One of my proudest food moments as a mom and a dietitian was when I discovered that all three of my children LOVE caesar salad. So, for about a year, I’d always add a few caesar salad kits to my grocery cart every week. But I knew I could just make a kale caesar salad at home, and probably make it even better.
It wasn’t until recently that I perfected my homemade caesar dressing. After doing that, I’ll never go back to those salad kits. My version is SO good, has more nutrition, and it’s the simplest way to get my family to gobble up a salad. I’m so excited for your caesar salad lovers to try it, too!
Recipe Highlights
- Quick to make: After making this caesar salad once, you’ll see how quickly it comes together in less than 10 minutes. The longest part is making the dressing, which requires whisking a few simple ingredients together. Massage it into the kale, and it’s ready to eat – you don’t even have to roast or cook the kale.
- Nutritious and delicious: Instead of the classic romaine or iceberg lettuce, the base of this salad is nutrient-dense kale, which is a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, and calcium. The dressing provides good-for-you fats from real-food ingredients, and it all comes together for a salty, savory, fresh, and cheesy flavor that everyone at my table enjoys.
- Simple everyday ingredients: This favorite side salad doesn’t require any specialty ingredients.. Just gather simple things, like kale, mayo, grated and shaved Parmesan cheese, lemon, mustard, and garlic. That’s it! The homemade croutons are optional, but recommended.
The Main Ingredients
This favorite salad doesn’t take much to get on the table. Here are the main things to gather:
- Kale: I’ve made this salad with both curly kale and lacinato kale (Tuscan kale). The key is to chop it into pretty small bite-sized pieces so that every forkful is easy to eat and gets the flavorful dressing massaged into it. Chopped fresh spinach, chopped romaine, iceberg lettuce, or any leafy greens can be used in place of the kale.
- Parmesan: It’s important to have two different kinds of Parmesan to make this salad just right. Grated Parmesan is used in the dressing to give it the right texture. Then, shaved Parmesan is used on top of the salad to get big, visible pieces of Parmesan cheese in bites of the salad. Shredded Parmesan can be used in a pinch.
- Dressing ingredients: A traditional caesar salad dressing is made by mashing together anchovies, egg yolks, extra-virgin olive oil, a few diced cloves garlic, Dijon mustard, and kosher salt in a mixing bowl. I simplified things by starting with a base of mayonnaise (which is made from eggs and olive oil anyway) and stirred in a few pantry ingredients. Instead of anchovies, I’ve created the same signature flavor by stirring in grated Parmesan and Worcestershire sauce.
- Croutons: I think croutons are an essential part of a Caesar salad. It’s actually simple and quick to make croutons on a baking sheet from either fresh bread or day-old bread. Simply drizzle torn or chopped bread pieces with olive oil and roast them on a baking sheet. In place of the croutons, you could top the salad with roasted breadcrumbs. If needed, use gluten-free croutons or simply omit the croutons.
Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
Add A Flavor Boost
My favorite part of this salad is the homemade caesar dressing. It comes together so quickly from everyday ingredients. Classic caesar salad dressing is made with anchovy fillets, though many homemade and restaurant versions don’t include anchovies. My version doesn’t either, but if you want to replicate a little bit of that flavor profile, stir in any one of the following. This dressing tastes great with or without these additions, so play around with the version you like best.
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon anchovy paste
- ½ teaspoon fish sauce
Serving This Salad
I love a simple topping on this favorite salad – just shaved Parmesan and crunchy croutons. However, other additions that taste great are nuts and seeds, such as roasted pumpkin seeds or almonds. I also like roasted chickpeas (these crispy chickpeas are a favorite) or avocado. Roasted veggies, such as brussels sprouts or broccoli, are also good additions.
Caesar salad is one of those great side salads that really goes with almost anything. Personally, I think it pairs wonderfully with chicken and seafood dishes. Some favorites are my air fryer salmon, grilled salmon kabobs, simple grilled shrimp, lemon marinated chicken, crispy chicken nuggets, or a whole roasted chicken.
Storage Details
This salad stores well since it’s made with kale, a hearty green that holds up even with the dressing on. It still tastes great even after being stored in the refrigerator for two days after it’s made. Because of that, it’s a good option to add to a meal prep session. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can swap the kale (or half of the kale) for chopped romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, or any favorite lettuce greens.
Since I like every bite of the kale to be nicely coated with the dressing, my favorite way to do this is by pouring the salad dressing over the kale. Then, using my clean hands or a pair of salad tongs, I really work the dressing into the kale. It turn and press the kale pieces until they’re nicely coated. It may not seem like enough dressing at first, but it’s the perfect amount once it gets distributed.
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Kale Caesar Salad Recipe
If you love the flavors of caesar salad, this recipe is for you. It’s a simple, delicious, and more nutritious version of a store-bought caesar salad kit. Make it in less than 10 minutes as a healthy and perfect complement to many main dishes.
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 bunch fresh kale, hard stems removed, leaves chopped small (about 8 cups loosely packed)
- ⅓ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
- Homemade Croutons, optional (may use store-bought croutons, too)
For the Caesar Dressing:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Zest and juice of 1 large lemon (1 teaspoon zest and ~3 tablespoons juice)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (2-3 teaspoons)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- If using homemade croutons, make the croutons following these directions.
- In a large salad bowl, place the finely chopped kale leaves; set aside.
- In a small bowl or 2-cup glass measuring glass, whisk together the mayonnaise, grated Parmesan, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, Dijon, and black pepper. If desired, add Worcestershire sauce, anchovy paste, or fish sauce (see notes below for amounts). Whisk until well blended.
- Pour the dressing over top of the kale and, using clean hands or salad tongs, mix until the kale is nicely coated with the dressing. It may not seem like enough dressing at first, but the more you mix the more it will get covered.
- Top the salad with shaved Parmesan and croutons (if using) and serve.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge (without croutons) for up to 2 days.
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Notes
If you’d like, you could stir in any one of these in the Caesar Dressing as a flavor boost, but the dressing recipe is really good without any of these added, so it’s completely optional. If you do want to add one of these, choose only one: 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon anchovy paste, OR ½ teaspoon fish sauce.
For gluten-free, use or make gluten-free croutons, or omit the croutons. Also, use a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1 cup salad with croutons
- Calories: 180
- Fat: 14 g
- (Sat Fat: 3 g)
- Sodium: 293 mg
- Carbohydrate: 6 g
- (Fiber: 3 g
- Sugar: 2 g)
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 11 mg
Dietary
Recipe Changelog
April 2025: We previously published a different version of this salad. It was made with kale, carrots, red onion, tomatoes, hard-cooked eggs, and a creamy avocado caesar salad. Download the previous version here.
The photos in this post were taken by Megan McKeehan.
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I was surprised that a “real foods” website would use a bottled dressing. I don’t buy those.
Hi Sheila,
We have several homemade dressing recipes on our site. However, we also realize that not all of our readers can and do make all of their condiments from scratch. That said, we feel it’s our place to present cleaner options to our readers as is the case with this dressing. Keep doing what works for you and thanks for taking the time to chime in.