Kale & Romaine Caesar Salad with Potato Croutons

Summer is upon us with lots of  green garden vegetables.  This indulgent and satisfying Kale and Romaine Caesar Salad is made with a Creamy Avocado Dressing and Potato “Croutons.”  I love this upgrade of one of my favorite salads. Who says you can’t be healthy and indulgent at the same time?

I have lots of young kale in my garden.  The tender leaves are perfect in a salad.  Adding kale to the classic romaine makes this caesar salad ultra nutritious.  My CSA came with a huge green crispy head of romaine inspiring me to combine the two into a fabulous caesar salad.  It’s a sturdy salad that holds up for a few hours, perfect for your summer party.

Dark green leafy vegetables are one of the best foods to reduce inflammation. Their rich supply of vitamin E protects against inflammatory molecules such as cytokines.  In addition, they are highly alkaline reducing inflammatory acids. The other vitamins and nutrients they contain also contain have anti-inflammatory properties.

I like to cut the kale into thin slices to save me the effort of having to chew it too much.  I like to chew, but find it’s easier when the kale is cut small. Chewing is super important for good digestion.  Don’t underestimate the power of chewing your food well.  It helps you lose weight and have more energy.

The potato “croutons,” are potatoes oven-roasted until crispy.  They give the salad crunch making it even more satisfying. These ‘croutons” are gluten free and paleo.

Do you know white potatoes are good carbs. Yes, you can eat them. The only thing is they have to be cold. When cooked and cooled, there is an expansion of resistant starch inside the potato.  Resistant starch is a type of starch that your body does not digest; it doesn’t absorb it into the bloodstream, which means it doesn’t impact your blood sugar in a negative way. Instead resistant starch is a prebiotic. Consider it to be compost or “super-fertilizer” for your healthy gut bacteria or gut microbiome.

Creamy avocado caesar dressing is a healthy upgrade to the usual mayonnaise and parmesan.  Avocado provides a creamy base, blended together with lemon and garlic with a slightly “cheesy” flavor from the nutritional yeast.  The rich and velvety taste is as satisfying as the traditional one.

Make this dressing all summer long.  Serve it as a dip for grilled shrimp, pour it over grilled vegetables or cold chicken slices.  Make lots of it, you’ll probably come up with few more things to serve it on.

You can add cooked chicken, tempeh or shrimp to the salad for additional protein.

The taste of this salad satisfies and comforts you.  It’s high nutritional profile energizes you.  It’s a happy food for the mind, body and summer soul.

“I have come to believe that caring for myself is not self-indulgent. Caring for myself is an act of survival.”― Audre Lorde

Kale and Romaine Caesar Salad with Potato Croutons

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This indulgent and satisfying Kale and Romaine Caesar Salad is a nutritional upgrade to the traditional caesar salad.  Made with creamy avocado dressing and potato “croutons.”

• Author: Ingrid DeHart - EatWellEnjoyLife.com
• Prep Time: 30
• Cook Time: 15
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 2 full size 4 appetizer 1x
• Category: Paleo, Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Seasonal
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

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Potato “Croutons”

• 2 small organic red or gold potatoes cut into 1 inch chunks
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• Celtic sea salt and pepper

Avocado Caesar Dressing

• 1 small ripe avocado, pitted (about 1/2 cup mashed)
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast*
• ½ – ¾ cup water

Salad

• 4 cups baby kale, thinly sliced
• 4 cups romaine, coarsely chopped

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Instructions

Make the potato croutons:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl toss the potatoes with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet.
4. Roast, turning after 10 minutes, until light brown and tender, about 20 minutes.
5. Cool and refrigerate until chilled.
6. Can be made 1-2 days in advance.

Make the dressing:

1. Blend all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor or until smooth. Start with ½ cup of water, add more if necessary to make it creamy and pourable.
2. Dressing will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Make the salad:

1. In a large bowl, toss the romaine with the kale and half the dressing.
2. Pass the remaining dressing at the table.
3. Top with half of the cold potatoes. Serve the rest on the side.

Notes

Chilling the potatoes make them more nutritious.   Prepare the potatoes the day before or a few hours before you’re ready to make the salad.

Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast is an inactive form of yeast used as a food. It has a strong flavor  similar to a rich sharp cheese. I consider nutritional yeast a “superfood.”   It’s golden yellow and is usually found in flakes.  It contains protein, fiber and  a full spectrum of B vitamins that provide us with energy and help maintain proper brain function.  Since our B’s get depleted when we’re under stress we need to replenish them.  Nutritional yeast has chromium, good for weight loss and sixteen different amino acids, good for muscle building.