This Overnight Kale Caesar Salad will change your relationship with kale forevermore! And in a good way. The BEST way. You’ll make it over and over because it is the perfect make-ahead salad!
I originally shared this recipe on January 19, 2013. I have updated the images and some of the text today.
Long ago, I thought kale chips were my favorite way to enjoy kale until I met this Overnight Kale Caesar salad. I really want you to try this recipe. That’s all there is to it. It is so darned delicious I can barely deal. I wanted to eat the entire bowl.
May is Salad Month on Healthy Seasonal Recipes. Every year I make salads, salad dressings and other such salady goodies for the entire month. You can browse all the Salad Month recipes here.
You all know the method of massaging kale right? Well forget about it for the time being. This overnight kale caesar is a slacker way to get similar results. Let the dressing soften and tenderize the kale overnight in the fridge while you sleep! How easy is that!
I’ve made this salad about a hundred times since I first came up with it in 2013, and since then people have come up to me and said, “Oh I make your Overnight Kale Caesar!” Which makes me so happy because I hate the thought of any great old recipe being stuck back in the archives without anyone loving them or making them. Apparently, despite the really bad photos that used to live with this recipe, people were making it! {See said bad photo at the bottom of the post.}
So as I was saying, this recipe is AWESOME! Another awesome thing about this salad is that, as the name implies, you can make it ahead. Which is so helpful during busy times of year. I make this a lot around the holidays when I am busy. But right now, I always feel like this time of year just before the kids get out of school is just as busy if not busier than the holidays. So many events every day!!! So having a quick and easy recipe I can throw together in about 30 minutes, put in the fridge for a day and it just gets better and better as it sits is a big win for me.
Also, this Caesar dressing with the Parmesan, dijon, lemon juice and anchovies (please don’t skip the anchovies… trust me!) is to die for. The whole grain croutons add the perfect crunchy, earthy texture that will have you digging in for more and more!
Please make it and then tell me what you think in the comments below. Seriously! And check out a few of my other favorite kale salad recipes…
Kale salad with blueberries, manchego and pumpkin seed clusters
Kale caesar romano with almonds
Festive kale slaw with raspberries and almonds
Simple Egg-Free Caesar Dressing
This Overnight Kale Caesar Salad will change your relationship with kale forevermore! And in a good way. The BEST way. You'll make it over and over because it is the perfect make-ahead salad!
Ingredients
- 1 small clove garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon plus a pinch coarse kosher salt, divided
- 4 anchovies, chopped
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 12 cups bite-sized pieces of curly kale, about 1 1/2 to 2 bunches see note
- 4 cups crusty whole-grain bread cut into cubes, about 6 oz.
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1/8 teaspoon granulated garlic
Instructions
- Peel and mince garlic clove. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt over the garlic and mash with the side of a chef’s knife to form a smooth paste. Scrape garlic paste into a mini-prep, food processor or blender. Add anchovies, 1/2 cup olive oil, cheese, lemon juice, Dijon and pepper and puree until smooth and pale yellow, about 30 seconds. Toss kale with the dressing in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 36 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toss bread with the remaining 1tablespoon oil, Italian seasoning, granulated garlic and the remaining pinch of salt until the bread is coated. Spread out on a baking sheet and bake until crisp, but not hard, 10 to 12 minutes. They will continue to harden as they cool. Add cooled croutons to the salad and toss again.
Notes
To measure your kale, remove the central rib, and cut or tear into bite sizes pieces. Measure by filling the largest available measuring cup, and press down on the greens so they are packed, without overly crushing the greens. Repeat until you have 12 cups. The amount of kale seems almost ridiculously huge before it sits overnight. Don't worry! It will settle down to a much smaller amount.
Here is the original image associated with this blog post.
Love this recipe! Great way to prepare kale! I could eat the whole bowl. Husband and father-in-law loved it too.
Thanks Carla! I am so glad everyone enjoyed it.
I had the most amazing kale caesar salad at a restaurant a few months back and have been frantically searching for a recipe to match it! Thanks for the post – I can’t wait to make this!
Awesome Jack! So glad you will be making this. Please let me know how it goes!
The color of kale make me feel fresh. I totally agree with your Salad season you share, especially with this season. Thanks a lot!