Kale Caesar Salad
This kale Caesar salad is about to become your new favourite lunch.
Instead of traditional romaine lettuce, this recipe uses cavolo nero, also known as dinosaur kale, which brings a delicious texture and a boost of nutrients to every bite. The star of this recipe is the creamy kale Caesar dressing, made with silken tofu for a protein-packed alternative to the classic version. It has all the tangy, garlicky flavour you'd expect from the best Caesar salad dressing, but with a fraction of the oil and far more protein.
To make this vegan kale Caesar salad even more satisfying, I've added crispy chickpeas. They add plenty of crunch, protein, fibre, and flavour.
One of my favourite things about this kale Caesar dressing is how versatile it is. Make a big batch and use it throughout the week as a dip for vegetables, a spread for sandwiches, or drizzled over grain bowls. It's creamy, flavourful, and incredibly easy to make.
If you've been searching for the best Caesar salad that's both healthy and satisfying, this kale Caesar salad is definitely worth adding to your meal rotation. It's proof that healthy lunches don't have to be boring.
Vegan salad recipes
Kale Caesar Salad Ingredients and substitutes-
- Cavolo nero- Also known as black kale is a winter kale that is darker and a little softer than regular kale. It is packed with vitamins and can be eaten raw or cooked. In my opinion the taste of raw fresh kale is a little too much for me however I learnt to massage the kale which softens it and breaks it down into softer easier to eat pieces. If you haven’t tried massaged kale yet I recommend trying this. Of course you can swap out for regular massaged kale.
- Chickpeas- Crunchy air fried chickpeas are something I am currently obsessed with and they work really well in this ‘caesar’ style salad as seasoned with paprika replace the bacon flavour element and give a lovely crunch.
- Romaine- Romaine is the classic most commonly used for Caeser salad mostly for its mild flavour and crunchy texture. Iceberg or baby gem lettuce can also be used if these suit you better.
- Silken tofu- This soft tofu really is a great shape shifter and works amazingly in this dressing in place of mayo giving us an oil free salad dressing. Silken tofu has around 7g of protein per 100g where as regular caeser dressing contains around 3g per 100g. This dressing is a creamy protein boost that you wont even be able to tell contains tofu.
- Capers- Capers work really well at replacing the anchovy element of the Caesar dressing. They are naturally salty and can be used in pasta dishes or in a vegan tartare sauce, it’s worth keeping a jar in the fridge as they keep quite well too.
- Nutritional yeast- Nutritional yeast or 'nooch' creates a slightly cheesy, savoury flavour that is perfect in a Caesar dressing. You can substitute this out with a vegan parmesan but I wouldn’t omit all together as it really gives the dressing the deep savoury flavour.
- Ciabatta bread- I love a crouton made from ciabatta bread however if you have some old bread to use up any bread will work as salad croutons.
Vegan Kale Caesar Salad with Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 50 g Cavolo nero
- 1 tbsp Olive oil extra virgin
- 1 can Chickpeas
- 1 tsp Garlic granules
- 1 tsp Paprika powder
- 1 head Romaine lettuce
- 2 Ciabatta rolls
- 50 g Vegan parmesan
- 150 g Silken tofu
- 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp Chickpea water
- 1 Clove of garlic
- 1 tbsp Capers
- 3 tbsp Nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Ground black pepper
Instructions
- Firstly drain and pat dry the chickpeas and toss into a big mixing bowl
- Drizzle with oil then add the paprika, garlic granules and a little salt and air fry on 180 for 15 minutes.
- Whilst the chickpeas are cooking get started on the salad. Remove the large stalks from the cavolo nero, roll up and slice in to thin strips.
- Add the strips to a big mixing bowl and drizzle on some olive oil and salt. Now massage the kale with your fingers until tender this should take about 3-5 minutes.
- Now add all of the dressing ingredients to a high speed blender cup and blend until smooth. Please see the ‘tips’ section before making the dressing as you must be careful with the consistency.
- About 5 minutes before the chickpeas are finished cooking make the croutons. Cut up the bread into whatever size chunks you desire and add to the air fryer with the chickpeas for the last 5 minutes.
- Now to assemble the salad chop the romaine lettuce and add to the bowl with the kale, add in the chickpeas, croutons, dressing and some extra parmesan if you wish. Give it all a really good mix and serve up.
Notes
Recipes using chickpeas
- Creamy coconut chickpea curry
- Moroccan Tagine Style Chickpeas
- Homemade hummus with zaatar spiced pitta bread
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