Kale Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken

Thiiiiiiiiiiis.

Kale Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken / Bev Cooks

I’m almost speechless.

I said almost, don’t get too giddy.

This kale caesar salad is straight up madness. First of all, it’s kale. Dark, earthy Tuscan kale, sliced into the tiniest ribbons and fist bumped for good measure.

Then we have brioche croutons. An idea that comes from a Saturday morning PBS/Martha-thon.

Then we have our own, homemade caesar dressing. I’m telling you, there is NUTHIN’ LAWK homemade caesar dressing. Nothin’ in the world. I use anchovy paste in mine, because to me it makes more sense than buying a little tin of anchovies, using two or three, then tossing the rest. You can find anchovy paste right next to the tubes of tomato paste! Or maybe in the Asian aisle. Shoot now I don’t even know. Maybe ask someone? But don’t ask that sketchy man in the muscle shirt giving you a creeper eye. Crap now he’s walking toward you. Just walk away. Don’t look at him!

Kale Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken / Bev Cooks

Where was I?

You’d think that the kale would be a bit tough in raw salad form. But hark, once you slice it super thin, it surprisingly softens ever so slightly in obedience to the dressing. You seriously won’t believe your face when you eat this.

And the brioche croutons, talk about buttery bites of bomb, bae bae.

And the dressing! Have we talked about the dressing? You’re like, “Uhhh yeah I wonder if she knows the Danish meaning of bae.”

Of course I do! Hold on let me make sure.

. . . Oh.

Kale Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken / Bev Cooks  Kale Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken / Bev Cooks

Seriously though, if you wanna jazz up salad night, I beeeeg you to do this. That grilled chicken just seals the deal. Kiss of life. Rubber stamp. Ties the knot. Return to sender.

Ignore me.

Kale Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken / Bev Cooks

But eat this.

Kale Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken:

What it took for two dinner salads:

* 1 bunch lacinato kale, sliced into very thin ribbons, then give it a rough chop
* 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 cup cubed brioche bread (or any croutons you dig)
* 1 pinch of salt
* 1 egg yolk
* 2 tsp Dijon mustard (even stoneground is fabulous)
* 2 tsp anchovy paste (or 3 anchovy fillets + 2 cloves minced garlic)
* 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
* 1/3 cup olive oil
* 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
* 2 grilled chicken breasts, sliced (seasoning totally up to you!)

Start with your croutons. Heat the Tbs. of oil in a small sauté pan. Add the cubed brioche and a pinch of salt; sauté until it starts to brown and crisp up. It happens fast! Don’t leave it.

In a large mixing bowl (or right in your wooden salad serving bowl), add the egg yolk, mustard, anchovy paste and worcestershire sauce. Whisk it until nice and smooth. Then add the olive oil and whisk it all again. Looking good, right? Now add the cheese. Whisk it all up. Holy face. Taste it. But prepare to glory faint.

The rest is super easy. Add the kale and croutons. Toss toss toss until the silky, salty, fabulous dressing coats every last thing. Top with sliced grill chicken and faint again.

Kale Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken / Bev Cooks

Honey CHILD.

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37 Responses to Kale Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken

