Kale Caesar Salad

Kale Caesar Salad! So simple, yet so delicious! Made with my Greek yogurt caesar dressing and some grated parmesan cheese and lemon, this salad is to die for! It’s so good! Top with any protein or enjoy on it’s own! Inspired by a recent salad I enjoyed at a restaurant in NYC!

Last week we were in NYC, if you get my newsletter, you know the full story. I was dropping off my oldest at Columbia University. When we go to NYC, we try to stay at 1 Hotel Central Park. I like the location, the hotel itself and we’ve stayed there many times so we are used to it. It’s a beautiful and peaceful hotel. Driving into the city from the PA area is a completely different story. Once you get into the city, it’s chaos. It can take 45 minutes to an hour to drive 3 miles. It’s crazy and hectic and I hate driving into the city.

Once we get to the hotel and check in, all is good. I take Ubers or we walk in the city. You won’t catch me driving in the city once we have checked into the hotel. At our last stay, we ate at Jams Restaurant at 1 Hotel Central Park. We had their Jams Kale Salad with Anchovy Dressing, Breadcrumbs, Pecorino and Lemon. This recipe is my attempt at recreating this delicious salad and I must say that I think I did! I used Parmesan instead of Pecorino because that’s what I had at home and I skipped the breadcrumbs (but I did add it into the recipe card below should you want to add them). I hope you try this recipe!

Print Recipe

Kale Caesar Salad

Sometimes the simplest salads are the best! Feel free to add grilled chicken or steak.

Dressing recipe yields a little more than 2 cups. If wanting less, simply half the recipe.

Feel free to use Pecorino cheese instead of Parmesan if desired

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer/Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Caesar salad, kale caesar salad

Servings: 2

Author: hipfoodiemom

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Ingredients

For the Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing:

• 4 anchovy fillets
• 2/3 cup low-fat or nonfat Greek-style yogurt
• 2 cloves garlic  minced
• 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice  to taste, depending on how much acidity you desire
• 4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil  extra virgin
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese  + more if desired
• salt and pepper to taste

For the Kale Salad:

• 1 large bundle kale with the stem removed and chopped
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese  + more if desired
• toasted breadcrumbs optional
• salt and pepper to taste
• ripe avocado slices for garnish

Instructions

For the Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing:

• Using a medium sized bowl and a spoon (or handle of your whisk), mash or smash up the anchovy fillets to your desired consistency. Add in the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk until smooth.
• Whisk in the olive oil and add the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. If you like a dressing with more texture, add more Parmesan cheese. Mix together until well combined. Taste and adjust anything as needed.

For the Kale Salad:

• Using a large mixing bowl: add in the chopped kale and add in the olive oil, lemon juice and a little salt and massage with your hands. Continue for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until the kale softens and wilts down*.
• After you have massaged your kale, add in your dressing, start with a 1/2 cup, the grated Parmesan cheese, toasted breadcrumbs if using and season with salt and pepper to taste if desired. Mix until well combined and transfer to serving bowls,. Garnish with the sliced avocado and enjoy!

Notes

*Massaging kale for salad makes the vegetable more palatable by releasing its bitter compounds and—as a result—making the kale less bitter. This simple process breaks down the vegetable's fibrous texture, making it more tender, easier to chew, and more digestible.