Kale Salad with Avocado Caesar Dressing

This post is sponsored by our friends at Tessemae’s.

Whether it’s a lunch date or a holiday side dish – our Kale Salad with Caesar Avocado Dressing puts those pale iceberg lettuce salads to shame.

(Raw) Kale for the win!

If you’ve been burned by a big bowl of ‘are we done chewing yet’ kale salad in the past – then you definitely need to give this one a try. This ISN’T one of those chew-all-day kinds of kale salads. I promise.

I know, kale is vegetable that should be cooked. Um hmmm….I know. It’s requires a lot of chewing when it’s not cooked…You feel like a rabbit when you eat raw kale… I hear you. 

But hear me out, this kale salad is different.

I promise. My hubby – who’s rather averse to excessive chewing of leafy greens – tore through this salad without realizing he’d been eating kale…I’d say that’s pretty convincing.

The secret is massage

Massage. For the kale, not you.  

Yes, you actually massage the kale leaves with just a pinch of sea salt until they start to soften and wilt. Doing this not only makes it easier on the jaws, but it makes the kale less bitter too. Now your jaws won’t need a massage after eating.

And really great dressing

Kale, being more assertive than your typical leafy greens or Romaine lettuce, demands a dressing that can hold it’s own and not be overpowered by the kale-ness of it all.

Enter Tessemae’s new all-natural Creamy Caesar Dressing and Dip. Blended with fresh avocado, this dressing was just what this salad needed. A big does of healthy, satisfying fat and big flavor. Best of all, it’s Whole30-friendly – meaning it’s sugar-free, dairy-free and gluten-free. Tessemae’s Caesar dressing is quickly being picked up by various nationally known stores such as Walmart, Kroger, Safeway, meijer, Food Lion, SuperValu, The Fresh Market, EarthFare, Target, Whole Foods and several coops. So be sure to check the refrigerator sections of those stores. If you can’t find it, simply put a requests into your grocer to carry Tessemae’s Creamy Ranch and Caesar dressing.

Sadly, it’s not egg-free (sorry, fellow egg-abstainers) which meant my hubby got all the kale salad action this time while I longing watched him devour one bowl and pack up the second for his lunch the next day. Sigh. 

He did say it was hands-down the BEST Caesar dressing he’s ever eaten and my somewhat picky 9 year old daughter has taken to dipping raw carrots in it (which is saying A LOT if it makes her actually want to eat anything but cucumbers).

This salad serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as a main entree with a serving of protein. I threaded raw shrimp onto skewers then brushed them with extra Caesar dressing before grilling them to make this salad a complete meal. You can also use chicken, salmon, steak or even canned tuna if you’d like.

You really do need this Kale Salad with Avocado Caesar dressing in your food life right now.  It’s a really great way balance out everything pumpkin spice in your life and make you feel really nutritionally virtuous at the same time.

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Let's Get Cookin'

Kale Salad with Avocado Caesar Dressing

The classic Caesar Salad gets a healthy makeover in this Whole30-friendly version made with kale, fresh veggies and hard-boiled egg.

• Author: The Real Food Dietitians
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 15 mins
• Yield: 2 1x
• Category: Salad
• Cuisine: Whole30

Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the Dressing

• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 1/4 cup Tessemae’s Creamy Caesar Dressing
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

For the Salad

• 1 bunch kale (curly green kale works best), washed, dried and tough stems removed – about 4 cups
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 hard boiled eggs, halved
• 2 Tbsp. sliced almonds

Instructions

1. Place avocado, dressing and lemon juice a food processor or blender (or just mash it all up with a fork and some elbow grease). Process until smooth. Set aside.
2. Tear kale leaves into small pieces and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt.
3. Using your hands, massage the kale leaves with the salt until the start to wilt and soften a bit.
4. Divide kale among two bowls. Add carrots, red onion, cherry tomato halves and eggs.
5. Drizzle with dressing and toss lightly to coat. Sprinkle with almonds and serve.

Notes

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/2 recipe
• Calories: 348
• Sugar: 8g
• Sodium: 358mg
• Fat: 24g
• Carbohydrates: 26g
• Fiber: 10g
• Protein: 15g

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This post was made possible by our friends at Tessemae’s. Though we received compensation for this post, the opinions expressed here are 100% our own. Thank you for supporting the great companies we works with thereby allowing us to continue creating great recipes and content for you.

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About Jessica Beacom

Jessica is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist living in Boulder, CO with her hubby and two daughters. She's been described as a 'real food evangelist' and loves sharing her knowledge with others to help them break free of the diet mentality and find their own food freedom. In her spare time she enjoys CrossFit, telemark skiing, mountain biking, teaching herself how to play the banjo and camping out under the stars.