Keto Kale Caesar Salad

Not all Caesar salad recipes are created equally.

In fact, you might be surprised (and horrified) to learn just how unhealthy the Caesar salad recipes are at some of your favorite restaurants and fast food joints.

(Sometimes, it might be healthier to just get a burger. Crazy, but true.)

On the contrary, this keto Caesar salad uses fresh, healthy ingredients like kale and juicy chicken thighs.

It's packed with more than 15 essential vitamins and minerals, and contains half the calories of what you might find at a restaurant.

The difference is the dressing: ours uses minimal ingredients to deliver flavor without any additives or extra calories. Anchovies, egg yolks, Parmesan cheese and FBOMB Olive Oil—all the things you need to make a flavorful, low-carb Caesar dressing.

keto caesar salad

Ingredients Needed

Kale
Chicken thighs
Apple cider vinegar
FBOMB Olive Oil
Egg
Anchovies
Lemon
Parmesan cheese
Parsley

Why This Caesar Salad Is More Nutritious Than Traditional Versions

Salads are one of those food items that most people just "assume" are healthy.

Almost by definition, however, this isn't a safe assumption to make. After all, salads contain an array of different ingredients, ranging from veggies to meats to dressings and other toppings.

We're happy to say this keto Caesar salad is not only healthy, but stands head and shoulders above many of the other recipes you'll find out there. Especially if you're on a low-carb diet.

Here's a quick comparison:

Our keto Caesar salad recipe has just over 500 calories and 4.5 grams of net carbs per serving.
Wendy's spicy Caesar salad has 780 calories (!) and 41 grams of carbs (!!) [*].

Cheesecake Factory's Caesar salad has 976 calories and 18 grams of carbs (as well as 100 grams of fat, which is a little crazy for just one meal—even for a keto dieter) [*]

We trim out all the unhealthy stuff to make this meal something that's actually good for you.

You're left with a healthy, light-but-filling salad entree that's both satisfying and keto-friendly.

Ingredient Spotlight: Kale

Think you know kale? Maybe so, but if not, sit back and let us deliver a short masterclass on this delicious and healthy low-carb vegetable.

Different Types of Kale

You might be used to seeing one kind of kale at the grocery store. But there are, in fact, many different varieties. They include [*]:

Curly
Lacinato
Red Russian

There are others on top of these three, but these are the ones most commonly found at the grocery store.

And while all of them are good for you, it's worth mentioning that curly kale has been scientifically proven to contain the most antioxidants [*].

How to Select Kale

Look for:

Dark green colors: Avoid kale that's brown or yellow, or even turning light green. This likely means it's old.
Fresh-looking leaves: The leaves shouldn't be wilted or rotting.
Small to medium size: This is a good tip if you're planning to serve kale raw, as is the case with this salad. The larger leaves can have a more bitter taste.

Tips for Preparing Kale

Here are two tips for when you bring it home:

Wash kale thoroughly when you bring it home or just before you cook it. You can also chop it first and use a colander if that's easier.
Cut it into bite-sized pieces. Raw kale has more of a chew to it than raw lettuce, and big pieces may be difficult to cut or chew in a salad. (Not too small, though. You don't want it getting stuck in your teeth!)

Nutritional Highlights of Kale

Kale is considered a superfood by many health experts [*]. It’s not an easily achieved distinction by any means. But once you see all these health benefits, you'll understand why.

One cup of kale contains [*]:

33 calories
6.7g carbs (but only 5.4 grams net carbs)
1.3g fiber
<1g fat
2.2g protein
Vitamins A, C, K (more than your daily recommended amount), as well as B6, thiamin, and riboflavin
Minerals like manganese, copper, calcium, zinc, iron, and magnesium

It's for reasons like these that we can't recommend this keto chicken kale Caesar salad enough.

Keto Kale Caesar Salad with Chicken

keto kale caesar salad

Recipe Information:

Yield: 4
Serving size: About 1 cup
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

Salad:

1 pound chicken thighs
1 packet (2 tablespoons) FBOMB Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bunch kale, washed and chopped with ribs removed (about 4 cups)

Homemade Caesar Dressing:

1 egg yolk
2 anchovies
Juice from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 packets (4 tablespoons) FBOMB Olive Oil
1-2 tablespoons water, if needed

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss chicken in the FBOMB Olive Oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Bake on a sheet pan for about 30-40 minutes until an internal temperature of 165°F is reached. Let the chicken cool down, and dice it up or cut it into strips.
While the chicken is cooling, prep the kale and put into a salad bowl.
In a food processor, put all of the dressing ingredients except for the olive oil. Turn the processor on and pour the olive oil through the top in a steady stream. Once the dressing is emulsified, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water if it is too thick and pulse the food processor a couple of times until desired consistency is reached.
Toss the dressing and the chicken with the kale. It can be served immediately or stored in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.