag of kale (any variety will work)
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise (we love Primal Kitchen’s avocado oil based mayo: See our full review here and use our promo code INSIDER10 for 10% off your order)
• 1 tbsp mustard (any variety will work)
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1-2 garlic cloves minced
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: seeds, crispy chickpeas, or croutons for topping

Instructions

 

• Rinse and prep your kale by removing the leaves from any large stalks and stems. You can also rip up your kale into small pieces during this process so they are more bite-sized.
• While your kale is drying, prepare your dressing by mixing the rest of the ingredients with a fork or whisk
• Pour about ¼ of your dressing and pour over your kale and massage for at least 5 minutes (this will make your kale darker in color and softer in texture)
• Pour the rest of the dressing over your kale, toss and serve

Nutrition

Serving: 1 servingCalories: 428kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gFat: 46gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 20gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 433mgPotassium: 66mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 40IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 0.5mg

Keyword caesar, kale, Salad

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