We've talked about my aversion to a traditional Caesar dressing before and I'm happy to say I'm working through it! But, in the meantime, I've also discovered the best vegan Caesar dressing ever and this Avocado Kale Caesar is going to be your new go to! PRO TIP: If you have leftovers, or are looking for a lunch on the go, you can convert this recipe into a Chicken Caesar Wrap.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
This Kale Caesar literally everything I've wanted in life and more. Crispy lettuce, crunchy breadcrumbs, the tahini dressing of your dreams and some Everything But The Bagel seasoning to boot. I'll be chowing down on this all week long and I can guarantee that I won't get sick of it. But... If you want to switch up the greens, try my epic go-to kale salad. And.. if you just love these flavors but don't feel like salad, check out my Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza! Delish!
The dressing is like a smooth and creamy hummus that gives the kale the BEST flavor. I make it ahead of time every sunday night and keep it on hand to use all week long. It saves for about 10 days in the fridge but I promise you'll go through it even faster! It's also great drizzled on top of some roasted veggies!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- French Bread a few days old
- Olive Oil
- Unsalted Butter
- Garlic
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Italian Seasoning
Tahini Caesar Dressing
- Tahini
- Fresh Lemon Juice
- Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Water
- Kosher Salt
- Salad
- Tuscan Kale
- Romaine Heart
- Gaby’s This is Everything Seasoning
- Avocados
*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below.
How to Make Avocado Kale Caesar
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the bread into small cubes. Transfer cubed bread to a parchment lined baking sheet.
Step 2: Drizzle the bread with the olive oil and butter and then sprinkle with garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
Step 3: Using your hands, gently toss the croutons and make sure they are coated with all the oils, butters and seasonings.
Step 4: Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool before serving.
Step 5: In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon, oil, and garlic.
Step 6: Whisk until smooth. Add the water and continue mixing and season with salt.
Step 7: Transfer the lettuce and kale to large bowl and add the dressing and toss to coat.
Step 8: Add the croutons, tuck the avocado in, and sprinkle the salad with the everything but the bagel seasoning blend. Serve immediately.
How to Store Avocado Kale Caesar
I would recommend eating this fresh since it does not stay well with the dressing mixed. That said, you can store any extra dressing and croutons in the fridge for a week, and make more salads.
Tips & Tricks
Dressing keeps in the fridge for a week, and extra croutons are never a bad thing either. This means you can enjoy salad any day of the week!
FAQs
Which kale is the best for this salad?
I recommend Tuscan Kale for this salad. If you only have curly kale, you can use it, however, it is less tender which makes it slightly less suited for this salad. If you choose to use it, I recommend removing the ribs and shredding it finely.
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes! Just use gluten-free bread or nuts instead of the french bread for croutons.
Similar Recipes
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today
Avocado Kale Caesar
Ingredients
Croutons:
- 6 ounces french bread a few days old
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Tahini Caesar Dressing:
- ⅓ cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons water
- kosher salt
Salad
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale ribs removed and shredded
- 1 whole romaine heart shredded
- 3 tablespoons Gaby’s This is Everything Seasoning
- 2 ripe avocados cut into large wedges
Instructions
To make the croutons
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cut the bread into small cubes. Transfer cubed bread to a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Drizzle the bread with the olive oil and butter and then sprinkle with garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
- Using your hands, gently toss the croutons and make sure they are coated with all the oils, butters and seasonings.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool before serving.
To make the dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon, oil, and garlic. Whisk until smooth. Add the water and continue mixing and season with salt.
To prepare the salad
- Transfer the lettuce and kale to large bowl and add the dressing and toss to coat. Add the croutons, tuck the avocado in, and sprinkle the salad with the everything but the bagel seasoning blend. Serve immediately.
Tonight's menu included Asparagus and Parmesan Risotto, Avocado Kale Salad and Layered Carrot Cake. I can't say which is my favorite because they were all delicious. I'm really excited for leftovers tomorrow.
I just made this for breakfast because I woke up thinking about it...it's THAT good. Greens-check, healthy fats - check, seeds-check, - LOVE this salad.....
When you’re making this for a week of lunches do you keep dressing and avocado separate and toss together small portions each day?
separate!!
This salad was amazing!! So delicious! Made it for my son’s 30th dinner party last night and it was a huge hit with everyone! Had to make it three times! Can’t wait to make it again! Thanks Gaby!
LOVE IT! XOXO
Hi Gaby- what type of tahini are you using? I made and the taste of sesame was overpowering. Thanks!
Made this dressing and it looked/smelled great! But when I tasted it, it left a really bitter aftertaste. Not sure what I did wrong. Any suggestions please!
where did you get your tahini from?? I've bought a bad jar of it before and it was awful
Sounds delish!!! Do you have a chicken recipe I good add to this salad?
I've been adding this recently!! https://whatsgabycooking.com/paprika-roasted-chicken/
How much like hummus vs Caesar does the dressing taste? Would love a vegetarian/vegan option!
It's not like hummus because there are no chickpeas! I'd say its very much like a Caesar!
Vegan Ceasar dressing!?!? IN!!! This look amazing.
This is awesome. I always avoid Caesar salad as I can't stand anchovies. This looks like it will solve all my problems!
Please share the ingredients & quantities for the everything but the bagel seasoning. Thank you!
Hello - this looks amazing. When u say Italian seasoning - does it just come as a pre-made jar, or do you mean a combo of dried basil, parsley and oregano? Anything else? Thanks!
comes pre-mixed! but you could easily make your own with the dried herbs you mentioned above
Hi gaby! Love the recipe. How long do you think you can store extra dressing for?
1 week!
How many does this serve?
4!
OMG- this is the best salad ever! Of course, your croutons look extra good (BUTTER!!!!) Also, the avocado addition is on-point.