  1. Jamie | Jamie's Recipes February 2, 2015 at 8:20 pm #
    That looks so fabulous. I always crave greens this time of year.
  2. Jenny Flake February 2, 2015 at 9:15 pm #
    I love cooking with Kale! This looks incredible!!
  3. Jess February 3, 2015 at 1:09 am #
    Oh yes - I love everything about this, and somehow I've never made my own caesar salad, but it's happening now!
  4. Liz @ The Lemon Bowl February 3, 2015 at 8:00 am #
    Dear God. I want this now.
  5. Paige February 3, 2015 at 8:32 am #
    Oh my goodness. I love everything about this!
  6. Betty Greiner February 3, 2015 at 9:57 am #
    This looks great! I love the idea of a kale Caesar salad. I may try this tonight. Thanks Bev.
  7. Brian @ A Thought For Food February 3, 2015 at 10:07 am #
    I've always loved kale... don't understand the haters. But it is so much better when it's cut into thin strips. I typically do a kale salad with a yogurt dressing, but I'm never opposed to a rich Caesar. Can never have enough anchovies.
  8. Trisha (Stew or a Story) February 3, 2015 at 12:36 pm #
    Brioche croutons? GENIOUS! I'd totally eat my veggies this way.
  9. Madeleine February 3, 2015 at 6:34 pm #
    Recipe looks amaze! Also I could'nt help but google the danish meaning of bae HAHAHAHAHA.
  10. Miriam @ OvertimeCook February 4, 2015 at 7:52 am #
    I love this recipe - looks absolutely delicious!
  11. Laurie {Simply Scratch} February 4, 2015 at 8:02 am #
    Salad perfection. That's what this is. <3
  12. Stephanie February 4, 2015 at 2:11 pm #
    With this whole internet craziness for kale I think it's finally time to try something with it. My last time in the kitchen ended with me calling a professional house cleaner :D but this looks simple and most of all delicious !
  13. Cindy February 4, 2015 at 6:20 pm #
    I'd pretty much make this just for those brioche croutons! Everything else is a total bonus.
  14. Liz @ Floating Kitchen February 7, 2015 at 8:38 am #
    How could I never have thought to make croutons with brioche bread. It's like a whole new world has opened up to me. And maybe croutons with challah bread too! Oh my gawd.
  15. Becca March 9, 2015 at 11:56 am #
    Personally, I think I would mix up the dressing first and chop up my kale so that way they could be "marinating" while my croutons crisped up. I have a leftover chicken breast in my fridge... going to whip this up when I get home!
  16. Devon August 28, 2016 at 10:15 am #
    Hi, This recipe looks great. If i wanted to make the dressing ahead, how long do you think it would keep in the fridge?
    • Bev Weidner August 28, 2016 at 6:06 pm #
      Hey, Devon! You know, maybe a day? Since it has raw egg in it, I wouldn't keep it any longer than that. Just shake it up before you use it!
  17. Luna February 28, 2017 at 10:02 pm #
    Not being silly here, but how do you slice kale into ribbons? It's little leaves, and I'm not a master chef.
    • Bev Weidner March 2, 2017 at 6:36 am #
      You really just stack the leaves, and start slicing! You don't even have to stack. Just slice them into thin ribbons, starting at one end and going to the other. (stems removed) If you're using curly kale (not the lacinato like I used here), it might make more sense to chop. It's just whatever is easiest for ya!
  18. Luna March 1, 2017 at 9:03 pm #
    Unclear recipe instructions! What is la technique for cutting kale into ribbons? I make chiffonade from Romaine by rolling up the large leaves, but kale is little. Maybe lacinato is different, but I've never seen it. Please explain, and thank you.
    • Bev Weidner March 2, 2017 at 6:34 am #
      You really just slice away! The kale I normally use (and used in this recipe) is Lacinato, so the flat-ish leaves are maybe 4-5 inches wide. You can stack them, and from one end to the next, slice into 1/2-inch ribbons. Some ribbons might be shorter than others, but you still get ribbons. Now, curly kale, you can do the same, but it might be easier to just chop. Whatever makes more sense for you!
  19. Wendy April 14, 2017 at 5:08 pm #
    No fresh lemon juice in dressing...and minced garlic
  20. Yummy Lounge August 1, 2017 at 1:31 am #
    I love grilled chicken and I love Caesar Salad. This combination really suits me. Thank you for the recipe I will definitely try it.
  21. Mayda Ballara August 3, 2022 at 3:19 pm #
    Love the idea of the kale, chicken breast, and Caesar dressing together yet trying to keep my fats low. Could you tell me how many total fat calories are in your recipe?

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  5. Week of April 1st | Something Good - March 30, 2015 […] Kale Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken Ingredients: Serves 2 1 bunch lacinato kale, sliced into very thin ribbons, then give it a rough chop 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup cubed brioche bread (or any croutons you dig) 1 pinch of salt 1 egg yolk 2 tsp Dijon mustard (even stone ground is fabulous) 2 tsp anchovy paste (or 3 anchovy fillets + 2 cloves minced garlic) 1 tsp worcestershire sauce 1/3 cup olive oil 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese 2 grilled chicken breasts, sliced (seasoning totally up to you!) Directions: Start with your croutons. Heat the Tbs. of oil in a small sauté pan. Add the cubed brioche and a pinch of salt; sauté until it starts to brown and crisp up. It happens fast! Don’t leave it. In a large mixing bowl (or right in your wooden salad serving bowl), add the egg yolk, mustard, anchovy paste and worcestershire sauce. Whisk it until nice and smooth. Then add the olive oil and whisk it all again. Looking good, right? Now add the cheese. Whisk it all up. Holy face. Taste it. But prepare to glory faint. The rest is super easy. Add the kale and croutons. Toss toss toss until the silky, salty, fabulous dressing coats every last thing. Top with sliced grill chicken and faint again. (Recipe and photo from Bev Cooks) […]
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