This is a kale Caesar salad I’ve been making for over 10 years and it’s one of those go to dishes I make for a starter or most often a main dish. It’s garlicky and savory and crunchy from toasted pepitas which are the icing on the salad so to speak. I’m not a huge fan of croutons in salad. Cue gasp. They often get soggy or are too crunchy and get in the way in my opinion, but you are certainly entitled to tell me to eff off.
There’s a few key things you need to have success in making this salad. One is ripe avocados and the other is removing the tough stems and ribs from the kale. You can use either traditional curly kale or the lacinato or Dino kale variety in this salad. I often use bagged chopped kale to save time, but I still go through and remove the tougher ribs. No one wants to eat those. You can strip them easily by holding the stem in one hand and then using your other to grasp the leaves and pull them away essentially “stripping” them off the stem.
You also should mix this with your clean hands. It’s the only way to massage the kale properly (I know, cringe worthy) but it’s essential to break it down and soften it.
I certainly have my favorite additions to this salad but after the base ingredients are added, you can really add anything you like to be honest. Tomatoes and olives are my go to, but I often add thinly sliced red onions, hearts of palm or even shaved fennel would be good.
If you want to really splurge, you can add toasted pine nuts or pignoli. We sometimes buy the big bag at Costco then keep them in the freezer so they don’t turn rancid. I hope you enjoy this healthy salad. You can certainly make it oil free by not adding the optional olive oil as the avocados provide a lot of fat and mouthfeel to the dish.
Vegan Kale Caesar Salad with Toasted Pepitas
15
minutes
Hail Caesar! Or kale Caesar! Whatever, eat your veggies.
Ingredients
1 large bag or two bunches kale, stems and tough ribs removed
2 large ripe avocados
Juice from one large or two small lemons
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic pressed or finely minced
2 tablespoons tahini paste
1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce (see notes)
1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)
1/3 cup raw green pepitas, toasted (see notes)
Optional additions include kalamata olives and chopped tomatoes
1-2 tablespoons water to thin dressing if needed
Directions
- Strip, wash and chop the kale into smaller bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl.
- Add all remaining ingredients except the pepitas and optional additions to the bowl and with both hands massage them all in for a few minutes until everything is well mixed. If mixture seems too dry, add a tablespoon of water one at a time to loosen it up. Sizes of avocados and lemons vary so you may need to adjust to get the right consistency. You want a nicely coated salad, not too drippy, not too dry.
- Place the salad in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes for the flavors to meld and the kale to soften.
- Add optional veggies and toasted pepitas to the top and serve immediately.
Notes
- I use Annie’s brand vegan Worcestershire sauce but if you cannot find it, use soy sauce or liquid aminos.
- To toast pepitas, place on a baking tray in a hot 400° oven or in a small fry pan on medium heat for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. They will “pop” when done, but watch them as they can burn quickly.
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