With spring almost on our doorstep, it was time for a fresh & bright salad recipe & so Crispy Kale, Pea & Asparagus Caesar Salad was born. It has all the components that make a salad so appealing: crunch, vibrancy & creaminess. Crunch from croutons, roasted kale & baby romaine lettuce; vibrancy from peas, asparagus & lemon all drizzled in a creamy, homemade Caesar dressing.
And although this is a bastardized version of Caesar salad, it far surpasses the original somewhat pedestrian Caesar salads that seem synonymous with American cuisine.
I daresay this version is probably healthier too. Especially as I opted to make this bacon-free (although bacon was never an ingredient of a classic Caesar salad anyway, it is delicious). With asparagus, baby lettuce leaves & peas (albeit frozen), this recipe is an ode to spring. Ironic because it’s still snowing here in Indiana, heart of the American Midwest.
There’s a few different ways to serve the salad: on a large platter as a side salad, individually plated to serve as a light starter or as a main meal.
Not a big kale fan, I do really enjoy it roasted as I find that quick blast of heat not only makes the taste more appealing but also the texture, changing the leaves from tough & rubbery to crisp & wispy.
If you’re feeling as ambitious as I was when I made this, then toast your own croutons. All is required is a bit of bread tearing, a toss on the baking sheet with a smidge of olive oil & a quick toasting in the oven with the kale. If that really seems too much to muster then use the package croutons. There are no hard & fast rules. I do like the rustic look of homemade.
The changing seasons bring forth the anticipation of cooking different recipes with the new season’s bounty, regardless of which hemisphere you’re in. For those of us in the northern hemisphere, we’re eagerly awaiting planting gardens, farmer’s markets & cookouts – Crispy Kale, Pea & Asparagus Caesar Salad is a perfect starting point.
Love asparagus? Yeah me too. Here are some quick & really easy roasted asparagus recipes.
- CAESAR DRESSING
- 2/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup canola oil*
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove
- pinch of freshly ground pepper
- HOMEMADE CROUTONS
- 2 cups torn bread
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- pinch of salt & pepper
- KALE SALAD
- 4 stalks kale
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- pinch of salt & pepper
- 1/2 bunch (8oz/226g) asparagus, trimmed of woody ends & halved crossways
- 8 baby romaine (cos) lettuce leaves
- 1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese shavings
- To make the Caesar dressing, in small food processor, process all dressing ingredients until smooth; set aside in the fridge.
- To make the croutons: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Toss bread, oil & a pinch of salt & pepper together on one of the baking sheets. Bake for about 10 minutes, stirring once during cooking, or until the bread if browned & crisp; cool.
- To make the salad: Cut the kale leaves from their stalks & discard the stalks. Roughly tear the kale leaves, & toss with the oil, parmesan, salt & pepper on the remaining baking sheet. Roast for about 10 minutes, turning during cooking, or until crisp.
- While the kale is cooking, plunge the asparagus into a medium saucepan of salted, boiling water for 20 seconds or until bright green. Remove & place in a bowl of cold water. Let stand for 5 minutes until cooled; drain well.
- Arrange lettuce, asparagus & peas on a serving platter. Drizzle with dressing & scatter kale leaves & croutons over the top & serve immediately.
- * Use a mild tasting oil such as canola, grape or safflower. I don't use olive oil in the dressing because it's strong flavor overshadows the other ingredients. Also, using olive oil with a blender or food processor will cause the dressing to have a bitter taste. Olive oil needs to be added by hand for the best tasting dressing & vinaigrettes.
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