You guys- hell may have frozen over. I’m posting a non dessert as my first post of 2014! I actually had a sweet recipe originally planned for today, but I posted a poll on my facebook page and majority ruled a salad recipe first and back to treats next week. :)
Luckily this salad is not only full of healthy dark, leafy greens, but it is so so good. I love this enough to have made it several times already and I pretty much crave it daily. There is a great salad place in the city called sweetgreens that makes a kale caesar that I used to go to every week or so for my fix but now I don’t have to! Their version is half kale/half romaine but I love the all kale version and I need those greens so there ya go!
This was my first time making my own caesar dressing and also my first time making a “massaged” kale salad which results in super soft tender greens that aren’t the least bit tough or rough like I always assume kale salads to be. The dressing is perfectly flavored and some delicious crunch is added from topping the salad with “parmesan crisps” which are crunchy toasts with crispy parmesan on top. (They add a great touch but regular croutons work too!)
As I get closer to baby time I’ve found myself craving sweets. A lot. My midwife wants me to try to cut back on them in the final stretch so I hope you don’t mind a greater mix of sweet and savory as we go forward. I genuinely loved this salad and felt so good to be getting all those vitamins and nutrients from the kale. It’s a new favorite for sure! :)
- 1For the dressing:
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
- 3-4 anchovy fillets
- 2½ tbsp. mayonnaise
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 oz. Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 bunch kale, about 8-12 oz., with ribs removed, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- Parmesan crisps or croutons
- ½ cup grape/cherry tomatoes. (optional)
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
- Use a fork to mash the anchovies into a paste and add to a small bowl along with the mayo, garlic, lemon juice, oil and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk together until well combined. Add the pepper and parmesan and continue to whisk until a smooth (ish) dressing has formed. Add more pepper or salt to taste.
- In a large bowl, drizzle oil onto kale. Use your hands to massage the oil into the greens for a few minutes until they are shiny and tender.
- Add the parmesan crisps or croutons and tomatoes.
- Toss with the dressing and top with grated parmesan.
Recipe adapted from: Annie's Eats via Three Many Cooks
Taylor @ FoodFaithFitness says
I have never heard of massaged kale, but I love it if it makes the greens a bit softer! I generally avoid kale salads for that very reason. I love love love this salad and the idea of swapping the nutrient-rich kale instead of the regular romaine lettuce! Pinned!
Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough says
I have seriously been craving caesar salad like WHOA lately. So this kale version is definitely happening ASAP.
Lily @ Life, Love, and Cupcakes says
I have come to love Caesar salads recently and crave them often! I’m not a big fan of kale, but will have to try the massaged version, because this sounds like a great way to get more nutrients in a Caesar!
Katrina @ WVS says
This salad is totally calling my name!! LOVE it!
Vicky says
This looks super tasty and I will definitely be trying it out sometime soon! Can’t wait to see what other savoury recipes you share with us in the future :)
Meagan @ A Zesty Bite says
This salad has me drooling. Salads don’t normally have me craving them but this is a winner.
Baker Momma says
This looks wonderful and I can’t wait to try it. Where did you get the Parmesan crisps, or did you make those?
Audra says
Sorry for the late response- I bought them at Trader Joes- but you could totally make them :)
Francesca says
Who knew homemade caesar was so easy? Not me. Looks absolutely delicious!
tara says
Yum Audra! This looks delicious! I love kale, when it’s done right! I love that you took a poll-I guess everyone (myself included!) over-indulged on Christmas treats! :)
Stephie @ EYHO says
If all of my salads looked this gorgeous, I would totally crave them all of the time. And caesar dressing? I could drink the stuff. (Gross, but true.) Happy 2014!
Erin @ The Speckled Palate says
Oh my goodness. This looks delightful, and honestly, I could use a good salad or five in this new year, so I’m definitely saving this recipe for later. Never made Caesar dressing before, but I think it’s high time I tried, especially since this just sounds too good to pass up!
Nutmeg Nanny says
I’ve been on a kale kick lately, this is perfect :)
Courtney says
This looks fabulous! I love kale but have never made a massaged kale salad. I need to get on that.