When I was pregnant with Penelope, I craved salads almost everyday! Especially Kale salads! We were on COVID lockdown for most of my pregnancy, meaning my husband and toddler were both home, so I needed to come up with a quick, easy recipe that would leave my husband and I full and satisfied (my toddler wouldn’t touch Kale, lol). This recipe is so good, it has made it into our weekly lunch rotation!
For this recipe, I go back and forth between Lacinato Kale (which is the flat type), and Curly Kale. Right now, I’m all about the Curly Kale. I love how the dressing gets into all the nooks and crannies of it! You can of course, use whichever type you’d like :)
Choosing a great dressing is important. I prefer a creamier Caesar dressing, like “Ken’s Steakhouse.” But any brand that you have on hand is fine.
For the croutons, homemade is waaay better than store bought. This is one step you don’t want to take a shortcut on. Cut up some sliced sourdough into cubes, toss them in a good amount of good quality EVOO, and fry in a frying pan. They get all crispy on the outside, but stay soft, and delicious on the inside!
The chicken tends to be where I take my shortcut. I usually just buy a pre-made rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, and use that. You can use grilled chicken if you’d prefer that though.
Quantity: 2 salads
Ingredients:
1 bush of curly kale
2 tbsp of creamy cesar dressing
1 cooked chicken breast, cubed
1 tbsp freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
salt & pepper to taste
For the croutons:
2 slices of sourdough bread, cubed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
Thoroughly wash and dry the kale. Remove the leaves from the stems, and discard the stems. Tear the leaves into bite sized pieces and place them in a large mixing bowl. Season the kale with S&P.
Add the dressing, and chicken to the bowl.
Set your frying pan over medium-high heat. While your pan is heating up, add your cubed sourdough to a separate bowl, and toss with the EVOO, garlic powder, S&P. Place the bread into the frying pan, and cook on all sides until each side is nice and crispy (about 4-5 min). Keep an eye on it, and make sure it doesn’t burn. You want the croutons a nice golden color, not black! Add a little more EVOO to the pan if it seems too dry.
Once the croutons are finished cooking, add them to the salad, and toss. Serve in large salad bowls, garnished with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano, and enjoy!!