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If you love Caesar dressing you’ll love this Kale Caesar Salad with Chicken recipe. It is sure to become a favorite! With croutons instead of bread, this Kale Caesar Salad with Chicken Breast has a real crunchy texture that compliments all the flavors of the dressing: lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. The kale, croutons and Parmesan cheese all work together for a meal that is satisfying and flavorful.
Caesar salad is one of my favorite salads, but it can be so repetitive! Adding kale and chicken to the mix gives you different greens and protein and makes the meal a bit more filling. I also love this recipe because you can use leftover crusty bread to make homemade croutons.
Ingredients
kale
crusty bread
garlic
anchovy paste
lemon
mayonnaise
Worcestershire sauce
parmesan cheese
seasonings
Tools You Will Need
baking sheet
medium sized bowl
skillet
How To Make Kale Caesar Salad with Chicken
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
Transfer the bread for the croutons to the baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss to coat.
Lightly season with salt and black pepper, toss again then spread out in an even layer on the bottom of your pan (do not overlap). Bake for 10 minutes or until golden and crispy on top, flipping halfway through cooking time if needed until both sides are golden brown; set aside while making dressing below!
To make Kale Caesar dressing: add all ingredients to a bowl. Mix using a spoon until well combined. Add the dressing to the kale and toss to evenly coat.
Drizzle chicken with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Season chicken tenderloins with salt, pepper, and paprika.Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add remaining olive oil. to pan cook chicken until done or an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Assemble salad by serving kale, chicken, croutons and parmesan cheese then serve.
FAQs
Can I use other greens besides kale?
Absoulety! Romaine lettuce is pretty common or use a salad mix of different greens.
Does this Caesar dressing recipe use anchovies?
Yes,this recipe does contain anchovies which is common. Specifically anchovy paste was used to easily mixing Caesae dressing by hand.
Is there a way to make Caesar dressing without anchovies?
Yes, you certainly can make Caesar dressing without anchovies. Here is a anchovy free Homeade Caesar Dressing recipe I posted that you can use!
Can I make this ahead of time?
The dressing, croutons, and chicken can be made in advanced. It is recommended to keeping the salad separated and assemble once ready to eat.
Kale Caesar Salad with Chicken
Ingredients
Croutons
- 2 cups diced crusty bread
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt and black pepper
Dressing
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup good quality mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Salad
- 8 cups shredded kale
- freshly grated parmesan cheese for garnish
Chicken
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins
- kosher salt & pepper
- ½ teasooon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil divided
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
-
Transfer the bread for the croutons to the baking sheet and drizzle with the oil. Toss to coat.
-
Lightly season with salt and black pepper. Toss again.
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Toast in the oven for 10 minutes or until golden and crispy.
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Meanwhile, whisk the dressing ingredients together until smooth.
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Transfer the shredded kale to a large salad bowl and add two-thirds of the dressing.
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Toss then let the kale sit for 4-5 minutes. During this time the leaves will soften.
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Remove the croutons from the oven.
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Add the remaining dressing to the kale.
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Drizzle chicken with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Season chicken tenderloins with salt, pepper, and paprika.
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Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add remaining olive oil.
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Cook chicken until done.
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Assemble salad by serving kale, chicken, croutons and parmesan cheese then serve.
Recipe Notes
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Jasmin Foster is a registered dietitian/food photographer focused on feel good balanced living providing recipes and tips to help you live your best life.