Kale Caesar Salad with Marinated White Beans
Kale Caesar Salad with Marinated White Beans rounded out with grilled asparagus and hamburger bun croutons. It's a sure sign of spring and is best-enjoyed grill-side.
Ingredients
Marinated White Beans
- 227g (8oz) dried white beans
- 4 cups cold water
- 2 tsp salt
- 4 cloves garlic divided
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- fresh ground pepper
Caesar Dressing
- 2 anchovy fillets minced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- pinch of salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- 2 tbsp parmesan finely grated
Kale Caesar Salad with Marinated White Beans
- 2 hamburger buns* torn
- 3 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 bunch asparagus ends trimmed, cut into thirds
- ½ tsp salt divided
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- fresh ground pepper
- 300g (10.5oz) baby kale
- 1 batch Caesar Dressing see above
- 1 batch Marinated White Beans see above
- ½ cup parmesan for sprinkling
Instructions
For the Beans
- Place the beans in a large bowl. Add the water and the salt and set aside to soak for 8 hours.
- Once the 8 hours have passed, pour the contents of the bowl into a large saucepan. Add enough water to ensure the beans are covered by 2 inches of water. Bring the water up to a boil and crush 3 cloves of the garlic and add them to the pot. Stir in the bay leaves. Reduce the heat to a rapid simmer and let cook for 35 minutes or until the beans are tender and creamy in the center.
- Drain the beans and discard the bay leaves and garlic cloves. Leave the beans to cool.
- Transfer the cooled beans to a large bowl. Mince the remaining clove of garlic and add it to the beans. Pour in the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Add the oregano, crushed pepper flakes, and pepper. Stir to combine. Taste and season with additional salt if desired. Cover and transfer the beans to the refrigerator. Let marinate for at least 1 hour.
For the Dressing
- While the beans are marinating, make the dressing. Add the garlic and the anchovy to a large bowl. Toss in a pinch of salt and, using the back of a spoon, mash the salt, anchovy and garlic together to form a rough paste. Add the yolk, mustard, and half of the lemon juice to the bowl and whisk to combine.
- Whisk the olive oil in in small increments, whisking briskly to fully integrate each addition before adding more. Repeat this process with the neutral oil.
- At the end of this process, you should have a glossy, thick emulsion. Fold in the cheese and the remaining lemon juice, if desired. Pour the dressing into a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the Salad
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Pour a tablespoon of the olive oil onto a large baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to evenly distribute the oil. Arrange the bread on top. Drizzle the bread with another tablespoon of oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake the croutons on the middle rack for 15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Take the croutons out of the oven and set aside to cool.
- Place the asparagus, the remaining olive oil, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Toss to coat. Heat a large cast-iron griddle over medium-high heat until smoking. Add the asparagus and reduce the heat to medium. Grill until tender and nicely charred, about 3-5 minutes.
- Return the asparagus to its bowl and add the crushed red pepper flakes, pepper, and lemon juice. Toss to coat.
- Place the kale in a large salad bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Transfer the kale to a large platter and top with the Marinated White Beans, grilled asparagus, and croutons. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
Notes
* As I mentioned in the post, I had homemade hamburger buns kicking around so I used those to make my croutons. Feel free to use any other hunk of bread you have available. The method is the same.