This Kale and Romaine Caesar Salad is what I like to call my “half-kale Caesar.” Hearty Tuscan kale is combined with sweet, crisp romaine lettuce for the best of both worlds. The anchovy-free dressing is lightened up with yogurt and comes together in less than five minutes. Topped with crispy tofu to make it a meal, this is hands down my favorite Caesar salad right now.
Lettuce talk about this half-kale Caesar
Listen. I love a Kale Caesar, but sometimes an all-kale salad can feel like a lot of work to eat. Even for me, an internet Nutrition Lady and OG kale stan!
This kale and Romaine salad is the best of both worlds. Romaine brings that classic sweet crunch, while Tuscan kale makes the salad a little heartier and holds up beautifully under the creamy dressing.
The quick and easy vegetarian Caesar takes no more than five minutes to mix together. We're skipping the anchovies and raw egg, using soy sauce and Parmesan (or a vegetarian equivalent) for plenty of umami flavor instead. Mayo keeps it rich and creamy, while yogurt lightens things up and adds a little tang. If you've got a little more time on your hands, my vegetarian Caesar dressing with roasted garlic is also a delight.
You can serve this as a side just as it is, but I highly recommend adding the tofu “croutons.” I use my crispy seasoned air fryer tofu for this, and it's sooo good. If you don't have an air fryer, my crispy oven-baked tofu is also great. Sometimes I sprinkle buttery toasted panko over the top as well. You do you.
🥬Looking for more kale salads? I, of course, also have a straight-up fresh kale caesar salad, which is beyond delish. Or you could try my massaged kale salad with cranberries and feta, or mix it up with my kale tabbouleh salad recipe.
Let's make a kale and romaine Caesar together!
Alrighty, let me know show you how easy this half-kale Caesar salad is. Other than washing two types of greens, it's super simple and comes together in a flash. You'll find detailed instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post (just use the "jump to recipe" button to skip right to it), but for now, let's take a visual walk-through.
Step 1: make the dressing
If you can read and you can stir, you can make this quick and easy Caesar dressing. All you need to do is mix the yogurt and mayo with lemon juice, olive oil, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, crushed garlic, and a bit of parm.
Step 2: massage the kale
It's one of life's great injustices that kale gets more massages than I do, but so it is. Add the kale to your salad bowl with a couple of tablespoons of dressing, and rub it in until the leaves are tender.
Step 3: add the Romaine
Once the kale is tender, add the Romaine lettuce to the bowl, and top with most of the remaining dressing (I like to hold a little back just in case it's too much).
Use salad tongs to toss and combine well.
Add the remaining Parmesan to your salad, and toss to combine.
Step 4: Add the crispy tofu
Add the crispy tofu on top, or whatever your preferred protein is. Or go for classic croutons. I also love sprinkling buttery toasted panko breadcrumbs over top in lieu of croutons.
Step 4: serve!
Look at this beauty! Crispy! Hearty! Protein-packed! Your new favorite salad!
Half-Kale Caesar Salad
Ingredients
- 1 medium bunch Tuscan kale de-stemmed and sliced into ribbons
- 1 medium head of Romaine lettuce or similar, washed and chopped into bite-sized pieces.
- ¼ cup mayo
- ¼ cup plain yogurt Greek and regular are both fine
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small clove garlic crushed or finely grated
- 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese divided.
- 1 batch Air Fryer Tofu for topping
Instructions
- Start with washing, spinning, trimming, and slicing your kale and lettuce. Set them aside.1 medium bunch Tuscan kale, 1 medium head of Romaine lettuce
- To make the dressing, combine the mayo, yogurt, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, Dijon, soy sauce, and ½ cup grated Parmesan in a small bowl.¼ cup mayo, ¼ cup plain yogurt, 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 small clove garlic, 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 0.5 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Place the kale ribbons into your salad bowl and add a couple of tablespoons of dressing over top. Use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale until it becomes soft and supple.
- Add the lettuce and the remaining dressing and toss to combine well.
- Add the remaining Parmesan, and toss again.0.5 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Serve topped with crispy tofu "croutons"1 batch Air Fryer Tofu
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only, and do not include the Air Fryer Tofu
- I usually make this with Cosmopolitan lettuce, which is apparently a hybrid of iceberg and Romaine, and is crispy, sweet, and delicious. I find that the heads of Cosmopolitan tend to be slightly smaller than Romaine, and are the perfect size for combining with the Tuscan kale in this salad. If you can't find this, go for a small-ish head of Romaine.
- We're looking for about half kale, half lettuce in this salad.
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