• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • My Utensil Crock Logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Menu Ideas
  • Cooking Club
    • Cooking Club Themes
    • Cooking Club {Favorite Recipes}
  • Cooking Classes
  • eBook
    • Think Like a Lawyer, Blog Like a Pro
    • Legal Terms Bloggers Should Know
  • About
    • About Me
    • About the Ingredients
    • About the Pictures
    • About the Recipes
    • About My Utensil Crock {Tech + Legal}
  • Contact

My Utensil Crock

organizing my most useful kitchen tools

  • Recipes
  • Menu Ideas
  • Cooking Club
    • Cooking Club Themes
    • Cooking Club {Favorite Recipes}
  • Cooking Classes
  • eBook
    • Think Like a Lawyer, Blog Like a Pro
    • Legal Terms Bloggers Should Know
  • About
    • About Me
    • About the Ingredients
    • About the Pictures
    • About the Recipes
    • About My Utensil Crock {Tech + Legal}
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

09.30.2015

Kale Caesar Salad

Kale Caesar Salad_-7I am on a big Caesar Salad kick. Big kick. Huge kick.

And, of course, my Lacinato (Dinosaur) Kale kick is going on, like, year 3.

Therefore, the stars have aligned for a Kale Caesar Salad.

Kale Caesar Salad_-3Nothing is fresher than a salad, right? But guess what. The ingredients for this particular salad are actually very easy to keep on-hand. While still being fresh. Mind. Blown.

You may have seen one of these delicious salads on my Instagram diary of my in-stock cooking week – I had all of the ingredients in my fridge and pantry. Skeptical? Let’s discuss. Starting with the big green bowl above, and moving counter-clockwise…

  • Lacinato Kale. I love this healthy green for many reasons, but a biggie for my busy weeknights (and weekends) is that it keeps for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. What? I know. Bags and buckets of spinach keep like 5 days – maybe 6. But it’s true. I store my stalks of kale in a large bowl in the fridge that is partially filled with water. The leaves are usually about half-submerged, and I rotate them every few days to make sure they all get a chance to sip on the water.
  • Dressing. Homemade, of course, from ingredients you have, or should definitely consider having, all the time. Extra virgin olive oil, dijon mustard, a garlic clove, lemon juice (bottled or from a fresh lemon), and parmesan reggiano cheese (see immediately below).
  • Parmesan Reggiano. I get a bucket of this versatile grated cheese from Trader Joe’s, and, if I don’t finish it from snacking alone, it will last in the fridge for a few weeks.
  • Panko-Anchovy Topping. Made from panko, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and a few anchovy fillets – and lemon zest if you have it – it’s easy to make this so-very-caesar alternative to croutons from ingredients you can keep in stock.

Put it all together and whattayagot?

Kale Caesar Salad_-6Yeah.

Let’s unpack some of these ingredients, because I admit it, they can sound scary. But – are not.

KALE. LACINATO KALE. If you “don’t really like kale,” you likely have not tried this variety, sliced thin-as-thin-can-be, and dressed well. Truth be told, I’m not big on the curly stuff, just this long stalk, that is like a tougher romaine. It doesn’t give you that literally-bit-off-more-than-I-can-chew feeling that curly kale does. Just chop it into very fine strips, discarding the tough stems, and make sure to massage in the dressing a bit before serving. But don’t let it sit too long! The kale will drink that dressing right up (which is easily rectified by adding more dressing).Kale Caesar Salad_HOMEMADE CAESAR DRESSING. Adapted from this Neely recipe, I love the flavor-to-ease-of-assembly ratio. Like 100:1. All of the ingredients just go in the mini-prep, and you are off to the races. See above note regarding how thirsty kale can be, drinking up this dressing!

Kale Caesar Salad_-4PANKO-ANCHOVY TOPPING. You may remember this little gem from a Roasted Asparagus with Panko-Anchovy Topping post of days gone by. I “don’t like anchovies” either, but you can’t see them. “They’re just there for the flavor.” Note: I never understood this Mom-ism, until I started cooking. My mom used to say it all the time about onions in spaghetti sauce, in my pre-onion-loving days. And now, I say it to you. Circle of mom. Kale Caesar Salad_-2

