Romaine is the Caesar salad green of choice but we wanted a heartier leaf that would give us more nutrients per carb, so important for the keto diet where every carb counts. Kale, with its pungent earthiness, was our natural choice: it’s nutrient-dense, and it paired beautifully with the tangy Caesar dressing—perhaps even better than romaine. And though using raw kale sounds like it would be healthiest, we learned that soaking the greens in warm water first helped to break down the fibrous cell walls and made nutrients such as iron and vitamins A and C more available for absorption. A 10-minute soak did the trick and also tenderized the kale.

For the dressing, initially a traditional Caesar egg-based dressing seemed the way to go, but a thicker mayonnaise-based dressing stood up better to the greens. To the mayonnaise, we added Parmesan and three anchovy fillets, which brought savoriness and healthy omega-3 fats. With our dressing reworked, the salad was ready to toss; we then gave it a 20-minute rest to blend the flavors before serving, and topped the salad with Parmesan frico chips to replace traditional croutons. You should have about 4 ounces of kale after stemming.

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Instructions :

  1. For the frico: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat ovento 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Spread Parmesan into 5-inch circle in center of prepared sheet. Bake until light golden, 7 to 9 minutes. Let frico cool on sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer frico to plate, discarding parchment, and let cool completely. Break frico into 1½-inch-wide pieces; set aside for serving.
  3. For the salad Place kale in large bowl and cover with warm tap water (110 to 115 degrees). Swish kale around to remove grit. Let kale sit in warm water bath for 10 minutes. Remove kale from water
    and spin dry in salad spinner in multiple batches. Pat leaves dry with paper towels if still wet.
  4. Whisk Parmesan, oil, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, anchovies, and garlic together in bowl. Add kale and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, topped with frico chips, if desired.
Kale Caesar Salad

Kale Caesar Salad

Romaine is the Caesar salad green of choice but we wanted a heartier leaf that would give us more nutrients per carb, so important for the keto diet where every carb counts. Kale, with its pungent earthiness, was our natural choice: it’s nutrient-dense, and it paired beautifully with the tangy Caesar dressing—perhaps even better than romaine.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Vegan Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 2
Calories 423 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ounce Parmesan cheese shredded (¼ cup) SALAD
  • 6 ounces curly kale stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 3 anchovy fillets rinsed and minced
  • 1 garlic clove minced to paste

Instructions
 

  • For the frico: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat ovento 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Spread Parmesan into 5-inch circle in center of prepared sheet. Bake until light golden, 7 to 9 minutes. Let frico cool on sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer frico to plate, discarding parchment, and let cool completely. Break frico into 1½-inch-wide pieces; set aside for serving.
  • For the salad Place kale in large bowl and cover with warm tap water (110 to 115 degrees). Swish kale around to remove grit. Let kale sit in warm water bath for 10 minutes. Remove kale from water
  • and spin dry in salad spinner in multiple batches. Pat leaves dry with paper towels if still wet.
  • Whisk Parmesan, oil, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, anchovies, and garlic together in bowl. Add kale and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, topped with frico chips, if desired.
Keyword Kale Caesar Salad