Swap romaine for curly kale to make this amazing kale caesar salad with crunchy sourdough croutons and a creamy, healthy caesar dressing.
Yesterday I shared my go-to healthy caesar dressing and today I’m sharing my new favorite caesar salad! Instead of making this salad with romaine lettuce, which isn’t that nutritious, I decided to make it with kale. Kale is one of my favorite leafy greens and is a much healthier option as it’s packed with tons of vitamins and minerals.
I kept this recipe pretty simple mainly because the croutons and dressing already add a ton of flavor, but feel free to customize this salad to your liking. I’ve been enjoying this salad for lunches during the week topped with sliced avocado and grilled chicken. It’s SO good!
Leafy green veggies are the most nutrient-rich foods on Earth and kale is no exception. Kale is a powerhouse green. It’s low in calories and packed with nutrients! Kale is really high in vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, C and K as well as potassium. It’s also a good plant-based source of calcium and is loaded with antioxidants. Overall, kale is one of the healthiest and most nutritious leafy greens available to us (Source).
I topped this salad with my homemade healthy caesar dressing. It’s made with Greek yogurt instead of egg yolks or mayo, anchovies, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, dijon mustard, parmesan cheese, salt and black pepper. Just add all your ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
It’s absolutely delicious and is packed with all the caesar flavor you love while being lighter in calories and fat than a traditional caesar dressing. I also have this avocado caesar dressing that would be delicious paired with the kale and croutons.
If you don’t have the ingredients on hand to make homemade caesar dressing, you can also use your favorite store-bought dressing. Just be mindful of the ingredients and look for clean ingredient lists without cheap, hydrogenated oils, HFCS, tons of additives, food coloring and thickeners. One of my favorites is this Primal Kitchen dairy-free caesar dressing.
This salad can definitely be customized! Here are some suggestions:
Switch up the greens – if you’re not a fan of kale, feel free to use your favorite lettuce or leafy green instead. Romaine would be my second choice for this salad.
Add veggies – I love the simplicity of this salad, but feel free to toss in as many veggies as you’d like! If I were to add more vegetables to this salad I would add chopped cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and avocado.
Add protein – turn this salad into a meal-sized salad by topping it with some protein. It’s delicious paired with my apple cider vinegar chicken or air fryer chicken breast, but grilled shrimp, baked tofu, tempeh, crispy air fryer chickpeas, or hard-boiled eggs would all be tasty options.
This salad is super simple to throw together in the moment, but you can also prep it in advance! Here’s what I recommend:
Be sure to check out all of my kale recipes as well as the full collection of salad recipes on EBF!
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