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–+ servings
kale salad garnished with parmesan cheese with a dish of sunflower seeds on the side.
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4.89 from 9 votes

Kale and Avocado Caesar Salad

A delicious and nutritious twist on Caesar salad that's can also be made Vegan!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: avocado, Caesar, kale
Servings: 8 as a side
Calories: 229kcal
Author: Andrea Mut

Equipment

  • Blender or food processor

Ingredients

  • 2 containers baby kale, one for chips, one to use fresh
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for dressing

For the dressing

  • 1 small ripe avocado
  • 1 medium clove of garlic
  • ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated, plus more for finishing
  • ½-1 piece anchovy or ¼ teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon capers, add extra if omitting anchovy
  • 5 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 lemon, juice of, plus more for garnish

For assembly

  • ¼ cup sunflower seeds, unsalted
  • ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
  • Parmesan shavings for garnish, optional
  • Lemon wedges for garnish, optional

Instructions

Kale Chips

  • Preheat oven to 400°F
  • Place one container of baby kale on a baking tray. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat. Roast in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until beginning to crisp. Toss half way through roasting time. Let cool.

Avocado Caesar Dressing

  • While the kale is roasting prepare the dressing.
  • Scoop the avocado into a blender, food processor, or the hand blender container. Add all other dressing ingredients. Blend until smooth. Add a water 1 tbsp. at a time if it's too thick until desired consistency is reached.

Assembling the Salad

  • In a large bowl, toss together the fresh baby kale, all of the dressing, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, sunflower seeds and all but a handful of the cooled, roasted kale. Keep some for garnishing the top.
  • Serve immediately with lemon wedges, if desired.

Notes

  1. Dressing can be made 3 days in advance. Press plastic wrap to touch surface of dressing, while storing in the fridge, to avoid oxidization of the avocado. 
  2. Roasted kale chips can be made several days in advance and stored at room temperature in a covered container
  3. Salad should be served immediately to avoid kale chips from becoming soft. Or assemble no more then 1 hour in advance leaving out the crispy kale until just before serving. 
  4. Avocado Caesar dressing can be used on any of your favourite greens or as a dip!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 79mg | Potassium: 140mg | Fiber: 3g