Kale Caesar Salad
 
Print
Prep time
25 mins
Total time
25 mins
 
Healthy and homemade twists on a classic. Top with a protein of your choice, like poached chicken, or salmon.
Author: myutensilcrock.com
Recipe type: Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing:
  • 2 T lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 T dijon mustard
  • .25 - .5 c parmesan reggiano
  • extra virgin olive oil
For the kale:
  • Bunch of lacinato (dinosaur) kale, sliced into the thinnest strips possible.
For the Panko-Anchovy Topping:
  • ⅓ c extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 to 7 anchovy filets
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 c panko
  • zest from one lemon (optional)
Instructions
For the dressing:
  1. Place the lemon juice, garlic clove, and mustard in a small food processor.
  2. Process until the ingredients are combined and the garlic as finely chopped as possible.
  3. Add some of the cheese and process again.
  4. Slowly stream in the olive oil (there are tiny holes in the lid of my processor for this precise purpose) until it reaches the consistency you like.
  5. Stir in extra cheese, to your taste.
For the Panko-Anchovy Topping:
  1. Heat the olive oil and anchovies in a small sauce pan over medium to high heat, stirring constantly, until the anchovies are almost dissolved.
  2. If anchovies gross you out, you can strain out any remaining pieces if you would like, before proceeding to the next step. Just do it carefully because you are working with hot oil!
  3. Remove from heat and stir in the garlic for 30 seconds. It may brown quickly in the hot oil.
  4. Add the panko and stir until golden and the oil absorbs. Again, it may brown pretty quickly.
  5. Stir in the lemon zest, if using.
Assemble the salad:
  1. Place the kale in a large bowl, and massage a bit of the dressing into kale - just squeeze it through.
  2. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then when ready to serve, add additional dressing.
  3. Top the salad with the Panko-Anchovy Topping, and additional cheese.
3.3.3077

Kale Caesar Salad_-5

If you liked this post, I recommend:

  • Kale and Spinach Greek Yogurt DipKale and Spinach Greek Yogurt Dip
  • Super Salad Slaw with Cider Vinegar DressingSuper Salad Slaw with Cider Vinegar Dressing
  • Kale Greek SaladKale Greek Salad
  • Lemon & Parmesan Orzo with KaleLemon & Parmesan Orzo with Kale
  • Southwest Quinoa BowlSouthwest Quinoa Bowl
  • Middle-Eastern Kale & Brussels Sprout SaladMiddle-Eastern Kale & Brussels Sprout Salad
  • Print
  • Email
  • Tweet

Posted In: Recipe, Salads

Reader Interactions

Tell me what you think! Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

I love healthy food, but I love it more when it doesn’t taste like healthy food. Best of both worlds! Click around to find some of my tried and true staples - and new recipes too, whether my own ideas, inspired by other blogs, torn from the pages of a magazine, or passed through friends or family. Learn more about me and My Utensil Crock HERE.

– Chicken Noodle Soup
– Banana Cookies
– Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
– 20-minute Breakfast Platter
– Easy Homemade Meatballs

Join Me!

Follow My Utensil Crock

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
Buy Think Like a Lawyer NOW!

My Latest Pins

  • Ga’s Easy Blueberry Coffee Cake
  • Ga’s Easy Blueberry Coffee Cake
  • One-Pot Stovetop Lasagna Ragu with Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage
  • One-Pot Stovetop Lasagna Ragu with Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage
  • Ga’s Brownies
  • Ga’s Brownies
Follow Me on Pinterest

Footer Widget Header

Subscribe by email to receive posts, recipes, and tips straight to your inbox!

Footer

Connect with Me

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Search This Site

Archives

Chocolate chip sandwich bread made for this month’s “chocolate” themed baking club for work. Chips from @breadfurst (the best chips). Would make an excellent French toast. Just sayin.
Does this plate make my pancake look big? #🥞 Does this plate make my pancake look big? #🥞
Finished product. See previous post for action vid Finished product. See previous post for action video! #rotisseriechicken #breeo #kudu
Three old bananas 🍌🍌🍌 + ❄️ = a Banana Three old bananas 🍌🍌🍌 + ❄️ = a Banana bread with tahini and silan!  About 15 min left in the oven. Recipe by @soomfoods on their website. #bananabread #tahini #silan
#2021margaritas #alexandriarestaurantweek @loscuat #2021margaritas #alexandriarestaurantweek @loscuatesalexandria
I achieved my goal for the week: I ate the kale be I achieved my goal for the week: I ate the kale before it went bad. Turns out merely owning kale isn’t the healthy part. #kale #dinokale #🥬
Snow! Day! (So thrilled to find ziti in my pantry) Snow! Day! (So thrilled to find ziti in my pantry)
We hosted @jeanyvi ‘s virtual baby shower becaus We hosted @jeanyvi ‘s virtual baby shower because we love her, not for this cake - sorry - THESE CAKES - from her parents. But, who are we to decline. ;) Also, @lanerbugg14 has been holding back these ✨gorgeous✨ plates!
Last night’s seafood extravaganza. Shrimp, lobst Last night’s seafood extravaganza. Shrimp, lobster, scallops, and lump crab on the @breeo.co. Fun experimenting, but the lobster tail won, followed by shrimp and scallops and crab (which would be awesome on top of steak). Cold cold night, but fun pandemic distraction. #breeo #seafood #smorgasbord
Breakfast today basically took a picture of itself Breakfast today basically took a picture of itself. Greek yogurt, peanut butter, and silan (a sweetener just made from dates, used instead of honey, by @soomfoods).
Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2012 - 2020 · My Utensil Crock, LLC · Blog Design by Little Blue Deer
Privacy Policy

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.