Ultimate Chopped Kale Caesar Salad
This ultimate chopped kale Caesar is everything you want in a salad! Creamy, lemony Caesar dressing evenly coats finely chopped kale, creating the perfect canvas for a shower of garlicky, crispy breadcrumbs, smoky bacon bits, and finely grated Parmesan cheese.
Whenever my husband and I travel to Idaho to see family, we usually stop at a place called Side A Brewing in La Grande, Oregon, for a lunch break. They have incredible food, especially their kale salad, which is tossed with a lemony Caesar dressing and loaded with homemade garlicky breadcrumbs and tons of salty bacon bits. I’ve had a craving for it, so I re-created it at home and made this ultimate chopped kale Caesar salad recipe. The salad was a big hit with my husband and daughter, and it paired nicely with a bowl of tomato soup and some crusty bread.
Ultimate Chopped Kale Caesar Salad
Lemony Caesar Dressing:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Parmesan, finely grated, plus for serving
- 2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice, to taste (we like it lemony!)
- 1 tsp anchovies, chopped (leave out for vegetarian version)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 large clove of garlic, finely grated
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Bacon Bits:
- 3 slices of bacon
Garlicky Breadcrumbs:
- ¼ hunk of day-old rustic bread or sourdough bread
- 1 tbsp butter
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1-2 cloves of garlic, finely grated, to taste
Salad:
- 3 cups curly kale, stems removed, and very finely chopped
- 2 cups lacinato kale, stems removed, and very finely chopped
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Serving:
- Parmesan, finely grated
- Lemon wedges
How to Make an Ultimate Chopped Kale Caesar Salad
Prepare the lemony Caesar salad dressing by combining the mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, anchovies, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to taste in a small glass jar. Blend with an immersion blender until creamy and smooth. Set aside to allow the flavors some time to mingle.
Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned and crispy. Set aside on a paper towel to drain. Chop into small bits and set aside to cool.
Prepare the garlicky bread crumbs by placing the hunk of day-old bread in a food processor. Pulse until fine breadcrumbs form.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, along with paprika, garlic powder, onion powders, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Cook, stirring often, for 7-10 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and crispy.
Add the finely grated garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove the breadcrumbs from the skillet into a bowl and set aside to cool.
Prepare the chopped kale salad by cleaning the kale, removing all stems, and chopping very finely.
Dress the kale by placing it in a large bowl and drizzling some of the lemony Caesar dressing to taste, and tossing it very well to coat it evenly.
Serve the salad by pouring it onto a serving plate and topping it with cooled bacon bits, garlicky breadcrumbs, and finely grated parmesan. Top with freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
Serve immediately, along with additional Parmesan and lemon wedges. Enjoy.
Ingredients
Lemony Caesar Dressing:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Parmesan finely grated, plus for serving
- 2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice to taste (we like it lemony!)
- 1 tsp anchovies chopped (leave out for vegetarian version)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 large clove of garlic finely grated
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Bacon Bits:
- 3 slices of bacon
Garlicky Breadcrumbs:
- ¼ hunk of day-old rustic bread or sourdough bread
- 1 tbsp butter
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1-2 cloves of garlic finely grated, to taste
Salad:
- 3 cups curly kale stems removed, and very finely chopped
- 2 cups lacinato kale stems removed, and very finely chopped
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- Serving:
- Parmesan finely grated
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Prepare the lemony Caesar salad dressing by combining the mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, anchovies, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to taste in a small glass jar. Blend with an immersion blender until creamy and smooth. Set aside to allow the flavors some time to mingle.
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned and crispy. Set aside on a paper towel to drain. Chop into small bits and set aside to cool.
- Prepare the garlicky bread crumbs by placing the hunk of day-old bread in a food processor. Pulse until fine breadcrumbs form.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, along with paprika, garlic powder, onion powders, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Cook, stirring often, for 7-10 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and crispy.
- Add the finely grated garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove the breadcrumbs from the skillet into a bowl and set aside to cool.
- Prepare the chopped kale salad by cleaning the kale, removing all stems, and chopping very finely.
- Dress the kale by placing it in a large bowl and drizzling some of the lemony Caesar dressing to taste, and tossing it very well to coat it evenly.
- Serve the salad by pouring it onto a serving plate and topping it with cooled bacon bits, garlicky breadcrumbs, and finely grated parmesan. Top with freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately, along with additional Parmesan and lemon wedges. Enjoy.
Looks really nice with bacon and garlicky crumbs!