Welcome to Plan n Cook — plan meals, shop once, cook with less stress.

Home kitchen plans

Kale Caesar Salad With Avocado Dressing And Buttery Garlic Croutons

Kale Caesar Salad With Avocado Dressing And Buttery Garlic Croutons

Cuisine:American

Course:Sauce

20m prep 20m cook 40m ready

A hearty kale Caesar salad with creamy avocado dressing, buttery garlic croutons, and Parmesan. Perfect as a main or side dish.

Ingredients

Servings:

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

Estimated based off 11 of 15 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).

Energy
452 cal
Protein
14.1 g
Carbohydrate
38.1 g
Fiber
4.48 g
Sugars
2.7 g
Sodium
120 mg
Total fat
29.9 g
Saturated fat
13.1 g
Monounsaturated fat
10 g
Polyunsaturated fat
4.96 g
Vitamins & minerals
  • Calcium: 251 mg
  • Iron: 3.02 mg
  • Magnesium: 106 mg
  • Phosphorus: 374 mg
  • Potassium: 619 mg
  • Zinc: 2.47 mg

Let's Prepare

Collect

Gather these ingredients - no prep needed yet.

  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 118 ml water
  • 59.1 ml mayonnaise
  • 29.6 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 29.6 ml smoked herring or anchovy paste
  • 2 clove garlic
  • 4.93 ml Dijon mustard
  • 2.46 ml kosher salt
  • 118 ml unsalted butter
  • 9.86 ml kosher salt
  • 118 ml Parmesan cheese
  • 118 ml pepitas

Prepare

  • Mince 2 clove garlic
  • 1 crusty French bread, left uncovered overnight and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped

Let's Cook

  1. Step 1.

    Preheat the oven to 375°F.

  2. Step 2.

    To make the dressing: Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and peel. Cut one half into cubes and set aside for the salad. Place the other half in a blender with ½ cup water, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons smoked herring or anchovy paste, 2 small cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

  3. Step 3.

    To make the croutons: In a large frying pan, melt ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter with 2 minced garlic cloves and 2 teaspoons kosher salt over medium heat. Remove from heat, add the bread cubes (from 1 loaf crusty French bread, left uncovered overnight and cut into 1-inch cubes), and toss with a large spoon until evenly coated.

  4. Step 4.

    Spread the coated bread cubes in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once or twice during baking for even toasting.

  5. Step 5.

    While the croutons bake, assemble the salad: In a large bowl, place 5 to 6 cups chopped kale (stems removed). Add the dressing and toss with salad spoons or tongs until the kale is well coated. Add a handful of Parmesan cheese and/or pepitas, and toss again.

  6. Step 6.

    Top the dressed kale with the reserved avocado cubes and the baked croutons. Serve immediately.

Ratings & reviews

Have you made this? Take a moment and let us know what you think. Sign in to leave a rating.

Get weekly meal ideas

Fresh recipes and planning tips from Plan n Cook.

Plan a week

Drop recipes onto breakfast, lunch, and dinner for every day.

One grocery list

Ingredients combined and scaled to your household servings.

Cook from recipes

Browse the library and public kitchens when you need inspiration.

Keep your kitchen

Save favorites, pantry items, and meal plans in one place.