Easy Kale Roma Caesar Salad with Creamy Parmesan Dressing no egg. Great for a potluck!
Everyone loves a good Caesar Salad. It’s all about the garlic, parmesan, crunchy romaine lettuce and crunchy garlic croutons, right?
Well, try adding fresh kale leaves to your caesar next time! You don’t have to replace all the romaine lettuce with kale. In fact, an equal amount of each is just right in our opinion. You get the green goodness of the kale along with the cool crunch of the romaine, the best of both worlds.
You wouldn’t think of bringing a pre-prepared green salad to a cookout or picnic, but with this Kale Caesar you can. Romaine hearts keep pretty well, and kale? It’s like it dares you to let it sit dressed for hours. Kohl doesn’t care. It’s so happily robust that it appreciates the tenderizing influence of a dressing.
Speaking of which, the dressing for this recipe came from my chef friend, Kathi Riley. There’s no egg and no anchovies, but it’s still wonderfully creamy.
Kale Caesar Salad with Creamy Parmesan Dressing
Note that the kale is quite firm, so you can prepare it a few hours in advance.
Pro tip: Since ciabatta bread has big holes, it makes for great croutons! Light and airy.
ingredients
- Croutons:
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6 cups 1-inch cubed rustic bread (ciabatta or Italian bread)
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1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
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1 garlic clove, chopped (about 1 teaspoon)
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Vinaigrette:
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1 clove of garlic
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1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
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1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
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1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar (can substitute apple cider vinegar)
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1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
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1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
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1/3 cup grated parmesan (use veggie parmesan for the veggie option)
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1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salad:
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8 cups kale leaves (lightly wrapped), ribs removed and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
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2 large hearts of romaine lettuce, halve lengthwise, then halve again lengthwise, then cut diagonally across into 1-inch strips
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4 tablespoons grated parmesan
method
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Toast croutons:
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Spread bread cubes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Take out of the oven. While still warm, toss in a bowl with the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.
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Prepare vinaigrette:
Place the vinaigrette ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
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Assemble the salad:
Place the chopped kale and romaine leaves in a large bowl. Add the dressing and massage with your (clean) hands until the salad is well dressed. (Massaging the kale with your hands will help soften the leaves.) Alternatively, dress the salad and let sit for an hour or two to allow the dressing to soften the robust kale.
Add the croutons and parmesan.
Links:
Grilled romaine lettuce here on Simply Recipes
Caesar Salad here on Simply Recipes
