Kale Caesar Salad

One of my favorite salads of all time is a Kale Caesar Salad. They are so simple yet so delicious. If all you have is Kale, that’s all you need. However, I do love my Kale Caesar salads with some salad toppers.

I make a variation of Kale Caesar Salad almost weekly. But, I like to make it extra special and 100% plant-based with some Homemade Croutons and my Cashew Caesar Dressing.

Keep on scrolling to read about the ingredients that make up this Kale Caesar Salad, why I massage the Kale for a Kale Salad, how to top it, and some cool information about one of my favorite leafy greens, Kale.

Ingredients for Kale Caesar Salad

Kale: The base of this salad is Kale. Option to add other leafy greens with your Kale Salad, such as romaine, spinach, and/or butter lettuce. 

Dressing: Use any Caesar dressing. I prefer a homemade dressing, you can try my Cashew Caesar Dressing or any other favorite. 

Want to make Caesar Dressing sans anchovies? No problem. This Natasha’s Kitchen blog post has a great recipe. 

Croutons: Store-bought croutons work wonderfully. However, Homemade Croutons are super easy and fun to make. Or maybe you want to try something else, like some salted seeds, crunchy chickpeas, or even crumbled-up pita chips.

Toppings for Kale Caesar Salad

Below, I have listed some examples of salad toppings. These 4 categories are further explained in my article titled BYO (build your own) Salad.

Healthy Fats: This Kale Caesar Salad recipe incorporates healthy fats in the salad dressing. Additionally, healthy fats could be increased with nut and seed toppers such as hemp heart, sunflower seeds, almonds, or pecans.

Protein: If you don’t use my Cashew Caesar Dressing recipe, you could include such grilled chicken or shrimp, crispy chickpeas, or even some baked tempeh or tofu to add a protein packed punch.

Crunch: The crunch in this salad is in the homemade croutons. But, adding veggies like crunchy bell peppers, or crispy green tomatoes also adds crunch. Additionally, nuts, seeds, or roasted chickpeas add crunch!

Fruits/Veggies: The base ingredient, Kale, has you covered here. But, adding other veggies is always welcome. I love adding caper berries for a briny bite, red bell peppers for a sweet crunch, or even freeze-dried blueberries for a sweet yet crunchy addition.

Why Massage Kale for a Salad

You may have heard of massaged kale, but why do it?

Kale is fibrous and tougher than other leafy greens like arugula, spinach, butter lettuce, or romaine. Massaging the kale will help break up those fibers, thus making the kale easier to chew and digest.

Want to get your kids involved in the kitchen? Make massaged kale for a Kale Salad. This is a wonderful place for kids to explore and get involved with meal making. The massaging will help your kids explore with their senses!

Additionally, this activity is fantastic for building basic skills, encouraging an adventurous palate, and giving the kiddos a confidence boost. For more information about cooking with kids, check out these articles.

• Cooking with Preschoolers  – Reviewed by: Mary L Gavin, MD
• 5 Great Reasons to Cook with Your Kids – Author: Nimali Fernando, MD, MPH, FAAP

For more details on how to cut and massage Kale, check out my article How to Cut and Massage Kale for the Perfect Kale Salad (coming soon).

Sharper Nutrition Fix: Kale 

Kale is one of my favorite leafy greens. It is delicious, nutritious, and it’s a beautiful plant that can be used in ornamental arrangements!

Kale in the garden:

Kale grows in both hot and cold climates. However, Kale is happiest in colder climates. In my Oregon neighborhood which gets chilly at night even through the summer, my neighbors are growing tons of kale.

Kale is easy to grow. It grows in full sun (but can tolerate partial shade), and prefers a well-draining soil. Furthermore, Kale can withstand hard frosts without damage. (1)

Kale is not only an edible addition to your garden but it is also an ornamental addition to your landscape. 

A little Kale history:

Some sources say, Kale became popular in the United States during WWII. Kale was one of the vegetables promoted as an easy-to-grow and nutritious vegetable to grow and eat during wartime rationing. (2,3)

Kale nutrition:

Kale scores a perfect 1000 on the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI), a measurement scoring nutrients per calorie developed by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. In other words, Kale is loaded with nutrients like Vitamin A, C, K, iron, and calcium. Kale is also full of antioxidants, fiber, and other cancer-fighting compounds, like Sulforaphane. (1,4)

Other Recipes in this Kale Caesar Series

Cashew Caesar Dressing – (no mayo!)

How to Make Homemade Croutons

References:

1. “Real Food Encyclopedia | Kale.” Food Print, GRACE Communications Foundation, https://foodprint.org/real-food/kale/.
2. Titchmarsh, Alan. “Land Army: Alan Titchmarsh on How Gardening Became Essential for Survival during Wartime.” Express, Express Newspapers, 3 May 2015, https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/garden/574261/Gardening-during-wartime.
3. Herbst, S. T., & Herbst, R. (2007). The New Food Lover’s companion: More than 6,700 A-to-Z entries describe foods, cooking techniques, herbs, spices, desserts, wines, and the ingredients for Pleasurable dining. Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. 
4. Nandini, D. B., et al. “Sulforaphane in broccoli: The green chemoprevention!! Role in cancer prevention and therapy.” Journal of oral and maxillofacial pathology: JOMFP 24.2 (2020): 405.