Massaged Kale Caesar
 
 
by:
Serves: 4 as a side salad
Ingredients
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
  • 2 mounded cups ¾" bread cubes, cut from a crusty baguette or Italian loaf
  • Salt
  • 1 bunch (about 8 ounces) curly kale, rinsed, ribs removed and leaves torn into bite-size pieces.
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2½ tablespoons mayonnaise
  • ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire
  • Ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (preferably Parmigiano Reggiano), plus extra for sprinkling
Instructions
  1. Heat a 10-inch skillet over low heat. Mince garlic cloves in a food processor or blender. Scrape down sides of container and continuing to process, adding ¼ cup of the oil through feeder tube until garlic releases its flavor into the oil, about 30 seconds. Strain garlic from oil through a fine-mesh strainer; reserve both.
  2. Increase skillet heat to medium. Place bread cubes in medium bowl. Drizzle oil (you lose some of the oil during processing, so you should have about 3 tablespoons) evenly over bread, along with big pinch of salt; toss to coat.
  3. Add bread cubes to hot skillet and toast, turning the cubes and shaking the pan often, until crisp and golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Return croutons to bowl and set aside to cool while preparing salad.
  4. Whisk lemon juice, mayonnaise, Worcestershire and half the processed garlic in a small bowl (reserve remaining garlic for another use). Place kale in a medium bowl and drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon of oil massaging each leaf so that it turns shiny and darker in color. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle lemon mixture over kale; toss again. Sprinkle Parmesan over greens; toss again. Add croutons toss and serve, sprinkling each portion with a little more Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Slice the bread with a serrated knife, but use heavy-duty kitchen shears to cut the sliced bread into cubes.

I had a half avocado that needed using up, so I tossed it in with yesterday's salad. Clearly anything you'd add to a Caesar--shrimp, chicken, chopped egg--would be great here too.
Recipe by Three Many Cooks at https://threemanycooks.com/recipes/salads-and-sides/massaged-kale-caesar/