Summer to me is all about BBQing and finding new ways to elevate the boring sides. I actually first made this salad for New Years Eve, and I’ve been making it ever since: Kale Caesar. Instead of using the traditional romaine, I upgrade it with the oh-so-trendy kale. And not just *any* kale. The dark green, leafy, monster leave Lacinato kale, AKA Tuscan or Dinosaur kale. I’ll admit not every grocery store has it, but if you find it, you should get it. It has a lot more nutritional value than romaine, and it’s easy to eat (IMO) than the standard kale you find at any old grocery store. It has a really thick stalk which I remove and discard, but sure you could find a use for it if you didn’t want to throw it out.
I like to think of this salad as super rustic – I tore both the lettuce and the bread with my hands. You can certainly buy the croutons, but homemade croutons are so easy and actually better for you. You control the salt content, and there are no additives. Who knows how long those croutons have been sitting on the shelf?!
The missing piece to this delicious puzzle: THE DRESSING. I was on a mission to find a great ceasar dressing, using anchovies and egg yolks, not mayo. The Kitchn has this amazing recipe (here) or scroll down, it’s actually called The Best Caesar Dressing on their website. If you want to leave out the anchovies, you cannnnnnn….but I do think you should try it! You don’t taste them, it just gives this amazing umami flavor. It’s that thing that’s like… oh THAT’S yummy caesar dressing.
Make this salad for your next BBQ and watch as your guests ooh and ahh over it. You might have some leftover potato salad, but you will not have any left kale caesar!!
Kale Caesar
Ingredients
- 2 bunches of Lacinato kale also known as Tuscan or Dinosaur kale
- ¼ cup of grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
- 2 cups of cubed or torn crusty bread like a ciabatta or pane di casa
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Caesar dressing see recipe
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Toss the torn bread with the salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano and olive oil on a baking sheet. When the oven is pre-heated, bake the bread pieces for about 15 minutes, until the pieces are crunchy but not too toasted. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- While the bread is cooling, prep the kale. Thoroughly wash and dry it. Either with a knife or your hands, roughly chop (or tear) the leaves – throwing away the thick part of the stalk. You can make them as big or as little as you like. Place the prepped kale in a large bowl.
- When you have all of your ingredients ready, add the croutons, cheese, and dressing and toss the salad, leaving a few croutons and some cheese to garnish once it’s all mixed. Enjoy!
Caesar Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 2-ounce can oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained
- 2 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Make an anchovy-garlic paste. Mince the anchovies and garlic together until the mixture is mostly smooth and the garlic is almost paste-like, about 3 minutes; set aside.
- Whisk the egg yolks. Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Add the mustard. Whisk in the mustard until just combined.
- Add the anchovy-garlic paste. Whisk in the anchovy-garlic mixture.
- Whisk in the lemon juice. While whisking, pour in the lemon juice, then whisk until smooth.
- Whisk in the olive oil. While whisking, slowly pour in the olive oil to create a thick emulsion. Once all of the olive oil is added, whisk for another minute to thicken.
- Finish with vegetable oil. Continue whisking and slowly pour in the vegetable oil. Again, once all of the vegetable oil is added, whisk for another minute to thicken.
- Season and serve. Whisk in the Parmesan cheese. Taste and season with black pepper as needed. Serve immediately.
Made this dressing, minus the anchovies because I didn’t have any, and it was SO good! I never order Caesar dressing when I’m out bc it’s usually so heavy and creamy, but I will definitely be making this again!