THE Kale Caesar Salad Recipe

Recipe: Kale Caesar Salad Recipe »

This easy and nutritious Kale Caesar Salad is perfect for meal prep or entertaining. Made with just 5 simple ingredients, it stays fresh for 1-2 days! Topped with golden pangrattato crumbs instead of croutons for crunch, it's a delicious side dish or light main with some protein additions. Save this recipe for your next barbecue, weeknight dinner or make ahead lunch.

About This Kale Salad Recipe

This incredible kale caesar salad recipe is based on one that I ate recently at a pizza shop called Frankly Nick's where it has a cult following. It was so good that I wanted to eat it again immediately. And best of all Dear Reader? It can be made 1-2 days ahead of time and only has a few ingredients! Plus there are also options for adding protein to this kale salad.

One of the reasons I love this salad (apart from the taste) is how versatile this is. Curly kale is one of those salad leaves that responds well to being massaged and bashed about a bit. It's hardy! So it's great to make ahead for lunchboxes or picnics as it won't really wilt like regular salad leaves will. And what's not to love about a salad that actually gets better 1-2 days after?

It also has just 5 ingredients so there is no excuse not to try it ;)

Video How To Make Kale Salad Recipe

Video: How to Make a Kale Caesar Salad

Ingredients For Kale Salad

Kale - Kale is a nutritional powerhouse. We are using curly kale for this salad. You can also use Tuscan kale or Cavolo Nero.

Olive oil - Always choose extra virgin olive oil as it is the best form of olive oil.

Dressing - Use your favourite caesar dressing. Sometimes when I don't have any I also use mayonnaise and it still tastes great! Ranch dressing can also be used.

Cheese - Use Pecorino, parmesan or any hard cheese that has a strong flavour. Cheddar would also work. I've also tried this with a truffle pecorino cheese too.

Breadcrumbs - Any breadcrumbs work for this whether it be sourdough, French bread, white bread or brioche breadcrumbs.

Garlic - I use garlic powder for this recipe as it distributes well in the pangrattato. You can also use 1 teaspoon of finely grated garlic too but toss it well in the breadcrumbs.

Tips For This Kale Salad

1 - I made this for Christmas lunch and it was great because I dressed the salad part 2 days ahead of time. The extra time in the fridge soften curly kale. Otherwise curly kale can be a bit dry and unpleasant to eat. The massaging tenderises it perfectly.

2 - While it will look like a lot of kale, once you massage it with the oil and dressing, the volume will reduce.

3 - Raw kale or cooked? There is also the option to blanch the kale for 30 seconds in simmering water to soften it a little more (make sure to drain the water out of it well by squeezing it). Cooked vs raw kale have different nutritional benefits. Raw kale is better for Vitamin C as it is heat sensitive but cooking kale reduces oxalates and makes iron and calcium easily available (and is generally easier to digest).

4 - Pangrattato are delicious Italian seasoned breadcrumbs often called "poor man's parmesan". They're so easy to make and were invented as an inexpensive substitute for parmesan cheese using leftover bread.

5 - Additions to this salad to add protein or add texture that I love are:

Crispy fried bacon pieces

Poached chicken breast or chicken salad

Avocado and halved cherry tomatoes (season the tomatoes with salt and pepper before adding). This is what I most often add to this salad.

Dried cranberries

Smoked Salmon

Other kale salad recipes that you might to try next are this Sweet Potato and Kale salad or this beetroot kale salad or this kale and white anchovy salad.

Kale Caesar Salad Recipe

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Recipe Overview

Preparation time: 7 minutes

Cooking time: 7 minutes

Serves: 6 as a side dish

This salad is best started 1 day ahead.

Ingredients Needed

• 1 bunch kale leaves, washed, dried and leaves stripped from stems (190g/6.7ozs stripped weight)
• 60ml/2flozs extra virgin olive oil
• 60g/2ozs Caesar dressing or mayonnaise
• 40g/1.7ozs pecorino cheese (or parmesan)
• Salt and Pepper

For pangrattato

• 60g/2ozs breadcrumbs (I used brioche crumbs)
• 40ml/1.7flozs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1 PREPARE - To prepare kale, strip from the stem and wash the leaves in cold water. Dry in a tea towel making sure to blot excess water or pass through a salad spinner. Tear the leaves into bite sized pieces.

Step 2 MASSAGE - Place half the kale leaves in a bowl and pour half the olive oil over it and massage with hands well, coating the leaves well. This will reduce in volume. Add the remaining half of kale and olive oil and massage. Then massage in the dressing or mayonnaise ensuring all leaves are coated. At this stage you can place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for a night or two.

Step 3 TOAST - To make the pangrattato, place a frying pan or skillet on medium heat and add the breadcrumbs. Toast the breadcrumbs in the dry pan, stirring frequently so that the crumbs don't catch or burn. Once they are golden toasted, add the olive oil and stir to crisp up the breadcrumbs. They should be delicious and crispy. Add the garlic powder and saute for 30 seconds, then remove from the heat. Cool completely.

Step 4 SERVE - Finely grate 3/4 of the cheese over the kale leaves and toss. Place the leaves onto a serving platter. Grate the remaining 1/4 of the cheese on top. Then add the pangrattato on top just before serving.

Personal Note

This is a great salad to bring along to picnic because it doesn't wilt. I like to bring it along to Elliott parties and I just add some avocado to it. A few Elliotts have had their birthday and usually the Elliotts give each other a huge box of fruit and everyone puts in for it and they end up with a delicious box of seasonal fruit.

It was Manu's birthday and his sister Amaya put together a big fruit box. In the box was a massive avocado that weighed an enormous 1.247kgs. Everyone was hoping that he would open it up and he did with his hands as it was perfectly ripe. "What do we do with it now?" some asked and someone suggested guacamole.

"I can make it!" I said remembering that I had all the ingredients except for coriander in my fridge. And then with the leftover we also added some into this salad because there was more avocado than anyone could even eat!

So tell me Dear Reader, would you eat this as is or would you add a protein or something else to it? Have you ever tried one of those gigantic avocadoes?

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