This post may contain affiliate links. By ordering through these links you help support Andrea’s Healthy Home, at no additional cost to you. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.
It’s the middle of January. How are those New Year’s Resolutions coming along? Statistics say that most people quit their resolutions by January 17! I don’t want to be one of those statistics and I don’t want you to be one either! Let’s keep those resolutions going strong with something green and kale-thy (see what I did there?)
Creamy Kale Salad
I came across this recipe for Creamy Kale Salad in 100 Days of Real Food on a Budget and it looked amazing! Sadly, it used sour cream and Parmesan cheese, which my dairy-allergic daughter can’t have. Since I’m getting pretty good at making dairy free modifications to recipes these days, I tinkered around with the original recipe a bit. I subbed out those two ingredients and created a tasty, crave-worthy, version of this Kale Salad that is not only dairy free, but also vegan!
Not only does this recipe come together quickly (Have you noticed a trend in my recipes lately? Quick!), but it holds up really well once prepared. We recently took a long road trip and I had a mason jar filled with this Kale Salad that I ate as my meal in the car. I was surprised at how filling it was! Then, once in the hotel room, Mike and I snacked on another (much larger) mason jar that we had in the cooler. To my delight, Brecken kept grabbing the jar from us to help herself to some! I think we have a new family favorite here!
I briefly mentioned in an earlier post that Mike and I are trying to lose some weight and change some habits in 2019, so we began counting calories again. Surprisingly, this filling, satisfying salad clocks in right around 200 calories a serving! I make a batch early in the week and divide it into 4 mason jars. Once they are sealed up, they hold up really well in the fridge for almost a week. So perfect for busy days when we need to grab our lunch and go, but still want to keep our calorie count in check.
A traditional Caesar Salad is made with Romaine lettuce, but since this version uses kale, it is much healthier for you! As you may already know, Kale has some amazing health benefits. Some benefits are:
- It is extremely nutrient-dense, containing vitamins and minerals such as, Vitamins A, K, C and B6, as well as manganese, calcium and potassium to name a few.
- It’s loaded with antioxidants, which may help prevent onset of many diseases, like cancer.
- It can help lower cholesterol, possibly reducing the incidence of heart disease.
- Since it is dense and filling, with low calories, it may help with weight loss efforts.
Dairy Free Modifications
The original recipe only used 9 real-food ingredients, so it was very clean. I wanted to keep my version as clean as possible also, so I kept my swaps simple and limited. We’ve found a great dairy free sour cream that we like to use, Tofutti, so that was an easy swap. I try to limit our use of soy-based substitutes, but this one is too good to pass up! If you have a dairy free sour cream you prefer, go ahead and use that.
For the Parmesan cheese, we’ve enjoyed using Nutritional Yeast as a substitute. Since the flavor of Nutritional Yeast is a bit stronger than Parmesan, I only used 2 Tablespoons instead of the 1/4 cup of Parmesan in the original recipe. The result was that nutty, creamy taste you are expecting in a Caesar Salad dressing!
Also, it’s worth noting, I have a strong aversion to raw garlic. I’ve made this recipe with the garlic and without and, to be honest, we all prefer it without the garlic so I omit it. But if that’s your thing, go for it! Add the raw garlic and you do you!
If you are like us and trying to get back on track with your health in 2019, go and make this Kale Caesar Salad right now! Eat a bowl today and stash the rest in sealed mason jars in the fridge for easy, healthy lunches the rest of the week!
Vegan Kale Caesar Salad
It’s hard to believe that this creamy Kale Caesar Salad is dairy free AND vegan! It’s simple to make, hearty, filling and low in calories! Best of all, it keeps well in the fridge for easy grab-and-go lunches on busy days!
- 1 bunch kale (large)
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup dairy free sour cream (like Tofutti)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (like Bragg)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 1 clove garlic (finely minced, optional. See notes**)
-
Remove the kale leaves from the stems by tearing them off into bite-sized pieces. No need to use a knife here.
-
Lightly toast the chopped walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat. Watch the nuts closely as they can burn easily. As soon as they become fragrant, remove them from the heat.
-
Put the warm nuts on top of the torn kale. Allow to cool for a minute or two. When the nuts are cool enough to handle, gently massage the kale with your hands for 1-2 minutes. This will soften the kale and tenderize it a bit.
-
In a small mixing bowl, combine the dairy free sour cream, nutritional yeast, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, garlic (if using), salt and pepper. Whisk until well blended.
-
Pour the creamy dressing over the kale and walnuts. Fold the dressing into the greens until the salad is combined and mixed well.
-
Store in mason jars for up to 1 week.
** I have an aversion to raw garlic, so I rarely use it. But if you like garlic, go ahead and use 1-2 cloves of minced garlic it in the dressing!
Source: Adapted from 100 Days of Real Food on a Budget
Andrea's Healthy Home 
Love this idea of this recipe Andrea. I intend to try this one soon.
LikeLike
You’ll love it, Bec!
LikeLike
I love ceasar salad, but I have never tried a vegan version before, nor have I had it made with kale. This sounds really good and I will have to give it a try.
LikeLike
I hope you enjoy it! It’s our family’s new favorite!
LikeLike