Kale Caesar Salad
This is a perfect way to get more nutrients into your favorite salad – add kale!
Because kale lacks moisture in its leaves and has a fibrous cell structure, it is quite hard and dry. Eating it raw, like in a salad can be a bit unpalatable so you should do one of two things to it first:
- Blanch the chopped kale in a pot of rapidly boiling water for 20 seconds. Quickly drain then rinse under cold water until all traces of heat are gone from the leaves. Pat dry and use as needed.
- Tenderize the leaves by kneading them to break up their fibrous inner structure. After removing the rib from the kale use your hands and squeeze the leaves, or place the leaves in a partially opened zipper lock bag and roll over it with a rolling pin. You need to do either method for about 2 minutes to get the leaves softened enough to make a difference.
Now that you know how to prepare fresh kale, let’s add some to a traditional Caesar salad for a delicious and nutrient packed meal!
Process ingredients in a blender until smooth, then slowly pour in the oil while the machine is running.
Tenderize or blanch kale to soften their leaves. Blanching happens so quickly that none of the kale’s nutrients are lost. To blanch, place chopped kale leaves in a pot of boiling water for 20 seconds, swirling them around so they are submerged.
After 20 seconds, place in a colander and run under cold water until leaves are cold. Drain well then lay on a clean towel and pat dry.
For quick croutons, cut up some gluten free bread or buns into cubes. Drizzle with some oil and fry in a skillet, turning until all sides are golden. You can even season them with some garlic salt for added flavor.
Pour in some dressing and toss with the leaves until fully coated.
Kale Caesar Salad
Ingredients
Dressing (Makes about 1 cup)
- 1 Tbsp GF Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp dry mustard
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese finely grated (or powdered style)
- 1/2 tsp sugar optional
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 egg optional
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Salad
- 1 head kale rinsed
- 1 head Romaine lettuce rinsed
- 2 cups GF croutons
Garnish (optional)
- Lemon wedges
- Shaved Parmesan cheese
- GF bacon bits
Instructions
- For dressing, mix all ingredients except oil, in a blender and process until smooth. Slowly pour oil in with machine running, in a thin stream.
- To prepare salad, rinse and chop Romaine into bite-sized pieces. Remove tough stem from kale and chop into bite-sized pieces. You can leave as is, although if you blanch the kale in a pot of boiling water for 20 seconds (then remove and quickly run cold water over it, drain well) it will be much more tender and not so dry tasting (but it will still be very crispy!).
- Combine lettuce with some dressing and toss until fully coated. Garnish if desired.
Why is an egg listed in the recipe ingredients, but you never mention adding it (even though it is listed as optional).
Sorry, just a type – meant to say ‘except oil’. I have updated the recipe, thanks for the catch!
Have to try this!
The key to really having it taste seamless in the salad alongside the romaine, is to quickly blanch the kale. I know its an extra step, but it really tenderizes the kale and adds more moisture it its leaves. Let me know how you like it!