Kale Caesar Salad with Halloumi Croutons is a tasty and healthy (gluten-free and keto) version of the classic salad that you know and love.
My kids absolutely love Caesar salad, especially since I've perfected my Caesar salad dressing. But I'm picky about the romaine lettuce that I buy, and sometimes that means I don't buy it at all. So I've been looking for lettuce alternatives that can still use my kids' favorite dressing.
Thinking about other types of Caesar salad made me remember a kale Caesar salad Mr. Dreamboat ordered once at a brewery. It's not typical for him to order a salad at a restaurant, but what was even stranger is that he was raving about that salad for months afterwards. So the next time we went there, I ordered it with fried halloumi, which inspired me to make my own version.
So if you're also looking for other versions of Caesar salad to make, give this Kale Caesar Salad with Halloumi Croutons a try. It's got the savory, flavor-filled Caesar dressing my family knows and loves, but with heartier and healthier kale, and salty, crispy, fried halloumi croutons.
How to Make Kale Caesar Salad with Halloumi Croutons
If not done right, kale salad can end up tough, bitter, and leaving you feeling like you're never going to be finished chewing. Kale needs to be tenderized when it's served raw, and this can be accomplished in one of two ways.
If you're in a rush, you can manually tenderize the kale. This simply involves massaging it with a tiny bit of lemon juice, olive oil, and salt.
Alternatively, you can let the salad dressing do the work for you, which takes a little more time. The Caesar dressing already has lots of acid, salt, and oil in it, and it will tenderize the kale on its own if you give it time. This simply means that you toss the kale with the Caesar dressing and let it sit for at least an hour before serving it.
Whichever method you choose, prep the kale the same way. First, remove the tough stems. You can either pull the leaves from the stems or use a paring knife to cut down the edges of the stems. Then cut the kale leaves into thin ribbons.
Now it's time to wash the kale (and optionally soak it in cold water for a while, which can help to reduce any bitter flavors). Using a salad spinner makes this task much easier, but if you don't have one, immerse the kale into cold water in a large bowl, then pour and shake off the excess water. Lay the kale out onto a clean dish towel, roll it up, and pat it dry.
Now (or while the kale is soaking) make the dressing. I always use my immersion blender for this job, but you can also use a regular blender or a whisk and a medium bowl.
Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, fish sauce, dijon mustard, minced garlic, and pepper to a measuring cup or blender cup and blend. Keep blending while you slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Stir in the Parmesan and set the dressing aside until you're ready to use it.
Pour half to ¾ of the dressing over the kale in a large bowl (if you're following the "Make it Now" method, make sure the kale has already been massaged). Toss the kale until it's evenly coated with dressing. Add a little more if needed, if you're not getting even coverage. If following the "Make Ahead" method, cover the bowl and let it rest for at least an hour in the fridge.
Just before serving, cut the halloumi into cubes. Heat some olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the halloumi cubes, and cook, stirring often, until the halloumi is lightly browned on all sides.
Divide the dressed kale between bowls, and top each with some of the fried halloumi. Drizzle with extra dressing and some more black pepper, if desired.
Kale Caesar Salad with Halloumi Croutons Ingredients
- Kale - I believe that lacinato kale (sometimes also called "dinosaur kale" or "Tuscan kale") is the better choice for salads because it's less bitter and more tender. However, where I live, regular "curly" kale is much easier to find, so that's what I often use. Use whichever you prefer, or have access to. I find that soaking regular kale in cold water after it's cut up helps to reduce the bitter flavor.
- Halloumi - halloumi is a Mediterranean cheese that's often grilled, sautéed, or fried because it doesn't melt. Instead, it becomes a little softer with a squeaky texture and develops a crispy crust. Halloumi is quite salty, so keep that in mind when you're seasoning dishes where it is present.
- Olive oil - you will be using olive oil both in the Caesar dressing, as well as a smaller amount to fry the halloumi. You will also use a very small amount in the "Make it Now" version to massage the kale to help tenderize it.
- Garlic - I highly recommend using fresh garlic here, not jarred
- Lemon juice - Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best, but bottled will work too. You will need it both for the Caesar dressing and a smaller amount to tenderize the kale in the "Make it Now" version.
- Apple cider vinegar - I like to use apple cider vinegar in my Caesar dressing because I always have it on hand, and I like its tangy flavor.
- Fish sauce - Fish sauce is my Caesar salad "secret" ingredient. It gives the dressing a super salty, umami flavor that is traditionally provided by anchovies. I just find fish sauce much more convenient to use.
- Dijon mustard - Don't skip the Dijon mustard in the dressing, even though the amount is small. If you're not a mustard lover, don't worry. It doesn't contribute a huge amount of flavor, but it does help to keep the dressing emulsified so that it's nice and thick and doesn't separate.
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Mayonnaise - I use mayonnaise instead of egg yolks in my Caesar salad dressing because it's easier to work with, and I don't have to worry about foodborne illness or pasteurizing the yolks.
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt - A very small amount of salt is used only in the "Make it Now" version of this recipe, just to tenderize the kale. The dressing doesn't need extra salt because it gets enough from the fish sauce. And the halloumi also contributes salt to the salad.
Want more kale recipes?
Kale Caesar Salad with Halloumi Croutons Nutrition Notes
This recipe serves 4 people with larger entree-sized portions, or 8 people with smaller side or appetizer-sized portions. The nutrition information in the recipe below is for a smaller side/appetizer-sized portion. To find the nutrition information for a larger entree-sized portion, simply multiply all of the numbers by two.
Note that the nutrition calculations in the recipe do include the extra ingredients needed for the "Make it Now" version of the recipe. Because they're small, they don't make a huge difference to the overall nutrition information.
This recipe is gluten-free as written.
Kale Caesar Salad with Halloumi Croutons
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Remove the stems from the kale and slice the kale into ½" (1.25cm) ribbons. Wash and dry the kale ribbons well using a salad spinner, or by rolling the ribbons in a clean dish towel and patting dry. Transfer the kale ribbons to a large bowl.
- Add 2 cloves garlic, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 Tablespoon fish sauce, ½ teaspoon dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and ½ cup mayonnaise to a large measuring cup, or the blending container of an immersion blender (or use a regular blender, or whisk by hand in a large bowl). Blend until uniform. While blending, slowly drizzle in ¼ cup olive oil. The dressing should become a little thicker. Stir in ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese.
- Pour about half to ¾ of the dressing over the kale ribbons in the bowl (reserve the remaining dressing for later). Toss the kale with the dressing until evenly coated (if it doesn't seem like there's enough dressing to coat all of the kale, add more). Cover the bowl and transfer to the fridge to rest for at least an hour, or up to 4 hours. The dressing will tenderize the kale and make it more pleasant to eat raw.
- Pat the halloumi dry, and cut it into ½-3/4" (1.25-2cm) cubes. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and add 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Add the cubed halloumi to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until golden brown on all sides.
- Toss the dressed kale again to redistribute any dressing that may have settled. Divide the kale evenly between bowls (4 bowls for entree portions, or up to 8 bowls for appetizer/side portions) and top with fried halloumi. Drizzle with remaining dressing, if desired.
- Remove the stems from the kale and slice the kale into ½" (1.25cm) ribbons. Wash and dry the kale ribbons well using a salad spinner, or by rolling the ribbons in a clean dish towel and patting dry. Transfer the kale ribbons to a large bowl. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon olive oil, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt over the kale, and use your hands (use gloves if your hands are dry or sensitive) to massage it into the kale to tenderize the kale. Continue following the recipe above from step 2.
Nutrition
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