Name: Dressing: Healthy Kale Caesar Salad with Tahini Caesar
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 15 ounces chickpeas (drained, rinsed and patted dry); 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1½ teaspoons garlic herb seasoning; 1 clove of garlic (grated); 3 tablespoons tahini; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons warm water; 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese; 1 large bunch curly leaf kale; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese (for serving)

You guys, I made the most standout Caesar salad.

I’ve made it no secret that I’m a Caesar salad fan. This being my 4th version of my beloved salad should tell you something. You may remember, last year I posted a lighter Casear salad and ever since then the wheels were turning about how I could make it even lighter, healthy and nutritious.

So this Caesar salad is 100% kale all. the. way. Massaged with olive oil and salt to tenderize the leaves making them tender and easier to chew. And instead of croutons, I roasted up chickpeas (gluten free!!) and tossed them in a garlic herb blend and scattered them over top. BUT the killer part is the dressing.

There is not one ounce of mayonnaise used. It’s simply garlic, Dijon, some freshly squeezed lemon juice, tahini and a little bit of Parmesan cheese. It tastes MEMORABLE! And I promise you won’t miss the unwanted and unhealthy calories. PROMISE.

Simple ingredients that yield one memorable salad.

Preheat your oven to 400℉ (or 200℃).

For this healthy kale Caeser salad, first drain and rinse, then pat dry one 15-ounce can of chickpeas. Toss with 1 tablespoon of oil and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt before roasting in your preheated oven for 40 minutes. Once they are crisp and golden brown, toss them with 1-1/2 teaspoon of this garlic and herb seasoning blend.

Note: To save time, you can also make them in the air fryer!

To make the tahini Caesar dressing, I grated in 1 medium clove of garlic into a bowl and then added in 3 tablespoons of tahini, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, olive oil and warm water each. Then I added in 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 3 tablespoons of freshly grated (crumbles) Parmesan cheese.

Unfussy-peasy.

Next wash and strip the leaves off of a large bunch of curly leaf kale. Next, Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle in a 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt.

Use your impeccably clean hands to gently massage the oil and salt into the kale leaves.

Use tongs and plate the kale leaves onto dinner plates. Then top with the crispy, roasted, garlic and herb chick peas, shaved Parmesan and drizzle the tahini Caesar dressing over top.

The tender kale leaves, crunchy chick peas, Parmesan cheese and the dressing are utterly flavor-packed together. I could eat this salad all day every day and not feel bad about it.

I think you will completely LOVE this healthy kale Caesar salad!