Feed me some leafy greens and I’m one happy girl! I eat them so frequently you’d think I’d be sick of them by now.
In fact, even as a little girl I loved Kale. My grandmother used to use it in many dishes, sautéed with lots of garlic, and my mom makes this amazing Caldo Verde Portuguese soup. It basically means collard green soup and it is my favourite!
Collard greens, swiss chard, kale and other cruciferous veggies like broccoli and brussel sprouts are so incredibly detoxifying, support liver health and supply you with an incredible amount of magnesium.
Plus, they are rich in antioxidants, contain anti-inflammatory benefits, cancer protective compounds and cholesterol lowering properties. How ahhhmazing is that? But wait… there’s more! Kale also contains vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamins B1, B2, B3 and B6, plus omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, fiber, iron and potassium.
So if you’re not eating kale by now, you better start! In fact, when I hear people say how they don’t eat any veggies or would never even consider trying kale, it breaks my little (big) heart. I know what eating nutrient rich food can do for your health and without these magnificent greens in your life, you’ll be suffering with inflammation, brain fog, sleeplessness, anxiety, pms, hormonal imbalances and lack of energy. Who wants that?
Which brings to my creamy, leafy, amazing, kale caesar salad. I’m gonna say it’s the best ever (because it is) and so ridiculously delicious that you’ll want to make it all the time! Or at least it may start to replace your traditional caesar salad recipe.
There’s just something about caesar salad. For me, it’s the creaminess. I so regularly make olive oil, lemon and balsamic dressing that it just gets kind of boring and unexciting.
This caesar dressing is perfect as a dip for veggies or even used as a spread on sandwiches.
So before we get into this amazing recipe, let’s have a quick chat about massaging kale. Yes, I said massage. I’m sure you’ve heard of this before, right?
Well, curly kale (which is what I use in this recipe) can be a little on the tough side. To break it down and to allow for your body to absorb and assimilate all of the vital minerals and nutrients, you first need to massage your kale with a little bit of olive oil, lemon and sea salt.
It’s easy. Before you make the caesar dressing, wash and de-stem your kale. Add it to a large bowl and drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkling of sea salt. Then massage. Use your hands to really get in there and soften up the leaves. You’ll want to do this step as it lends a much nicer texture to the kale, making it more enjoyable to chomp on.
Then, let it sit while you make your dressing.
So now, onto the goodness!
Enjoy 🙂
- 5-6 cups (1 large bunch) raw kale, massaged (see above)
- 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- Organic or homemade croutons (I use the sprouted croutons from LIVE ORGANIC FOODS), this is optional
- ½ cup raw cashews, soaked overnight or for 4 hours
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- Juice of 1 large lemon
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- Black pepper & sea salt to taste
- Massage kale in a large salad bowl and set aside.
- Add all caesar dressing ingredients into a food processor and blend until well combined. You may need to add more water, depending on the consistency you like.
- Add dressing to salad and top with hemp seeds, nutritional yeast and croutons.
- *You can always step it up a notch and add some parmesan cheese and bacon to this recipe. I've done it many times and it's delicious! You can also serve this with some grilled or poached chicken or salmon for a healthy nutrient packed lunch!
