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Kale Caesar Salad

There’s nothing better than a great kale Caesar salad! This one is tossed with creamy dressing and showered in crunchy breadcrumbs.

There’s nothing better than a classic Caesar salad…unless it’s a Kale Caesar Salad! Using hearty kale leaves in a Caesar salad has become popular in restaurants: and for good reason. The fluffy, ridged texture of the leaves are ideal for coating in Caesar dressing. This spin on the Kale Caesar is our go-to, with a fresh, creamy homemade dressing and crunchy breadcrumbs in every bite. It’s versatile enough to go with just about anything and the flavor? This might be the most addicting salad you’ve had. (Addicting salad? Yes you heard that right.)

Ingredients in this kale Caesar salad

Using kale in a Caesar salad rose to popularity in the early 2000’s. In fact, according to Taste the first instances of a kale salad were Mario Batali’s restaurant Lupa in around 2002 and chef Joshua McFadden at Franny’s in New York City in 2007. These days, a kale salad is as ubiquitous as a taco: so it was only a matter of time that Caesar dressing would be added to the mix.

In our kale Caesar salad we massage the kale leaves first so they become soft, then toss them in our favorite Greek yogurt Caesar dressing. Here’s what you’ll need for this kale Caesar salad:

Tuscan kale
Italian panko
Parmesan cheese shavings
1 recipe Homemade Caesar Dressing

Use Tuscan kale, but curly works

This kale Caesar salad works with any type of kale, but the best option here is Tuscan kale. This dark green Italian variety of kale has a milder flavor than curly kale, which can be very spicy. We almost exclusively work with this type of kale in our recipes. Curly kale works too, but look for Tuscan if you can find it.

Tuscan kale, aka Lacinato or dinosaur kale, has dark green, flat leaves and a mildly bitter flavor. It’s common in Italian dishes like this Tuscan White Bean Soup or Kale Soup.
Curly kale is brighter green and very curly. The flavor is bitter and spicy., which is why we usually prefer Tuscan kale.

Avoid using baby kale here. Baby kale is kale that’s harvested before it’s mature and sold in boxes in grocery stores and farmer’s markets. It’s much more tender and can’t stand up to the creamy dressing here.

Massage the kale first

Kale is a delicious salad green, but it has a tough, fibrous texture. How to make it more palatable? Massage it first! Yes, playing masseuse to your vegetables sounds counterintuitive. But all you’ll do is drizzle with a bit of oil, then massage the leaves with your fingers until they are soft and pliable. This both helps to make the flavor sweeter and the texture of the raw leaves softer.

For the Kale Caesar dressing

The star of this kale Caesar salad is the fresh, creamy homemade Caesar dressing. This one is a go-to we’ve been making in our family for years: and we hope you love it as much as we do! Using Greek yogurt lightens it up and reduces the calories from a standard Caesar. Here’s what you’ll need:

Greek yogurt: For a fresh and healthy spin, use Greek yogurt to replace some of the standard mayonnaise! It reduces calories while staying irresistibly creamy.
Mayonnaise: That signature savory creaminess comes from mayonnaise: you’ll need it to help the dressing cling to the greens.
Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice brings a pop of acidity.
Parmesan cheese: Parmesan brings in a savory saltiness.
Anchovy paste or Worcestershire sauce: Anchovies are very traditional, or substitute Worcestershire sauce for vegetarian.
Garlic & Dijon mustard: These round out the tangy, savory flavor.

Vegan variation

Want to make a vegan kale Caesar salad instead? Swap in this Vegan Caesar Dressing! It’s full of big flavor from chickpeas, lemon and miso paste to make a big, savory statement. Head to the recipe for more.

Italian Panko stands in for croutons

The croutons are an integral part of any good Caesar salad. But this kale Caesar features breadcrumbs instead! Top your salad with a sprinkle of panko and it brings a crunchy texture that spreads out into every bite. Here are some notes on using panko and Italian panko for a salad:

Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb mixture that is airier and lighter than traditional breadcrumbs. It has a crunchy texture which is more satisfying on salads (purchased breadcrumbs are much finer with almost a sand-like texture).
“Italian” means herbs and salt are added. You should be able to find Italian panko or panko easily at your local grocery store.
Only have plain panko? Mix ½ cup panko with ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano and ¼ teaspoon each dried basil and thyme).
Want to use homemade breadcrumbs? You can do that too. Go to How to Make Breadcrumbs.

And that’s it! Let us know how you like this one in the comments: it’s a favorite of ours that makes leafy green kale irresistibly tasty.

More kale recipes

Love kale? This darling vegetable is certainly having a renaissance in popular cooking. Here are a few more tasty kale recipes:

Easy Kale Soup

Best Ever Sauteed Kale

Best Kale Smoothie

Baked Kale Chips

This kale Caesar salad recipe is…

Vegetarian. For gluten-free, use gluten-free panko or croutons. For vegan, use Vegan Caesar Dressing.

Kale Caesar Salad

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4

Print Recipe

Description

There’s nothing better than a great kale Caesar salad! This one is tossed with creamy dressing and showered in crunchy breadcrumbs.

