Kale Caesar with Squash and White Beans

I have to confess that I'm not a huge fan of Caesar salad, it just seems so boring to me. Basically its lettuce and cheese with a few croutons and a dressing that doesn't have much going on. However, my husband, kids, and many of my other family members love caesar and always want it when we have Italian food. So, in order to make both myself and them happy, I came up with this recipe for a kale Caesar with a lemony parmesan dressing thats egg free. To make it a little more hearty, and since its fall, I added roasted squash and white beans. Instead of croutons I made my own fresh breadcrumbs to sprinkle on top. They give the salad an overall crunch and add great texture. This salad also keeps really well, since kale is super sturdy, and leftovers can be stored in the fridge and eaten the next day, or it can be made ahead.

Ingredients -

For the salad -

I bunch kale - stems removed, leaves chopped into bite sized pieces

1 medium delicata squash - cut lengthwise, seeds removed, then cut into half circles

1 cup canned white beans - drained and rinsed

For the dressing -

Juice of 1 large lemon

2 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp honey

1 clove garlic - crushed

1 tsp anchovy paste

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly group black pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan

For the toppings -

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

2 cups torn pieces of crusty bread - or about 2 slices of whatever bread you have available

3 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the squash pieces with olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet and roast until they are golden brown. About 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool down.

While the squash is roasting make the dressing. In a small bowl combine the lemon juice, mustard, honey, garlic, anchovy paste, salt and pepper, whisk until all the ingredients are well mixed. Slowly add in the olive oil while whisking constantly to emulsify the dressing. When all of oil has been added whisk in the parmesan cheese.

To make the bread crumbs add 2 cups torn pieces of crusty bread to a food processor, pulse until small crumbs are formed. Heat the 3 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, stir to coat them with the oil and season with the 1/4 tsp salt. Cook the crumbs, stirring frequently, until they are nicely toasted. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

To assemble the salad combine the kale, squash, and white beans in a large bowl, add the dressing and toss together until all the ingredients are evenly coated. Top with the parmesan cheese and the toasted breadcrumbs.

Serves 4 - 6