Kale Caesar Salad

There’s nothing quite like a good Kale Caesar Salad! This is drizzled with a creamy vinaigrette and covered with crunchy breadcrumbs.

There’s nothing quite like a classic Caesar salad…unless it is Cesar salad! Using savory kale leaves in a Caesar salad has become popular in restaurants, and with good reason. The fluffy, rippled texture of the leaves is ideal for tossing in Caesar dressing. This twist on Kale Caesar is our favorite, with a fresh, creamy house dressing and crunchy breadcrumbs in every bite. It’s versatile enough to go with just about anything and the taste? This could be the most addictive salad you’ve ever had. (Addictive salad? Yes, you heard that right.)

Ingredients for this Caesar Salad with Kale

Using kale in a Caesar salad became popular in the early 2000s. According to Taste, the first instances of kale salad were at Mario Batali’s restaurant Lupa in 2002 and at chef Joshua McFadden’s at Franny’s in New York in 2007. These days, a kale salad is as ubiquitous as a taco, so it was only a time before Caesar dressing was added to the mix.

In our Kale Caesar Salad, we first massage the kale leaves until they’re soft, then toss them in our favorite Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing. What you need for this Kale Caesar Salad:

Use Tuscan cabbage, but Curly Works

This Kale Caesar Salad works with any type of kale, but the best option here is Tuscan kale. This dark green Italian variety of kale has a milder flavor than kale, which can be quite spicy. We work almost exclusively with this type of kale in our recipes. Kale works too, but look for Tuscan if you can find it.

• tuscan cabbage, also known as lacinato or dinosaur cabbage, has dark green, flat leaves and a slightly bitter taste. It’s common in Italian dishes like this Tuscan White Bean Soup or this Kale Soup.
• Kale is a lighter green and very curly. The taste is bitter and spicy, which is why we usually prefer Tuscan cabbage.

Avoid using baby kale here. baby kale is kale that is harvested before it is ripe and sold in crates at grocery stores and farmers markets. It’s much more tender and doesn’t stand up to the creamy dressing here.

First, massage the kale

Kale is a delicious green salad, but it has a chewy, fibrous texture. How to make it more appetizing? Massage first! Yes, playing masseuse with your veggies seems counterintuitive. But all you have to do is drizzle a little oil over it and then massage the leaves with your fingers until they are soft and supple. This helps soften the flavor and soften the texture of the raw leaves.

For the kale Caesar dressing

The star of this Kale Caesar Salad is the fresh and creamy homemade Caesar dressing. This is a staple we’ve made in our family for years: and we hope you love it as much as we do! Using Greek yogurt will lighten it up and reduce the calories of a standard Caesar. Here’s what you need:

• Greek yogurt: For a fresh and healthy twist, use Greek yogurt to replace some of the standard mayonnaise! It saves calories while remaining irresistibly creamy.
• Mayonnaise: That signature savory creaminess comes from mayonnaise: you need it to help the dressing stick to the greens.
• lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice brings a touch of acidity.
• Parmesan cheese: Parmesan brings a savory savory flavor.
• Anchovy Paste or Worcestershire Sauce: Anchovies are very traditional or substitute a vegetarian sauce for the Worcestershire sauce.
• Garlic & Dijon Mustard: These round off the hot and spicy taste.

Vegan variant

Want to make a vegan Kale Caesar Salad instead? Swap in this Vegan Caesar Dressing! It’s loaded with chickpea, lemon, and miso paste flavors to make a big flavor statement. Go to the recipe for more.

Italian panko replaces croutons

Croutons are a staple of any good Caesar salad. But this Kale Caesar has breadcrumbs in it! Sprinkle your salad with a sprinkling of panko and it’ll have a crunchy texture that spreads with every bite. Here are some pointers for using panko and Italian panko in a salad:

• Panko is a Japanese-style mix of breadcrumbs which is airier and lighter than conventional breadcrumbs. It has a crunchy texture that tastes better on salads (store-bought breadcrumbs are much finer with an almost sandy texture).
• “Italian” means that herbs and salt are added. You should be able to find Italian panko or panko easily at your local grocery store.
• You only have regular panko? Mix ½ cup panko with ⅛ tsp kosher salt and ½ tbsp Italian seasoning (or 1 tsp dried oregano and ¼ tsp dried basil and thyme).
• Would you like to use homemade breadcrumbs? You can do that too. Go to How to Make Breadcrumbs.

And that’s it! Let us know how you like this one in the comments: it’s one of our favorites that makes leafy kale irresistibly delicious.

More kale recipes

do you like kale? This prized vegetable will surely be reborn in popular cuisine. Here are some tastier kale recipes:

This Kale Caesar Salad recipe is…

Vegetarian. For gluten-free, use panko or gluten-free croutons. For vegans, use the vegan Caesar dressing.