Healthy Kale Caesar Salad

This take on a Caesar salad is so delicious... not only is it really good for you, but it's vegan and gluten free friendly and you wouldn't even know it! I added Parmesan to my salad, but for vegans just don't add it. It will still taste delicious without it. 

March is a great time to eat kale as it is at its prime. It's such a versatile ingredient and it's everywhere in supermarkets at the minute. I decided to make a nutritious and filling salad to accompany dinner and this was what came to mind. I took inspiration from Le Pain Quotidien, a lovely restaurant chain that serves up healthy and delicious food. I went there almost a year ago now when I was in NY, sadly for me they don't have one in Edinburgh yet... I ordered their vegan kale Caesar salad and have been wanting to recreate the flavour of their dressing ever since. I believe I have!

My recipe is quite different from a classic Caesar as you will notice. Instead of croutons I decided to roast a sweet potato as it's so good for you and keeps you full for a long time. It's a great source of magnesium which helps combat stress and also iron which is good for your metabolism and proper immune function, among many other benefits. If you felt like you wanted some crunch add some croutons (or gluten free ones) and change the salad up as you like. This recipe serves 3-4 people as a side salad or a starter.

You will need:
 1 large sweet potato
As much kale as you need, I did it by eye, washed and sliced
150ml/ ⅔ cup lemon juice (3-4 lemons)
60ml/ ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp water
¼ tsp sea salt
1.5 tbsp Dijon mustard
2.5 tbsp ground flax seeds
65g/ ⅔ cup raw walnuts, soaked in water for 10 minutes then drained
3 large garlic cloves
Parmesan for shavings

Heat the oven to 160C/320F. Peel and dice the sweet potato into the size that you would like. I went for quite small chunks as I was in a hurry and it cooks quicker in the oven that way. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and place in the oven for about 20-25 minutes or until nice and soft and getting slightly crispy at the edges.

For the dressing: blend the lemon juice, olive oil, water, sea salt, Dijon mustard, flax seeds, soaked walnuts and garlic in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt and lemon juice to your liking. This makes a lot of dressing, but it keeps really well in the fridge for 1-2 weeks in a jar. I have been making this salad countless times now, it's so good!

Pour a generous amount of dressing over the kale and toss it together well. Make sure that all the kale is well coated. Leave it for about 30 minutes to allow the kale to soften, it makes for a much nicer salad that way.

Finish by tossing in the roasted sweet potato and sprinkle with some Parmesan shavings. Enjoy knowing you are getting so many good nutrients!