I used to only eat Caesar Salad. I was too finicky to expand my horizons. As my taste buds became more adventurous, I decided to branch out and try some of the more interesting (and nutritious) greens like kale. I immediately thought this “earthy” green would be great with Caesar dressing. Add bacon to the equation and I was immediately obsessed. This is an amazing salad to serve at an Italian dinner, or if you want to impress your friends with a boss salad at lunch.


- 1 bunch of kale, washed and dried, tough stems removed, cut into bite size pieces
- 2 eggs (1 for dressing, 1 for poaching)
- 6 anchovies, minced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 dash Tabasco sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried mustard powder
- ½ cup parmesan, grated, plus extra for garnish
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 2 ounces pancetta, ½ inch dice (or regular bacon works too!)
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar (for poaching water for egg)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- To coddle the egg for the dressing, prepare enough boiling water to cover the egg and place the egg carefully in the water for 1 minute, then remove and submerge into cold water to stop the cooking. Reserve the water for the poached egg.
- To prepare the poached egg, bring down the water to a gentle simmer and add the vinegar. In a separate bowl, crack the egg. As you gently place the egg into the simmering water, swirl the water with a spoon to keep the egg whites together. Leave the egg to cook for approximately 4 minutes, then carefully remove the egg and set aside.
- Meanwhile, In a saute pan over medium high heat, cook the pancetta until it is crispy. (Tip: tilt the pan so the fat from the pancetta coats the pancetta and it browns evenly). Once it is cooked, place on a paper towel to drain the excess grease.
- To make the dressing, combine the garlic and anchovy and mash into a paste (if you find it isn’t working you can always blend in a food processor). Add the coddled egg yolk, Worcestershire, Tabasco, and whisk until combined. Gradually add in the oil and whisk until the mixture is emulsified.
- To make the salad, massage the dressing onto the kale and garnish with the poached egg and pancetta. Serve and enjoy!
- I highly recommend using coddled eggs for the dressing. That way everyone gets to enjoy and not be worried about salmonella.
Categorized as: Apps, Salad Tagged: appetizer, bacon, caesar, caesar salad, dinner, eggs, kale, kale caesar, kale caesar with poached egg, kale salad, lunch, parsman, salad, The Garlic Pad
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