Autumn Kale Caesar Salad
This autumn kale caesar salad is a fun, seasonal take on a classic salad! It’s filled with earthy autumn flavors like roasted sweet potato, crunchy kale leaves, crisp bacon, and toasted pepitas.
I love a twist on a classic recipe, and this autumn kale caesar salad is basically a delicious, seasonal glow-up for your standard Caesar! It’s made with kale instead of romaine, and features roasted sweet potato, crunchy roasted chickpeas, crispy bacon, and toasted pepitas, all drizzled with a traditional caesar dressing and topped with grated parmesan cheese. It’s a little bit sweet, a little bit savory, and filled with lots of great autumnal flavors to elevate a simple, classic dish. It serves as a great side or appetizer along with a hearty meal, or as a lighter meal itself!
Here are some more soup and salad recipes you’ll love: Creamy Bean and Sausage Soup, Winter Cranberry and Goat Cheese Salad, and Autumn Spiced Butternut Squash Soup.
Ingredients & Equipment
You’ll need the following ingredients and equipment to make this autumn kale caesar salad:
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Kale
- Chickpeas
- Sweet potato
- Olive oil
- Croutons
- Pepitas
- Bacon
- Parmesan cheese
- Caesar dressing
- Salt and pepper
Customize This Recipe!
There are a few different ways you can customize this recipe:
- Add some fall nuts. I love the flavor of this salad with just pepitas added, but a crunchy nut like pecans or walnuts would also be a delicious addition!
- Make your own croutons. Store-bought croutons are delicious, but if you have any bread that’s going stale, use this as an opportunity to bake it until crisp and make your own croutons out of it!
Kitchen Tips:
- Utilize mise en place! Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready before you begin making this recipe – it will help save you time and keep you organized.
- Mix the kale with the dressing and parmesan first before you add in the other ingredients–that way the dressing and cheese will cover the greens completely and the sweet potatoes won’t get squished from too much mixing!
FAQ
Yes! My roasted chickpeas recipe is perfect to make in a big batch, so you can make some in advance and use however much you want in this salad recipe.
This salad is best served directly after making, but you can store it in a sealed container at room temperature for 1-2 days after it’s been prepared. If storing this salad, it’s best to wait to add the dressing and potatoes until just before serving.
More soup and salad recipes:
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Autumn Kale Caesar Salad
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large sweet potato peeled and chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 bunch kale chopped
- ½ cup roasted chickpeas
- ½ cup croutons
- 2 tbsp pepitas
- 2-4 slices bacon cooked and chopped
- 2-3 tbsp grated parmesan
- 2 tbsp caesar dressing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, mix chopped sweet potato with olive oil, salt, and pepper, mixing until coated well.
- Bake the sweet potato for 30-40 minutes, until fork tender and slightly browned in color. If you haven't prepared the chickpeas in advance, you can roast them at the same time as the sweet potato.
- Chop the kale and add it to a large mixing bowl. Add in the caesar dressing and parmesan cheese, gently mixing until the kale is coated well.
- Gently mix in the roasted sweet potato, chickpeas, and croutons until combined, then add the pepitas and bacon on top before serving.
Notes
- Utilize mise en place! Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready before you begin making this recipe – it will help save you time and keep you organized.
- Mix the kale with the dressing and parmesan first before you add in the other ingredients–that way the dressing and cheese will cover the greens completely and the sweet potatoes won’t get squished from too much mixing!
- Add some fall nuts. I love the flavor of this salad with just pepitas added, but a crunchy nut like pecans or walnuts would also be a delicious addition!
- Make your own croutons. Store-bought croutons are delicious, but if you have any bread that’s going stale, use this as an opportunity to bake it until crisp and make your own croutons out of it!
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