Hands down one of the best salads I've had..and no anchovies in this caesar dressing! It's perfect as is, but you can add any additional salad ingredients you'd care to elevate it even more. Some suggested dried cranberries, carrots, quinoa, and/or a favorite protein! The more ingredients you add, the more dressing you'll want/need, so I'd suggest doubling the dressing if you go that route.
Ingredients:
SALAD INGREDIENTS
- 2 large slices sourdough bread (I used 4 medium slices.)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bunch curly kale (about 8 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (I zested about one tablespoon and it was totally fine!)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
LEMON CAESAR DRESSING INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (My favorite is the Chosen Foods brand.)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 garlic clove – grated or minced (I used one frozen Dorot cube.)
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup olive oil (I use Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil.)
Directions:
- Cut sourdough bread into a small cubes and toss in olive oil. Season with a pinch of salt. Heat a frying pan over medium-low heat. Toast cubed bread until golden brown.
- Remove the croutons from the pan and allow to cool. Use a sharp knife to chop into even smaller pieces. (I really chopped them to almost a roughly-chopped breadcrumb consistency. It added a nice crunch to the salad.)
- Chop kale pieces until finely shredded. (Don't skip this step!!!) Place kale in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, prepare lemon caesar dressing. Whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, garlic, dijon, and pepper until fully combined. While moving the whisk briskly, pour the olive oil into the bowl in a steady stream.
- When ready to eat, pour a small amount of dressing over the kale and use your hands to really massage the dressing into the kale. Following, toss the croutons, lemon zest, (any additional salad ingredients, if any), and fresh parmesan cheese into the salad and serve. (I added an additional pinch of pepper.)
*www.madaboutfood.co