Kale Caesar Salad

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This Kale Caesar Salad is made with massaged kale, healthy vegetarian caesar dressing, and crispy roasted chickpeas. It's an easy vegetarian Caesar salad recipe made without anchovies or eggs, and can be made vegan with a couple of simple swaps.

vegetarian caesar salad on a blue plate topped with croutons and chickpeas with a kale caesar in the background

Friends, do you have a go-to caesar salad recipe?

If no, now you do. If yes, I implore you to put down your forks and give this one a try. I believe - truly - that you'll have found yourself a new go-to.

I know that it's not traditional to use kale in a caesar salad recipe, but it is incredibly delicious. And thanks to the sturdy texture of kale, unlike a classic caesar salad, this one will last for days in your fridge.

Plus, when you make a kale caesar you can walk around shouting KAAAAAAAALE CAESAR!!! and if that isn't a good reason to make this recipe, I just don't know what is

Just so it's clear where we're going with this, what we've got here is:

A super delicious kale caesar salad
A bomb diggity vegetarian caesar salad recipe
Easily a vegan caesar salad with a couple of small tweaks
Definitely a healthy caesar salad
A vegetarian caesar salad with protein thanks to some optional but delicious crispy chickpeas

a collander full of kale, a bowl of crispy chickpeas, croutons, and vegetarian caesar dressing on a grey background

Ingredients for Kale Caesar Salad

You only need a few basics to pull together this amazing Kale Caesar Salad recipe! You'll find specific quantities in the printable recipe card at the end of this post, but here's a quick overview of what we're going to be using:

Kale --> Tuscan kale (also known as lacinato kale or dinosaur kale) is my fave, but curly kale is fine too.
Roasted garlic --> We're using a whole bulb of this deliciousness.
Raw garlic --> Just one clove to keep the vampires at bay.
Lemon juice --> From one large lemon.
Capers --> We're using both the berries and the brine.
Dijon mustard --> Smooth is how I roll.
Parmesan cheese --> Or a similar, vegetarian hard cheese.
Extra virgin olive oil --> I use the good stuff here.
Greek yogurt --> This makes our dressing creamy and light.
Crispy Roasted Chickpeas --> Optional, but sooooo delicious.
Extra Parmesan cheese --> Or a Parmesan-type vegetarian hard cheese.
Croutons --> If you're in the mood for extra crunch.

How to Prepare the Kale Leaves

photo collage of tuscan kale being sliced into ribbons on a blue cutting board

First things first, you'll need to de-stem your kale.

I don't like to fuss about slicing the stem off with a knife. All you need to do is grip the stem with one hand and pull the leaf away from the stem with the other, sliding the leaf down the length of the stem.

(This is a great little how-to video if my words aren't doing it for you.)

Repeat until all of your kale has been de-stemmed, then, give the kale a good wash. I love using a salad spinner to get the kale leaves nice and dry.

Then, you'll stack up all those kale leaves and slice 'em into thick ribbons. We want bite-sized pieces for making a kale caesar salad, so I also like to do one chop down the middle.

Make the Vegetarian Caesar Dressing

photo collage of vegetarian caesar dressing being made in a vitamix

You can take a deep dive into our favourite Vegetarian Caesar Salad Dressing if you like, but it really is as simple as tossing everything into your blender (food processor is fine too!) and blending until smooth.

This will make more dressing than you need for one caesar salad, but the good news is that it will last quite a while in your fridge.

Assemble the Kale Caesar Salad

Now, all you need to do is add your dressing and massage it into the kale.

Yes, my friends, I want you to massage your kale. I know it's not fair that we live in a world where kale gets more frequent massages than I do, but it's just how it is. A quick 30-second rub will do the trick and turn your tough, chewy kale into a soft and supple salad green.

To finish, throw down some freshly-grated Parmesan cheese (or a vegetarian hard cheese of your choice) and toss it in with the salad. Then, top with crunchy Roasted Garbanzo Beans and / or croutons, and you are in business.

overhead photo of a kale caesar salad in a wooden salad bowl with cherry tomatoes on the side

Customize Your Kale Caesar

One of the reasons I love this recipe is how endlessly customizable it is. I've used crispy roasted chickpeas and crunchy croutons, but here are a few ideas for mixing it up!

Mix up your protein

If you don't have time to make the roasted chickpeas, adding some canned chickpeas works great too - or give our Instant Pot Chickpeas a try! Crispy Baked Tofu or our Buffalo Tofu would be soooo good with this kale caesar salad, as would our Air Fryer Falafel. Also: Tempeh Bacon - need I say more?

Add veggies

I've kept this salad pretty basic on purpose, but if you prefer more of a maximalist approach, by all means, veg it up! I love tossing chunks of avocado in with my kale caesar, as well as cherry tomatoes (semi-dried tomatoes would be fab as well), diced cucumber for a crunchy salad, peppers, and more.

Switch up the greens

Tuscan kale is my forever kale, but you can absolutely switch things up depending on what you have on hand or what your preferences are. Classic romaine lettuce? Go for it. Collard greens? Why not! I've even made a kale salad using lightly roasted leafy broccoli before. Which brings me to...

Serve it warm

One of the best caesar salads I've ever eaten was made with warm, grilled romaine. Since kale is so sturdy, a kale caesar salad lends itself well to being warmed up. Give this Roasted Kale Caesar a try!

Recipe FAQ

Can I make this kale caesar salad in advance?

You sure can. Kale salads hold up super well with the dressing on, so feel free to keep your kale caesar dressed and ready to go in an airtight container the fridge for up to three days.

I do, however, recommend you add the roasted chickpeas and croutons right when you're about to serve it, otherwise they'll lose their crunch.

Why is caesar salad not vegetarian?

Traditional caesar salad is made with dressing based on anchovy paste, raw eggs, and Parmesan cheese. Some or all of these ingredients may not meet the definition of vegetarian, depending on who is defining it. I personally do eat Parmesan, but I don't eat anchovies, and raw eggs squick me out.

Can I make a vegan caesar salad?

Yup! You'll need to make a couple of substitutions to the Vegetarian Caesar Dressing recipe (substitutions are noted in the recipe) and either skip the extra Parmesan cheese or replace it with nutritional yeast or a vegan cheese of your choice.

Is kale caesar healthy?

This one sure is! Made with hearty kale (and lots of it!) and a lightened-up vegetarian caesar salad dressing, this is one of my favourite healthy salads.

overhead photo of vegetarian caesar salad with kale, chickpeas, croutons, and tomatoes

Hey Nutrition lady, is kale healthy?

Friends, yes. Kale is a nutritional powerhouse! It is extraordinarily rich in micronutrients, dietary fiber, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients, and cancer fighting glucosinolates. Kale is a good source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, manganese, and contains nearly twice the vitamin K compared to any other cruciferous vegetable (broccoli, cabbage, etc).

Iron, magnesium, vitamin E, folate, and phosphorous are among the complement of vital minerals found in kale. And get this - the dietary fiber in kale is known to reduce blood cholesterol levels.

a wooden salad bowl with vegetarian caesar salad made with kale and crispy chickpeas

Other recipes you might enjoy

Massaged Kale Salad with Cranberries
Kale Tabbouleh Salad
Vegetarian Nicoise Salad
Vegetarian Cobb Salad

overhead photo of a kale caesar in a wooden salad bowl

Print Pin

5 from 5 votes