Kale “Caesar Salad”

Salads are a food for which I never follow a recipe. I have long thought of salads as being some combination of the vegetables that you have in your fridge dressed in some combination of oil and vinegar that is served on the side of a “real meal”. But my own lack of imagination doesn’t mean that there aren’t a million ways to do salad, just as my reluctance to follow a recipe doesn’t mean that there aren’t a million recipes circulating the internet with more creative pairings than the one I have historically devised.

Using kale as the base for this salad was a welcomed change-up from my nightly salad routine. Although using kale also seemed risky because of its bad rap. Often grouped in with pumpkin spice lattes and Pure Barre, kale has become a scapegoat for our aversion to being basic. Also, trying to call this a caesar salad seemed off base because it in no way resembles the traditional caesar salads from my pre-teen days that I ordered in an early and misguided attempt to be healthy. Salad is not inherently healthy, is what I quickly learned. But often the less healthy a salad, the more flavor it has. This kale salad recipe shatters this paradox and revolutionizes kale stereotypes. It is not only a healthy alternative to traditional caesar but it is also delicious and satisfying. I still usually add to it whatever I have in my fridge, but below are some basic guidelines I tend to stick to.

Salad (makes one serving)

About 2 handfuls kale

cherry tomatoes

red onions

hemp hearts

Optional but Recommended

toasted walnuts

hard-boiled egg

grilled salmon

sunflower seeds

homemade croutons

Dressing

1-1/2 tbs tahini
1 tbs olive oil
Juice from 1/4 lemon
2 tbsp nutritional yeast (more if desired for flavor)
Salt
Lemon pepper