Copycat SweetGreen Kale Caesar Salad
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Apr 24, 2017, Updated Oct 07, 2019
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Last week I shared with you three 15-minute lunches that I make for myself. In keeping with that real-life-food-talk, I wanted to share this recipe: Copycat Sweetgreen Kale Caesar.
Most days I want to eat healthy. Whether I actually achieve that or not is another story lol. Trying to balance sweets, baking, cheesy things and health is something I’m constantly juggling. Admittedly, I’m not perfect at it but having things in the fridge for a healthy lunch makes it THAT much easier.
When Sweetgreen first opened, there wasn’t one near me (and there still isn’t, really) but when I started to go to a cycling class in Hollywood, I started heading there post-workout to grab a healthy dinner.
Most days, when I work out, I wanna eat something healthy and nourishing for dinner.
Other times (like on a Friday or Saturday night), I like it because I’m like, I worked out, let’s eat pasta and pizza and fine wine!
But during the week, I try and keep it pretty healthy-ish. I don’t always achieve that balance that I go after but I try to do a decent job.
There are a lot of options at Sweetgreen but the salad that I keep ordering, over and over is their kale caesar.
Sweet Green Salad Traits!
Their kale caesar is SO good. In place of croutons are these thick parmesan crisps that add a nice chewiness to the salad. There is roasted cubed chicken, tomatoes and I like to add some extra tomatoes and avocado at the end. The best part about the salad is the squeeze of lime at the end—it makes it a super refreshing salad.
But I don’t always go to Hollywood but I want the dang salad so I figured why not make it at home! So here we are with this Copycat Sweetgreen Kale Caesar!
I’m guessing you probably don’t live near a Sweetgreen because they’re not like Chipotles (yet) so hopefully you’ll find this salad delicious, whether you’ve had the real version or not.
Copycat Sweetgreen Kale Caesar Salad
Ingredients
Roasted chicken:
- 2 bone-in chicken breasts
- Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Thick Parmesan Crisps:
- 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan-Reggiano, Grana Padano will work too!
Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon anchovy paste, or 2 filets
- 2 small garlic clove
- 2 large egg yolk
- 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, juice from about 1 lemon
- 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Pinch of sea salt
Salad:
- 2 cups chopped kale
- 2 cups chopped romaine
- 5 to 6 cherry tomatoes, sliced or quartered
- Juice from 1 lime
- 1/2 avocado, on the top (optional)
Instructions
To make the roasted chicken:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, add the chicken. Drizzle with about a tablespoon of olive and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven to roast for about 40 to 45 minutes. Allow to cool and chop up into cubes. (This makes a bigger batch. I use about half for the two salads. I keep the rest in the fridge and use at a later time.)
To make the parmesan crisps:
- On a baking sheet lined with a silicon baking mat (I tried to do it on a piece of parchment and was super frustrated because it stuck so I definitely recommend a Silpat or something similar to it), add the parmesan in a big pile. Transfer to the oven to cook for about 6 to 7 minutes. (If your parmesan pile is smaller, I would check on it at the 3-minute mark but we’re trying to go for a bit thicker crisps.) Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet. When cooled, break up into bite-size pieces and set aside.
To make the caesar dressing:
- To a blender of food processor, add the anchovy paste, garlic clove, egg yolk, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese and a few rounds of freshly ground pepper. Turn the blender on and with it running, add the olive oil in a steady stream, until it’s emulsified and thickened. Give it a taste and add salt to taste. (I needed a few pinches of salt and another round of black pepper.) This salad makes enough for about 4 salads. I usually save the dressing for another day.
To assemble the salad:
- To a medium bowl, add the kale and a few tablespoons of the dressing. Toss that salad until the kale is really coated in the dressing. Let it sit for like 5 minutes, while you gather the rest of the ingredients. Add the romaine, cherry tomatoes, parmesan, parmesan crisps, lime juice, reserved cubed chicken and a tablespoon or two of more dressing. Toss once last time and divide amongst two bowls. Top with slices of avocado. Sprinkle the avocado with a bit of salt and the last bit of lime juice from the used up lime. SERVE!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
And if your idea of a salad contains pasta, this Hawaiian Mac Salad is for you!
The formula is perfect, oh my god, I like it, it makes me feel hungry. Thank you Adriana Adarme
What degrees do you set the oven for the Parmesan crisps?
Ahhh sorry! 375 degrees F!
I’m obsessed with SweetGreen. This salad looks great!
I’ve never made Caesar dressing before, but now I think I might!
i’m still curious about the unicorn drink but can’t bring myself to buy anything besides coffee when i’m in starbucks..this salad sounds amazing! also totally mind blown as to why i’ve never thought to put avo in my caesar salad
This is my favorite SweetGreen salad! I am so excited to try to make it myself! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Yum this looks so good! The warmer weather (well, trying to be warm weather) has me on a crazy salad kick! There has been a salad on the weekly family menu for the last weeks, and I am also in the habit of throwing dinner leftovers on a bed of greens for lunch the next day! Enchilada salad, salmon burger salad, pizza salad… all weirdly delicious options. Funny story about Sweetgreen. I have never been. But a few years ago I was talking to a co-worker about how great it would be if there was a place like Chipotle but with really delicious and psuedo high end salads! The co-worker who has an entrepreneurial spirit and is dying to start her own business tried to tell me we should open a place like that. We started googling and found Sweetgreen. Womp. Womp. Too little too late I suppose! lol
YUM! Can’t wait to make this! There isn’t a SweetGreen near me but it always looks so dang good in people’s posts on social media. So awesome you created an at-home version! And the lime at the end sounds so good!
i’ve heard that the unicorn frap has mango syrup and has sour powder. i’d want to try a sip, but not the whole thing (i need to convince a friend to buy then share with me, lol). anyways, this salad sounds delicious especially with those parm crisps! i was surprised how tasty and filling and worth sweetgreen was the one time i went last summer, and definitely need to go back and/or recreate their salads.
I’m 1000% with you, when I workout during the week I’m all ‘veggies! salad!’ but on Friday night I’m like ‘lol give me my own pizza plz’. Also, one of my coworkers tried the unicorn drink and said it made him feel sick and weird but he couldn’t stop drinking it, ha!