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 let the flavors 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, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, 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, transfer them to 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 in a large bowl by drizzling some of the well-whisked lemony Caesar dressing to taste, and toss to coat evenly.

Serve the salad on a serving plate and top it with cooled bacon bits, garlicky breadcrumbs, and finely grated Parmesan. Top with freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

Serve immediately, with additional Parmesan and lemon wedges. Enjoy.