Half-Kale Caesar Salad

Overhead photo of a kale and romaine caesar salad topped with crispy tofu in a white bowl.

A best-of-both-worlds Caesar salad made with hearty Tuscan kale, crisp romaine, and a quick, creamy vegetarian dressing. Add crispy tofu “croutons” to turn it into a satisfying meal.

Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Keyword caesar salad, Kale Caesar, vegetarian caesar salad

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 5

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 165kcal

Author Katie Trant

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.

Nutrition