Servings

Prep Time15

Total Time15

5 from 6 votes

This zesty massaged kale salad combines fresh Tuscan kale with crispy roasted chickpeas, all topped with a tangy, homemade lemon-greek yogurt Caesar dressing. It's anchovy—and egg-free!

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

Kaaaaaaale Caesar!!!

Friends, do you have a go-to Caesar salad recipe? If not, now you do. 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.

We've got a whole archive of wholesome salad recipes here on HNL, but I'll be honest with you, this Kale Caesar is one of my very faves. 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.

This salad is made with our internet-famous anchovy-free Caesar dressing, which blends together all kinds of delightful things like roasted garlic and capers, and is lightened up with a bit of Greek yogurt to keep things on the healthy side.

I love topping my Kale Caesar with crispy roasted chickpeas, and although I wholeheartedly recommend you do the same, you can totally skip this or sub in your favorite store-bought crispy crunchy salad topping instead. This is a bomb diggity vegetarian caesar salad recipe if there ever was one, and I sure hope you give it a try.

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

Let's make a Kale Caesar Salad together!

Step 1: de-stem + slice your kale

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.)

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

Stack up all those kale leaves and slice 'em into thick ribbons. We want bite-sized pieces for a kale caesar salad.

Step 2: make the anchovy-free Caesar dressing

It really is as simple as tossing everything into your blender (a food processor is fine, too!) and blending until smooth.

photo collage of vegetarian caesar dressing being made in a vitamix

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.

Step 3: assemble your Kale Caesar Salad

Now, all you need to do is add your dressing and massage it into the kale. A quick 30-second rub will do the trick and turn your tough, chewy kale into a soft and supple salad green.

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

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.

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 would be soooo good with this Kale Caesar salad. 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.

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

overhead photo of a kale caesar in a wooden salad bowl

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5 from 6 votes

Kale Caesar Salad with Crispy Chickpeas (Anchovy Free!)

This zesty massaged kale salad combines fresh Tuscan kale with crispy roasted chickpeas, all topped with a tangy, homemade lemon-greek yogurt Caesar dressing. It's anchovy—and egg-free!

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword Kale Caesar, Vegetarian Caesar Salad, Kale Caesar

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings

Calories 280kcal

Author Katie Trant

Ingredients

Vegetarian Caesar Dressing

1 bulb roasted garlic
1 large lemon juiced
1 Tablespoon capers
1 Tablespoon caper brine
2 teaspoons smooth Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic smashed
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup full-fat Greek yogurt

Kale Caesar Salad Ingredients

7 ounce bunch Tuscan kale de-stemmed and torn to bite-sized pieces
½ cup Vegetarian Caesar Dressing or more as needed
½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
1 cup Crispy Roasted Chickpeas or more as desired
Croutons if desired
salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make the dressing

Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a blender.
1 bulb roasted garlic, 1 large lemon, 1 Tablespoon capers, 1 Tablespoon caper brine, 2 teaspoons smooth Dijon mustard, 1 clove garlic , ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, ½ cup full-fat Greek yogurt
Blend until smooth.

To make the Kale Caesar

Remove the kale leaves from the stems, and place in a stack on your cutting board.
7 ounce bunch Tuscan kale
Using a sharp knife, slice into thin ribbons.
Place the kale ribbons into a large bowl, and add a few tablespoons of dressing (do not add all the dressing at once - this is far more dressing than you need for this recipe).
½ cup Vegetarian Caesar Dressing
Using clean hands, massage the dressing into the kale. Add extra dressing as needed.
Toss the salad, and add grated Parmesan.
½ cup Parmesan cheese
To serve, garnish with grated Parmesan, crispy chickpeas, and croutons.
Croutons, 1 cup Crispy Roasted Chickpeas

Notes

Nutrition values are an estimate only
Nutrition calculation assumes ½ cup Vegetarian Caesar Dressing and 1 cup Roasted Chickpeas will be used in this recipe.
This recipe makes a large batch of Vegetarian Caesar Dressing. If you don't want leftovers, make a half batch of dressing. You can easily adjust the quantities by changing the number of servings to 2 in the recipe card.

Nutrition

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

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

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Comments

5 from 6 votes (1 rating without comment)

Fresh Kale Caesar Salad with Crispy Chickpeas