Kale Salad with Rye Breadcrumbs and Horseradish Caesar Dressing
Sometimes Simple is Better
When dining out for dinner, I always keep an eye on the salad list. I love starting a meal with a crisp, refreshing bite to get the taste buds going. In my adventures of trying new recipes, I’ve realized that my favorites are the ones that look like they’re very simple, but have a few really impactful ingredients. Whether that’s ingredients that are at the peak of freshness, ones that rely on their high quality, or ones that pack a ton of flavor. This salad is that latter. By site, this may not look like much, but the kale gives it an earthy base, the horseradish caesar has the perfect amount of warming heat, and the rye bread croutons are rich and flavorful from the caraway seed in the bread.
Each bite of this salad is punctuated by crispy rye breadcrumbs and is a textural delight to eat. I absolutely love it and can’t wait to make it all Autumn long.
Tips For Making This Kale Salad Recipe
If you plan on making this salad with rye bread croutons and horseradish caesar, here are a few tips to make it extra delicious:
- When adding the dressing to the kale, use your hands or salad utensils to really massage the dressing onto the leaves. Kale can be rough when it’s raw, but massaging it in oil and vinegar will soften the vegetables up and make it more enjoyable to eat.
- Be sure to stir the breadcrumbs often and if they begin to smell too toasty, turn the heat down until all the pieces crisp up. Otherwise, you may end up with a few burnt bits that will ruin the batch.
Recipe Details
To begin preparing the salad, first you’ll blend the horseradish caesar dressing. To a blender, you’ll mix mayonnaise, prepared horseradish, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, and anchovy filets. This will only take a few minutes to blend on high. Once blended, taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Once the dressing is prepared, you’ll pour it onto the pieces of kale. Using your hands or salad utensils, toss the dressing onto the leaves and massage the dressing in well. Set aside in the refrigerator to marinate slightly while you prepare the bread crumbs.
When preparing the breadcrumbs, you’ll first toast a few slices of caraway rye bread. I’ve done mine in a toaster for a few minutes, but you can use an oven if you’re more comfortable. Either way, once the bread is toasted and slightly cooled, tear each slice into 3-4 pieces and then add to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse on high until the pieces have broken down into smaller pieces.
In the last step before you can assemble the salad, you’ll preheat a large frying pan over medium heat and melt unsalted butter. Into the melted butter, you’ll add the rye breadcrumbs and toss to coat them in the butter. Fry the breadcrumbs for about 5 minutes, until the pieces are crisp.
To assemble these salads, you’ll divide the dressed kale onto 4 plates and top with the rye breadcrumbs. Serve right away and enjoy!
This dish is best served immediately, as the rye breadcrumbs will become soft if they sit out too long. If preparing ahead of time, you can get up to the step where you create the breadcrumbs, but don’t fry them until right before serving. This will keep them fresh!
Be sure to tag @laura.loves.to.cook on Instagram, Tik Tok, or Facebook to let me know how your recipes turn out. I hope you love it as much as I do!
A simple looking salad, but one that’s packed with flavors. Kale is coated and massaged in a creamy, caesar-inspired horseradish dressing and then topped with crispy rye bread crumbs. It’s a dish that’s a joy to eat with lots of crisp, crunchy texture and a savory dressing and deep, rye flavor.
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tsp prepared horseradish
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 anchovy filets
- salt and pepper
- 6 cup kale, roughly chopped and stems removed
- 4 slices caraway rye bread
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
To a blender, add the mayonnaise, prepared horseradish, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, and anchovy filets. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Blend on high until all of the ingredients are equally distributed. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Pour ⅔ of the horseradish caesar dressing onto the chopped kale in a large mixing bowl.
Use your hands or salad utensils to toss the dressing onto the leaves of kale, puting pressure on the leaves to “massage” them. This will help soften the leaves and make them more enjoyable to eat.
Set the bowl of kale in the refrigerator, allowing them to marinate slightly while you prepare the rye breadcrumbs.
Toast the 4 slices of rye bread in a toaster or in an oven until equally toasted on both sides.
Let the slices cool until you can handle them, then tear them into smaller pieces. Place the pieces into a food processor and pulse on high until breadcrumbs are formed. Set aside.
Preheat a large skillet over medium heat and melt the unsalted butter in the pan.
Add the rye breadcrumbs to the pan and toss in the butter. Fry, stirring often, until the breadcrumbs are crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Divide the dressed kale onto 4 salad plates. Top with the rye breadcrumbs.
Serve with any additional dressing and breadcrumbs. Enjoy!
