Recipe: Kale Caesar Salad with Creamy Dressing

Kale Caesar Salad with garlic croutons

Here’s a creamy Caesar dressing without eggs or mayo that can sit on the picnic table without turning into a petri dish. Toss with some sturdy kale for a salad that’s actually better if you prep it an hour or two before serving.

Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 anchovy fillets in oil, finely chopped
2 T lemon juice (about 1 small lemon)
1 T red wine vinegar
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1 t Dijon mustard
½ c olive oil
¼ t salt
¼ t ground black pepper
½ c finely grated Parmesan or Reggiano cheese (or a combination)
1 large bunch kale (or 2 small bunches), any variety, ribs removed and chopped into a coarse chiffonade
Garlic croutons

Method: Tear the kale leaves off their center ribs, stack the pieces, and chop into chiffonade about an inch high x the width of the leaves. (Or tear into bite size pieces with your hands.*) Wash and dry. Thoroughly mix all dressing ingredients except cheese in a bowl or blender, then add cheese and whisk until creamy. (It’s the extra cheese that substitutes for the egg/mayo in other recipes.) Toss with kale and serve immediately, or let sit for an hour or two to cure the kale. Serve with garlic croutons, and a garnish of additional grated cheese if you like.

*The goal is to get the kale into reasonable size pieces instead of the large leaves served at my local “Nuevo latino” restaurant where eating the Kale Caesar was like chewing on a Brillo® pad.