A healthy, crunchy kale Caesar salad with creamy homemade anchovy-fee Caesar dressing.
Have you ever seen the movie “The Invention of Lying?” One of my favorite parts of the movie is when Jennifer Garner’s character is on a date at a restaurant, and she says to the waiter, “I’m going to have a chicken Caesar salad, because I think I’m fat, but I also deserve something that tastes good.” Also when the granny says, “My pills make everything orange!” but that one’s not really relevant to this post.
A good Caesar salad is just that, good. But there are many Caesar salads that just fall short. There are a lot of places to go wrong: wilty lettuce, overly-salty dressing (or flavorless dressing), poor-quality cheese. And the worst is when it doesn’t taste that great, but it’s still very fattening. Caesar salads are extra notorious for being fat and calorie-packed due to loads of creamy dressing, cheese and croutons.
But you can still be like Jennifer Garner’s character with your Caesar salad. You can eat something healthier while also enjoying a tasty salad with this recipe – my Kale Caesar salad.
Mr. Table loves Caesar salads, so we make them pretty often in our house. We especially make a lot in the summer and throw the romaine and onions on the grill for a bit. But this one is more appropriate for winter with its crunchy kale leaves that are almost impossible to wilt, good quality parmesan, homemade sourdough croutons, and creamy greek yogurt Caesar dressing that’s both healthy and delicious!
I don’t buy a lot of bottled salad dressings because they tend to be loaded with salt, sugar, lower quality oils, and a bunch of other unnecessary ingredients. So I wanted to make my own Caesar dressing that was both healthy and tasty enough for Mr. Table’s salad standards. So I started with Greek yogurt, of course, for a healthy base, then added fresh parmesan, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil, all blended up with an egg (so that it doesn’t separate). It’s so easy to make, so delicious and much better for you than the bottled kinds. And it doesn’t have anchovies, so you likely already have all of the ingredients in your kitchen!
With a solid dressing to start with, all you have to do for the perfect Caesar salad is add fresh ingredients. I love to make my own croutons out of homemade sourdough bread. They’re so simple to make! Then I add fresh kale, onions, and grate some good quality parmesan over the top for a delicious and healthy Kale Caesar salad that’s hearty enough for a dude, but still healthy and light. It’s a delicious side to go with pasta, pizza, or any grilled protein. Enjoy!
A healthy, crunchy kale Caesar salad with creamy homemade anchovy-fee Caesar dressing.
Ingredients
- 1/2 bunch kale, chopped into very small pieces
- 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup Sourdough croutons (see recipe below)
- 1/4 cup Caesar dressing (see recipe below)
- 2 slices whole grain sourdough bread
- 1/2 tsp olive oil
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 3 tbsp nonfat plain greek yogurt
- 1 egg
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp dijon
- 1 tsp worcestershire
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese
- 3 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- To make croutons, preheat oven to 400° F and cut bread into cubes. Toss bread with olive oil and garlic powder and spread into a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until croutons are golden and crispy, stirring every few minutes.
- To make dressing, add all ingredients except for olive oil to a blender and blend until smooth. Slowly drizzle olive oil in while blending until you have a smooth consistency. Pour into a jar and store covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- To make the salad, Finely chop kale and add it to a large bowl. Add sliced onion and parmesan. Pour in desired amount of dressing (start with no more than 1/4 cup) and toss to coat. Sprinkle with croutons and serve immediately.
Don’t anchovies have omega-3 fatty acids? I will admit that I’m one of those people that keeps them in my house pretty much all the time. Either a tin or a jar or even anchovy paste. They’re pretty tasty!
They do contain fatty acids and a lot of other nutrients like calcium and vitamin D. Most people just don’t have them around or don’t care for them, but feel free to add them if you want!
Oh, I love a good Caesar salad and this one looks yummy! Lovely post!
Thanks Sara! Me too!