Kale Caesar Salad

If you love Caesar salad, you’re going to love this recipe! Made with crunchy kale, crispy bacon, and a creamy homemade Caesar dressing, this kale Caesar salad recipe is the delicious and nutritious at the same time. Whip it up as a main course, side dish, or a healthy appetizer.

I’ve really been getting into my Instagram stories lately. Most of the time I’m just lip-syncing to 90s music and sharing pictures of my meals, but based on the feedback I’ve been getting, people are liking it, so I’m just going to keep going! I think the reason I enjoy it is that it gives me some real-time feedback from my community and the people that are following me. As much as I LOVE blogging and sharing recipes on here, it can be hard to know what people are enjoying and what people actually want more of, so it gives us a space to connect in a fun way. Last weekend, I shared a little video asking people to send me some of their recipe requests to help me come up with new topics and recipes for the blog, and I got a ton of responses – so, thank you! I really want to share recipes that people actually want and will use, so your requests are always welcome.

One of the requests that I received was for a good Caesar salad dressing, and I was pretty into the idea, so that’s what I’m sharing this week! Caesar salad is all about the salad dressing, and although the store-bought versions can be a little dodgy, it is actually pretty simple to make at home. Although most people think all creamy dressings are “unhealthy” that is certainly not the case. In fact, in my recent post for a simple homemade mayo, I went on a rant about why mayo and cream-based sauces are not created equal, to help dispel some of these food myths.

In this recipe, I’ve swapped kale for romaine, but you can certainly use romaine instead or a combination of the two, and I kept things simple with some crispy bacon and fresh parmesan, but could certainly add a little protein in the form of chicken or steak to make this kale Caesar salad a deliciously complete meal.

Kale Caesar Salad

Author: Stephanie Kay

This kale Caesar salad recipe makes a great appetizer or side dish or can be served as a main course topped with grilled chicken or beef. The dressing can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for 3-5 days.

• Author: Stephanie Kay
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Salads, Sides
• Cuisine: Paleo, Gluten-Free

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Ingredients

Kale Caesar Salad:

• 1 head curly kale, washed and chopped
• 6 slices bacon
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan

Caesar Dressing:

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 anchovy fillets OR 2 teaspoon capers
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 cup olive oil

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Instructions

1. Begin by cooking the bacon. Preheat the oven to 400°F, add bacon to a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 minutes until crispy. Alternatively, you can cook the bacon in a frying pan, I just find the oven much easier and cleaner in the oven.
2. While the bacon is cooking, prepare the dressing. Add all ingredients, except the olive oil, to a small bowl or food processor and mix to combine. With the food processor running or while whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil in small batches to help emulsify until the dressing is thick and well combined. Once complete, set aside.
3. Once the bacon is done cooking, transfer it to a paper towel to help absorb any excess oil, and chop into small bite-size pieces.
4. Add the chopped kale to a bowl, add a sprinkle of sea salt, drizzle with half of the dressing, and use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale. The more you can massage it, the more tender the kale will be and more it will take on the flavour.
5. Once the kale has been well massaged add additional dressing to taste. You may have a little leftover dressing, mine only used half, it just depends on the size of your head of kale.
6. Top salad with chopped bacon and sprinkle with shaved parmesan.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 230 calories
• Sugar: 1 gram
• Fat: 22 grams
• Carbohydrates: 1 gram
• Fiber: 0 grams
• Protein: 7 grams

Keywords: easy, healthy