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Deconstructed Kale and Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad

Deconstructed Kale and Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad

Everything that goes into a classic Caesar Salad, but in a fresh new way.  The greens are lightly wilted in anchovy and garlic infused bacon fat, or olive oil.  Then they get drizzled with freshly squeezed lemon juice.  Add some jammy soft boiled eggs, and parmesan toasts and you've got a winter salad fit for Caesar himself!

Course Main Course
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 6 slices of bacon
  • 1 anchovy filet, can be replaced with 1/2-1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, depending on how salty you like things
  • 1 to 2 garlic cloves minced (depending on how garlicky you like things and how strong or large the cloves are)
  • 12 medium sized brussels sprouts, shredded
  • 4 large handfuls of shredded lacinato, black kale, approximate
  • 1/2 lemon freshly squeezed
  • Cracked black pepper
  • 4 slices of sourdough bread
  • 2 cups shredded cheese choose a melting cheese, such as cheddar, emmenthal, gruyere, swiss, provolone etc.
  • 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
  • 6-8 eggs soft boiled, poached or even fried

Instructions

  1. Sauté the bacon over medium heat in a large frying pan.

  2. Remove the bacon to a paper towel line plate to drain. Crumble into bite sized pieces.

  3. Discard enough fat so that only 2 tbsp remain in the pan. If there is not enough fat, supplement with olive oil.
  4. Add the anchovy filet, and stir it around, letting it melt into the oil.
  5. Add the minced garlic and stir to get coated in the oil (the heat should still be no more than medium) and soften slightly.
  6. Add the brussels sprouts to the oil and sauté, softening and even getting a slight char in spots. This should take no more than two to three minutes.
  7. Push the sprouts to the edges and then add the shredded kale into the centre of the pan. Sauté to soften but not totally wilt or shrink the kale.
  8. Remove all to a large bowl or serving platter. Sprinkle generously with the lemon juice.
  9. Also add a generous pinch of freshly ground black pepper. Toss to evenly coat everything with the lemon and pepper. Taste to see if it needs re-seasoning. Depending on your bacon and whether you used anchovy or Worcestershire sauce, you may not need any salt.

    Add the crumbled or broken bacon to the salad.

  10. Divide the cheeses evenly between the four slices of bread. Place under a broiler, not too close though, and cook until the cheeses are melted and bubbling. Remove and let sit for a moment before slicing into large croutons.
  11. Serve the salad with the crouton toasts and eggs.

Recipe Notes

Omit the bacon for a vegetarian version.

Omit the bread for a low carb, keto version. In this case, just shave the parmesan cheese over the finished salad.

If you don't want to use brussels sprouts, just increase the amount of kale you are using.