- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
What you’ll need — tap to tick off as you go
- 300 g
- 150 g
- 4 tbsp
- 2 cloves
- 2 tbsp
- 1 tsp
- 50 g
- 1 tsp
- ½ tsp
- ¼ tsp
Process
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Heat the oven to 190°C. Toss the sourdough cubes with 2 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt, spread on a baking sheet and bake for 8–10 minutes until golden and crisp. Set aside to cool.
Strip the kale leaves from their stems, tear into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl. Rub the leaves with the cut side of 1 halved garlic clove, then drizzle with a little of the remaining olive oil and massage firmly with your hands for 2–3 minutes until the leaves darken, soften and shrink by about a third.
Make the dressing: in a small bowl whisk the egg yolk, lemon juice, dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, grated garlic clove, chopped anchovy fillets, black pepper and the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil until smooth and slightly thickened.
Stir the finely grated parmesan into the dressing, then taste and add salt only if needed.
Pour the dressing over the massaged kale and toss thoroughly with your hands or tongs so every leaf is coated.
Fold in the cooled sourdough croutons, shave extra parmesan over the top and serve immediately.
Kitchen notes
Kitchen notes
- The single biggest mistake is skipping the massage: unmassaged kale stays tough and bitter. Rub the leaves with oil and garlic for a full 2-3 minutes until they turn glossy and dark green.
- Dress the kale 15-20 minutes before serving if you can. Unlike lettuce, kale absorbs the dressing and actually improves as it sits; add the croutons only at the last minute so they stay crunchy.
- Anchovies are the backbone of a real Caesar. Chop them to a paste rather than leaving chunks, and do not drain the oil from the tin before chopping if you want a deeper savoury note.
- If the dressing tastes flat, it usually needs more lemon or a pinch more salt, not more oil. Whisk in a teaspoon of lemon juice at a time until it sharpens up.
Substitutions
- anchovy fillets→1 tbsp capers plus 1 tsp soy sauce for a vegetarian, anchovy-free version
- sourdough bread→gluten-free bread or 80 g store-bought croutons
- parmesan→pecorino romano for a sharper, saltier dressing
- egg yolk→2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt for an egg-free dressing
- worcestershire sauce→1 tsp soy sauce plus a pinch of sugar
Storage & reheating
Store dressed kale without croutons in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; the leaves soften further but stay pleasant. Keep croutons in a separate jar at room temperature for up to 5 days. To serve leftovers, toss the cold salad with the croutons straight from the fridge, or warm the kale briefly in a dry pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes if you prefer it less chilled. Do not freeze this salad.
FAQ
The questions we get asked most
Why is my kale Caesar salad bitter?
Bitterness comes from skipping the massage and from the thick stems. Remove every stem, then rub the torn leaves with olive oil and a cut garlic clove for a full 2-3 minutes until they darken and soften. A squeeze of extra lemon in the dressing also masks any remaining bite.
Can I make kale Caesar salad ahead of time?
Yes, and it is one of the few salads that improves. Massage and dress the kale up to 24 hours ahead, cover and refrigerate. Keep the croutons and shaved parmesan separate and fold them in just before serving so they stay crisp.
How long does kale Caesar salad keep in the fridge?
Dressed kale keeps 3 days in an airtight container, though it softens each day. Croutons stored separately at room temperature stay crunchy for about 5 days. After 3 days the leaves become quite wilted and are better used as a warm side than a fresh salad.
Can I use bagged pre-cut kale instead of a bunch?
Yes, use about 300 g of pre-cut kale, but check that the pieces are bite-size and remove any thick stem fragments. Pre-cut kale is often drier, so massage it a minute longer and use the full amount of dressing.
Is there a way to make this Caesar dressing without raw egg?
Whisk 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt with the lemon juice, mustard, anchovies, garlic and oil instead of the yolk. The dressing will be slightly tangier and thinner, so add the oil slowly and taste for salt before dressing the kale.
Why did my croutons turn soft in the salad?
They were either underbaked or added too early. Bake the bread cubes at 190°C until they are fully dry and golden, 8-10 minutes, and let them cool completely before folding them in at the very last moment. Dressing that sits on croutons for more than 10 minutes will always soften them.
Can I make this salad vegetarian?
Yes, but you must replace both the anchovies and the parmesan, since traditional parmesan contains animal rennet. Use 1 tbsp chopped capers plus 1 tsp soy sauce in place of the anchovies, and a vegetarian hard cheese or nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan. Check that the worcestershire sauce is vegetarian too.
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