5-Ingredient Kale Caesar Salad

Inspired by a traditional Caesar Salad, this version made with massaged kale is ready in less than 10 minutes with just a handful of ingredients. Simple, versatile, and so, so satisfying, you're going to love this easy Kale Caesar Salad!

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Caesar Dressing, Caesar Salad, Kale Salad, Massaged Kale

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 0

Total Time 10

Servings servings

Calories 140kcal

Author Cara Harbstreet

Equipment

salad spinner or large colander
cutting board and sharpened knife
salad tongs
large mixing bowl or serving bowl

Ingredients

8-10 cups fresh kale stripped from stems and roughly torn
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp coarse sea salt
1/2 medium red onion thinly sliced
Caesar dressing homemade or store-bought
parmesan cheese shredded or shaved
croutons

Instructions

To Massage the Kale:

Strip the kale leaves from the stems. Tear the kale into bite-sized pieces and add to a large bowl. Give it a quick rinse with cold water or run it through a salad spinner if you have one, drying the kale as much as possible.
Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the kale and add a pinch of salt. Then (with clean hands) start to work the kale in your hands, squeezing tightly releasing as you manually mix it.
Continue for about one minute, or until the kale appears moist, tender, and has reduced in volume. The color should appear deeper and more vibrant. At this point, advance to the next section to build a Kale Caesar Salad.

To Build the Salad:

Transfer the massaged kale to a large bowl if not already in one. Thinly slice half of a red onion and add to the bowl.
Use your preferred amount of parmesan cheese, croutons, and Caesar salad dressing. With tongs, toss and mix the salad until the kale is evenly coated with the creamy dressing and the other ingredients are well distributed.
To serve, plate in bowls or onto salad plates. Top with any remaining croutons, along with any other desired garnishes such as cracked black pepper (optional). Serve and enjoy alongside your main dish.

Notes

As written, this Kale Caesar Salad recipe yields four small servings, intended for use as a side dish. For entree portions, reduce yield to two large servings for quantities listed above.

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