With the dressing made from Greek yogurt and limes, this kale Caesar salad is much better for you and tastes just as delicious as a Caesar salad.
We’re always on the lookout for healthy lunch options that can last the week. A couple of years ago we came across a kale Caesar salad from Gimme Some Oven that is made with Greek yogurt and instantly became a part of our healthy lunch rotation. If you follow this blog, you probably realized we just posted a lime Caesar dressing a couple of days ago. It was made specifically with this kale salad in mind.
What makes this salad a little unique is you can actually put the dressing on in the morning before heading out to work. It actually tastes better when the kale sits in the dressing for a few hours. Kale is very fibrous, so by letting it sit in the dressing you actually soften the kale and make it easier to chew.
It only takes about 5 minutes to make the dressing and that’s the main part to this quick and easy meal. The rest is just assembling the salad with whatever fixings you want. The dressing has a slight hint of a lime flavor which really makes it taste wonderful. I know what you’re thinking when you see lime… you’re like lime and Caesar dressing don’t go together. Believe me it does. But if you don’t like lime, you can easily replace with lemon.
What Ingredients are in this Healthy Kale Caesar Salad Recipe?
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Parmesan cheese
- Limes
- Olive Oil
- Worcestershire sauce
- Anchovy paste
- Dijon mustard
- Garlic
- Milk
- Kale
- Croutons or pita cheese
- Cherry tomatoes
- Chicken (optional)
How to Make a Kale Caesar Salad
- Make dressing by whisking all the ingredients except the milk in a medium bowl. Whisk in milk 1 tbsp at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
- In a large bowl, add the kale, croutons, cheese and dressing and toss to combine.
Do I Need to Massage Kale?
No although it does help. Messaging kale is best if you’re eating it immediately. By massaging it with a drizzle of olive oil, you make it softer, less course and less bitter. But remember how I mentioned above that you can/should dress the salad in the morning. By dressing the salad and letting it sit for a few hours, you will soften the kale and remove the bitterness.
Difference Between Curly and Tuscan Kale
Curly leafed kale is the most common kale you’ll see. It has a peppery flavor that can become quite bitter if not massaged before using.
Tuscan kale has longer spear-like leaves with a pebbled appearance and a dark green color. It is less bitter than curly leafed kale and has a nutty sweetness.
Tips for Tasty Kale Caesar Salad
- Use fresh kale and chop yourself so you can easily remove the stems. Don’t buy the pre-packaged chopped kale unless that’s your only option.
- It is mentioned before, but massage the kale with some olive oil to make it less course and bitter.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan to finish the dressing. Never buy pre-shredded Parmesan cheese as it contains wood pulp. Blocks of Parmesan cheese are also cheaper.
- While store-bought bottles can be quite convenient, they lack in flavor compared to the real thing. It really isn’t that much extra work to freshly squeeze the lime and you’ll notice a difference in flavor.
- If using for leftovers or a make-ahead lunch, keep the kale separate from all the other ingredients and toss to combine in the morning or right before serving.
Other Salad Recipes
- Fall Harvest Salad
- Mango Kale & Quinoa Salad
- Summer Quinoa Salad
- Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Chicken Chickpea Pesto Salad
If you’ve tried this Kale Caesar Salad or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I’m up to.
Kale Caesar Salad
Ingredients
Lime Caesar Dressing
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 limes, juiced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp anchovy paste
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 6 tbsp milk
Kale Caesar Salad
- 8 cups fresh kale, chopped
- 2 cups croutons (I use pita chips)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- cherry tomatoes (optional)
- Rotisserie chicken, shredded (optional)
- Lime Caesar Dressing
Instructions
Lime Caesar Dressing
- In a medium mixing bowl, add all of the ingredients except the milk and whisk together until combined. Whisk in one tbsp of milk at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. It's normally 6 tbsp for me. Set aside and prepare salad. Can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Kale Caesar Salad
- In a large bowl, add kale, croutons, cheese and dressing and toss to combine. If using for lunches, wait until you're about to eat to add dressing. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use fresh kale and chop yourself so you can easily remove the stems. Don't buy the pre-packaged chopped kale unless that's your only option.
- It is mentioned before, but massage the kale with some olive oil to make it less course and bitter.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan to finish the sauce. Never buy pre-shredded Parmesan cheese as it contains wood pulp. Blocks of Parmesan cheese are also cheaper.
- While store-bought bottles can be quite convenient, they lack in flavor compared to the real thing. It really isn’t that much extra work to freshly squeeze the lime and you’ll notice a difference in flavor.
- If using for leftovers or a make-ahead lunch, keep the kale separate from all the other ingredients and toss to combine in the morning or right before serving.
I’m on the kale bandwagon as well!