I’m not a big fan of caesar salad, so I usually skip it. All too often, it’s a dish of limp romaine, flavorless creamy white dressing, cardboard-like parmesan crumbs, and soulless, cracker-y croutons that pass for a healthy salad. I’d say it’s not the best.
At home, there is a lot of confusion over the dressing recipe, and we end up searching for a random combination online that does the job but isn’t much of a show-stopper.
Because of this, I’ve decided to make our family’s official Caesar salad dressing from scratch. Dijon, Worcestershire sauce, and loads of lemon juice bring out the flavors of the delectable briny anchovies.
For the rich, fruity flavor of an extra virgin caesar salad dressing, many people substitute a tiny quantity of olive oil and a neutral vegetable oil. I personally like the taste of the extra virgin olive oil, though. Snobby? Possibly, but I’d say so. Tastyyy? Yes.
This salad’s last touch? Extra rustic flavor comes from the inclusion of Tuscan kale and extra large olive ciabatta bread croutons.
Sadly, our local grocery shop sold ciabatta with green olives, which I believe is an insult to the idea of olive bread. However, if you insist on using olive bread, do as I did and make sure it is made with black olives.
Whether as a main dish (serve with grilled chicken, steak, or shrimp) or side dish (use with your favorite pasta, pot roast, Sunday roast, etc.), this kale caesar salad is sure to please!
INGREDIENTS:
- 8 ounces of washed and chopped Tuscan kale
- 1 chopped or torn head romaine lettuce
- 3 cloves of coarsely chopped garlic
- 3 large egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 ounces of oil-packed anchovy fillets
- 1 loaf crusty bread
- 1 cup of extra virgin olive olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
- Juice of 1 lemon
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Ensure that your oven temperature is set to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Set aside your salad greens while you prepare the rest.
- Slice the bread into bite-sized pieces before serving. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the dish. Allow 5-10 minutes of baking time. It takes 5 minutes to get toasted and 10 minutes to get crunchy.
- Make the dressing next. Pour in the anchovy fillets, garlic, egg yolks, dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Slowly and gradually pour 1 cup of olive oil into the blender until it is completely emulsified. You should expect it to have a thick, creamy texture and a light golden color. Add the ground black pepper and parmesan cheese to the blender and turn it on again to mix.
- Toss the greens, croutons, and parmesan shavings with the caesar dressing in your favorite salad dish. Serve right away!