Ingredients

For the salad

2 bunches Tuscan kale
¼ cup Italian panko (gluten-free as necessary)*
¼ cup Parmesan cheese shavings

For the Caesar dressing (makes 1 cup; use ½ cup), or substitute vegan Caesar

1 medium garlic clove, minced or grated
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
¼ cup mayonnaise
½ cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon anchovy paste or Worcestershire sauce (or omit)
1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Chop the kale into bite-sized pieces and place it in a bowl. Sprinkle the kale with a very small drizzle of olive oil. Massage the leaves with your fingers for 2 to 3 minutes until the pieces are tender and softened.
Whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl. Store leftovers refrigerated in a covered jar for up to 1 week.
Drizzle the kale with about ½ cup of the dressing and mix to combine. Add the Parmesan cheese shavings. Place the kale on a large platter or small serving plates. Sprinkle with panko and serve.

Notes

*Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb mixture that is airier and lighter than traditional breadcrumbs. “Italian” means herbs and salt are added. You should be able to find Italian panko or plain panko easily at your local grocery store (often they also sell gluten-free). If all you have is plain panko, you can season it: mix ½ cup panko with ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano and ¼ teaspoon each dried basil and thyme).

Category: Salad
Method: No cook
Cuisine: Salad
Diet: Vegetarian

Keywords: Kale caesar salad

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Baked Tilapia with Lemon

This baked tilapia recipe is bursting with flavor! Pair the fish with lemon, tomatoes and feta for a impressive yet easy dinner.

Here’s a tilapia recipe with a total wow factor: this Baked Tilapia with Tomatoes & Feta! The tender, flaky fish is covered in a lemon garlic sauce, cozied up with burst cherry tomatoes, Mediterranean seasonings and gooey bits of feta cheese. If you think baked fish sounds boring, this recipe is for you! Each bite is savory with just the right pop of brightness. It’s ready in just over 30 minutes and great for impressing on weeknights or dinner parties. This one has already jumped to star status in our house.

Ingredients for this baked tilapia recipe

This baked tilapia recipe is the ideal healthy dinner that’s impressively delicious. To be honest, when we’re meal planning the idea “baked fish” never feels that exciting. But this one? It was so tasty the first time we made it, we couldn’t wait to share it with you. The zing of the lemon, melty feta and tomatoes, and briny pop of capers make it irresistibly fresh. Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:

Tilapia
Cherry tomatoes
Shallot
Garlic
Lemon
Olive oil
Feta cheese
Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika
Capers
Salt and pepper
Parsley, for garnish

How to bake tilapia

Tilapia is a white fish with a mild, subtly sweet flavor. It doesn’t tasty fishy, so it’s good for people who think they don’t like fish. Tilapia is easy to bake: you can simply season with olive oil and salt, or add the tomatoes and feta like in the recipe below. Like any fish, how long to bake tilapia depends on its thickness:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Season the fish with olive oil and salt, and add any vegetables that will be cooking alongside it (see below.)
Bake for 23 to 28 minutes, depending on thickness, until the tilapia is flaky or reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

A few tips for seasoning

This baked tilapia is one of our favorite weeknight dinner recipes to date, because it looks and tastes so beautifully fun and fresh. A Mediterranean style recipe, it goes big on lemon, garlic and olive oil. Here are a few notes on the seasoning here:

Bake the tilapia with lemon slices, then remove when serving. Mixing the lemon slices right into the veggies makes for bold citrus flavor. Remove them when serving: unless you love very citrusy flavors. If so, you can definitely eat the lemon slices: they’re extra tangy!
Don’t omit the capers! Capers are a berry of the caper bush that’s native to the Mediterranean. They’re round and dark green gray, about the size of a peppercorn. Find them in the jarred section next to the olives at the grocery store. Their briny, salty flavor absolutely makes the dish!
Feta is also key. You can omit it for dairy-free diets. But the small melty chunks of feta cheese sprinkled throughout is what makes this dish! We’ll admit, we were loosely inspired by the viral TikTok baked feta pasta for this flavor combination: and it’s spot on.

Sides to serve alongside

Make this baked tilapia into a meal by pairing it with a quick salad or veggie side dish! Here are a few ideas that keep the oven free:

Salad like Romaine Salad with Green Goddess, Butter Lettuce Salad, Fennel Salad, Endive Salad, Frisee Salad, Kale Salad or Easy Arugula Salad
Vegetables like Sauteed Green Beans, Pan Fried Broccoli, or Ultimate Sauteed Vegetables
Grains like Spinach Rice with Feta or Perfectly Seasoned Quinoa
Pasta like Easy Angel Hair Pasta or Couscous Salad

More tilapia & fish recipes

Tilapia is a favorite fish around here: it’s even milder than salmon, so it’s great for pleasing everyone. Here are a few more tilapia recipes to sample:

Make crowd-pleasing Tilapia Fish Tacos
Fire up the grill for Easy Grilled Tilapia
Try 15 Cod Recipes Everyone Will Love or 21 Easy Salmon Recipes

Easy Grilled Tilapia

Tilapia Fish Tacos

15 Cod Recipes Everyone Will Love

21 Easy Salmon Recipes

This baked tilapia recipe is…

Pescatarian and gluten-free. For dairy-free, omit the feta cheese.