Crunchy Parmesan Toasted Bread Kale Caesar Salad
An easy delicious twist on the traditional Caesar salad! This kale Caesar salad is topped with parmesan and garlic toasted breadcrumbs, so you get a little bit in each bite! And the Caesar dressing is light and fresh - made with yogurt instead of eggs or mayo!
Ingredients
Toasted Bread:
- 2 cups French bread cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt or a ½ tsp salt + ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons grated pecorino or parmesan cheese
Caesar Salad + Dressing:
- ½ cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup grated pecorino or parmesan plus more for topping
- 3 tablespoons canola oil or avocado/olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon Asian fish sauce or anchovy paste
- 1 teaspoon EACH: dijon mustard AND red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ~5 cups 1- 1 ¼ bunch shredded curly kale
Instructions
- TOASTED BREAD: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325ºF. Place the cubed bread on a rimmed baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the oven for 15-18 minutes or until the bread is toasted. Allow the bread to cool for several minutes, break into small pie axes before placing it in a food processor, and pulsing it until it breaks down into large crumbs. You shouldn’t need to pulse more than once or twice! Add the butter and garlic salt to a small microwave-safe bowl, and melt. Toss the breadcrumbs with the melted butter mixture, spread evenly on the baking sheet, and place it back in the oven for 7-9 minutes or until lightly golden. Then, sprinkle with parmesan and continue cooking for another 6-8 minutes or until the cheese is golden and melted.
- DRESSING: While the bread is toasting the second time around, add everything but the kale and parmesan topping to the food processor and run it until it turns into a smooth, thick sauce.
- DRESS: Add the kale to a large bowl toss with dressing. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper as needed. Add the cooled toasted bread to the salad and serve!
Notes
- Day-old bread works best for this recipe and would take less time to toast than fresh bread. The recipe is written with fresh bread, but if you have stale bread, it'll probably toast in closer to 12-15 minutes the first time around. Toasting time may vary if you use GF, whole wheat bread, or other types of bread.
- Toasted parmesan bread can be made a few days in advance. Store in an airtight container. If it loses some crunch, just reheat in a 300ºF oven until toasty and crunchy again.
