Kale Caesar Salad

I LOVE caesar salad.  I have a couple of favorite go-to recipes in my arsenal, but this one from blog, What's Cooking Good Looking, is one I have to try.  Kale stands in for romaine in the recipe, and it's topped with pickled onions - a new twist that has me intrigued.  Check out the recipe below or click here.


Kale Caesar Salad
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

about 8-10 large kale leaves, center ribs removed and chopped finely

for the breadcrumbs:

about 2 cups of torn sourdough bread (stale is best, but if you only have fresh that's okay)a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil1 tablespoon of dried parsley1 large pinch of red pepper flakes1 clove of garlic, choppedsalt and pepper, to taste


for the dressing:1/4 cup of olive oil1/3 cup of vegan mayo (or regular mayo if you prefer)1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon of whole grain dijon mustard1 teaspoon of vegan (or non-vegan) Worcestershire sauce  2 cloves of garlic, pressed1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar1/2 teaspoon of saltpepper, to taste

about 1/3 cup of thinly sliced red onion (I like to use a mandolin to get them really thin)
1/2 cup of red or white wine vinegar

Directions:

Start by pickling the onion:

• Place the sliced onion and vinegar together in a small bowl and set aside until your ready to assemble the salad. 

Make the breadcrumbs:

• Pre-heat the oven to 350º.
• Place the torn bread onto a sheet pan and toss with a drizzle of olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. 
• Cook in the oven for 5 minutes for stale bread or for 10-12 for fresh bread. Watch this carefully because cooking times will vary depending on your oven / bread state. You want you bread to be toasted, just beginning to brown.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool while you make the dressing. 

To make the dressing:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly. 
• Set aside (or refrigerate if it is going to be a while) until salad assembly. 

Finish making the breadcrumbs:

• Place the toasted bread and the parsley, red pepper, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse several times until you have a good even-sized breadcrumb mixture. Taste and adjust any seasoning accordingly. 

Assemble the salad:

• In a large bowl, toss and massage the kale leaves with the dressing. Add a little at a time, you do not want to over-dress the salad. You might end up with extra dressing, and that is okay. You can keep it in an air tight container the fridge for about 5 days. 
• Add in the breadcrumbs, again, little by little until you feel there are enough. I like to toss some of the breadcrumbs in with the salad, and finish with some on top once it is plated. 
• Then, strain the onions and place them on top. 
• Once the salad is dressed, serve immediately. 
• You can make this ahead of time (and not dress the salad) and assemble when you are ready to serve. The ingredients will keep for a couple of days in air-tight containers in the fridge.