Rachael Ray's Caesar Salad with Kale

A Delicious Reason to Eat Your Greens

Rachael Ray's kale Caesar salad is shown here.

From the kitchen of Rachael Ray

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic

6 tablespoons EVOO

1 packed cup cubed Pullman bread (1- to 11/2-inch cubes)

Coarse black pepper

2 teaspoons anchovy paste (optional for strict vegetarians)

6 to 8 drops Worcestershire sauce (about 1 teaspoon) (optional for strict vegetarians)

1 large organic egg yolk or 1/4 cup pasteurized egg product

Juice of 1 large lemon

5 to 6 cups stemmed and chopped kale, or a combination of kale and romaine lettuce

2 handfuls of freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Coarse salt

Cooking Directions

Crack the garlic away from its skin with a good whack of your hand against the flat of your knife, centered on top of each clove. Rub the inside of your salad bowl (I use a wooden bowl) with a clove of cracked garlic. Place that clove and a second clove aside.

Mince the remaining 2 cloves and place them in a small bowl.

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons EVOO (2 turns of the pan) and the 2 cracked garlic cloves. When the garlic "speaks" by sizzling in the EVOO, add the bread cubes and toast until golden, tossing occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle the cubed bread with a little pepper and remove from the heat.

Combine the minced garlic and the remaining 4 tablespoons EVOO (3 glugs) in a small bowl or in a small skillet. Heat the garlic and EVOO, either in a microwave oven for 1 minute, or over low heat on a stovetop for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the anchovy paste into the warm EVOO with a fork and let stand until the EVOO returns to room temperature. (I go a little heavier on the anchovy paste for my family. We use up to a good solid tablespoon; we like a lot of anchovy in the dressing.)

Add the Worcestershire sauce and egg yolk to a salad bowl and stir with a fork. Add the lemon juice and stir into the egg. Add the EVOO-garlic-anchovy mixture in a slow stream and continue to beat with a fork.

Add the kale to the bowl and toss to coat. Add a generous amount of cheese and the croutons and toss again to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I use a ton of black pepper).

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray.

This recipe was styled by chef Karen Pickus for Good Morning America.