Winter Caesar Salad Recipe with Kale & Crispy Shrimp

Caesar salad is by far our family's favorite salad, including our four kids. We like to experiment with proteins in this salad, and one of our favorite versions is Cucumber Caesar Salad with Bacon. While the refreshing Caesar salad suits the warm seasons more, this recipe also allows you to enjoy it during the cold winter months, blending the crispiness and freshness of the original salad with some warming notes for the cold season. This winter version features leafy kale, radicchio, and crispy golden shrimp, as well as our sugar-free homemade mayonnaise.

As a mom of four, I always prefer quick and nourishing meals, and this is exactly what this recipe delivers. You'll only spend 5-10 minutes cooking the warm ingredients, and you can have a finished dish in less than 30 minutes. This is also a perfect dish for a quick family dinner without added sugar and it's also suitable for the keto and low-carb diet.

Ingredients

• Shrimp: You'll need defrosted, uncooked shrimp. The larger, the better. We used shrimp with tails on so they could be easily grabbed with fingers.
• Kale: Kale is the most commonly used leafy green in winter Caesar salad recipes thanks to its availability, nutritional benefits, and texture, which perfectly suits winter salads. A thing to note: you'll find plenty of salad recipes with uncooked kale, including Caesar salad recipes. While you can leave kale uncooked in this recipe, you might find kale too stiff and difficult to chew. There are at least two ways to overcome this issue. Firstly, you can drizzle olive oil over the kale once it's sliced (stem removed) and massage it thoroughly to become softer. Secondly, warm it on the skillet (preferably in butter) for 3-5 minutes. The second option is great for winter salads, where you'll enjoy the warmth of the greens.
• Salad Mix with Radicchio: While radicchio is not a must for this salad recipe, it adds color, and we all know that we eat with our eyes first!
• Mayonnaise: Check out this homemade mayo recipe. With the Dijon mustard added to the mayonnaise, it's a perfect addition to the Caesar dressing, which also contains Dijon mustard.
• Bread Croutons: Either use store-bought bread or make your own wheat sandwich bread at home.
• Parmesan Cheese: Depending on your preferences, either shred it or grate it finely.
• Worcestershire Sauce: Worcestershire sauce is used in this recipe to substitute anchovy fillets, usually added to the Caesar salad dressing. This recipe will help you save your precious time and money by using sauces that can be used multiple times once bought and will help you avoid messing with anchovies.
• Fish Sauce: It will help achieve the desired flavor of the sauce, which resembles the traditional Caesar salad dressing with anchovies.
• Garlic: You'll need 1-3 cloves, depending on their size and your taste.
• Olive Oil or Butter for cooking.
• Spices: A good pinch of salt, some black pepper, and red chili flakes. We like to add spices to the shrimp before cooking so their flavor blends well with the shrimp.
• Dijon mustard: It adds to the tangy flavor of the dressing, so I never skip it.

Directions

1. Rinse and dry the greens. Pull the kale leaves from the bottom to the top to remove the stems. If necessary, cut or tear the kale into bite-sized pieces.

2. (Optional) Soften the kale by either massaging it in olive oil or frying it in butter for 3-5 minutes (see comments above).

3. Prepare bread croutons: Tear/cut 3-4 slices of wheat bread into the desired-sized pieces/cubes, transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, drizzle with olive oil, and bake until golden brown at 390 °F (200 °C).

4. Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, minced garlic, and Dijon mustard. Stir to combine.

5. Cook shrimp: Rinse the shrimp and transfer them to a clean paper towel to dry. Pat salt, black pepper, and chili flakes onto each shrimp on both sides. Heat a medium/large frying pan over medium-high heat, add butter or olive oil, and fry the shrimp for about 1 minute on each side. Transfer to a clean plate or bowl to stop the cooking process.

6. Assemble the salad: Take your serving bowl or plate and start with the greens at the bottom, then layer up with parmesan cheese, bread croutons, and the cooked shrimp. Finally, drizzle the salad dressing on top. Enjoy!

Pro Tips

Shrimp can be replaced with crispy fried chicken breasts or bacon. You can use the meat you normally use for a classic Caesar salad. If you don't mind moving even further away from the classic recipe, try adding crispy chickpeas, brussels sprouts, or oven-baked sweet potatoes next time!

If you are looking for a more traditional dressing with anchovies, have a look at this Caesar salad with bacon.

Croutons can also be made using sourdough or rye bread!

Store unassembled in the fridge for a couple of days to avoid the bread croutons becoming soggy.

Winter Caesar Salad Recipe with Kale & Crispy Shrimp

Foodywise Editorial Team

Winter is the perfect season to enjoy this winter kale Caesar salad, which features leafy kale, radicchio, and crispy golden shrimp. It is a perfect side dish or light starter topped with creamy dressing and shredded parmesan cheese.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Salad, Side Dish

Servings 4

Calories 491 kcal

Ingredients

  

Salad:

• 12 medium-large shrimp (uncooked)
• 1 bunch fresh green kale
• 8-10 oz salad mix
• 3-4 slices wheat bread
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese (shredded or grated)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or unsalted butter for cooking shrimp
• 1 tablespoon olive oil for bread croutons
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½-1 teaspoon red chili flakes (adjust to taste)

Dressing:

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon Fish sauce
• ⅓ teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
• 1-2 cloves of garlic

Instructions

 

• Rinse and dry the greens. Remove the kale stems by pulling the leaves from the bottom to the top. If the pieces are too big, cut or tear the kale into bite-size pieces.
• (Optional) Soften the kale by either massaging it in olive oil or frying it in butter for 3-5 minutes (see comments above).
• Bake bread croutons: Tear/cut 3-4 slices of wheat or sourdough bread into the desired sized pieces/cubes, transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drizzle with olive oil, and bake until golden brown at 390 °F (200 °C).
• Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, minced garlic, and Dijon mustard. Stir to combine.
• Cook shrimp: Rinse the shrimp and transfer them to a clean paper towel to dry. Pat salt, black pepper, and chili flakes onto each shrimp on both sides. Heat a medium/large frying pan, add butter or olive oil, and fry the shrimp for about 1 minute on each side. Transfer to a clean plate or bowl to stop the cooking process.
• Assemble the salad: Take the serving bowl or plate and start with the greens at the bottom, then layer up with parmesan cheese, bread croutons, and the cooked shrimp. Finally, drizzle the salad dressing on top.

Notes

• Options for replacing shrimp: crispy fried chicken breasts, bacon, chickpeas, brussels sprouts, or oven-baked sweet potatoes.
• Kale can be replaced with a mix of available leafy greens.
• Serve the salad in individual portions or a large salad bowl.
• Consume the same day.

Nutrition Value

Disclaimer: This nutritional value label has been created using an online analyzer and might not be 100% accurate