kale caesar with crispy chewy croutons

Name: kale caesar with crispy chewy croutons
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 slices of bread, preferably a nice crusty sourdough or something, but anything works, cut into small cubes; 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided; Kosher salt; Big pinch of garlic powder; 8 ounce chunk of Parmesan cheese, divided (this will be enough Parm to use for both the salad and the pasta alla vodka — if you’re just making the salad, you will only need a 4-ounce chunk); 1/4 cup mayonnaise; Juice of 2 lemons (about 5 tablespoons); 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 2 small garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a knife; 6 to 8 olive oil-packed anchovy fillets; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 2 hearts of romaine lettuce, trimmed, washed, dried, and cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 bunch lacinato kale, deribbed and cut into 1-inch pieces

5 steps

Cook:20min

Caesar dressing can be made up to a week in advance. Kale and romaine can be chopped up to 24 hours in advance and stored in an airtight container wrapped in paper towels. Croutons can be made up to 24 hours in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Or, make life easier by buying pre-chopped romaine and a store-bought Caesar dressing. Save my recipe for another day. Ken’s Steakhouse Creamy Caesar with Roasted Garlic is an excellent store-bought Caesar dressing. Make the croutons though, they’re a really nice touch.

Updated at: Wed, 11 Jun 2025 19:46:55 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Good

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

Moderate

Nutrition per serving

Calories697.2 kcal (35%)

Total Fat56.5 g (81%)

Carbs25.5 g (10%)

Sugars5.1 g (6%)

Protein25.1 g (50%)

Sodium1589.7 mg (79%)

Fiber5.5 g (20%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

4 servings

4slices bread

preferably a nice crusty sourdough or something, but anything works, cut into small cubes

½ cupextra-virgin olive oil

plus 2 tablespoons, divided

kosher salt

garlic powder

8 ounceParmesan cheese

divided, this will be enough Parm to use for both the salad and the pasta alla vodka — if you’re just making the salad you will only need a 4-ounce chunk

¼ cupmayonnaise

2lemons

Juice of

2 tablespoonsred wine vinegar

2garlic cloves

small, smashed with the side of a knife

6olive oil-packed anchovy fillets

½ teaspoonsalt

¼ teaspoonground black pepper

2 heartsromaine lettuce

trimmed, washed, dried, and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 bunchlacinato kale

deribbed and cut into 1-inch pieces

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Step 2

On a parchment-lined baking sheet, toss 4 slices of cubed bread, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, a big pinch of salt, and a big pinch of garlic powder. Spread into an even layer and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until crisp on the edges but still chewy in the center.

Step 3

Blend the entire 8-ounce block of Parmesan cheese until finely grated. To do so, cut the rind off (save the rind in the freezer for future cooking), cut it into a few chunks, and blend until it’s grated into a powdery consistency. Once grated, transfer all but 1/4 cup of the Parm into a bowl for later use.

Step 4

To make the dressing, blend everything up except the lettuces (1/4 cup grated Parmesan, 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, the juice of 2 lemons, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 small smashed garlic cloves, 6 anchovy fillets, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper). Use 6 anchovies at first — blend in up to 2 more if you want more anchovy flavor.

Step 5

Put the chopped greens (2 hearts of romaine lettuce and 1 bunch lacinato kale) and the baked croutons in a large bowl and drizzle nearly all of the dressing over it. Use your hands to mix everything together, making sure each and every piece of lettuce is coated with dressing. After tossing, sprinkle 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan on top.

View on What to Cook

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