Salmon, Kale, And White Bean Caesar Salad Recipe

There's a reason Caesar salad is so popular, and it isn't just because netizens everywhere have discovered that Caesar pairs well with fries. It also pairs well with virtually anything, can be eaten in any season, and can easily be eaten as a wrap or sandwich, making it particularly crave-worthy despite being a fairly simple salad. It's that simplicity that makes it perfect: the combination of lemon, garlic, and Parmesan can't be beat, especially when it's coating crunchy leaves of romaine lettuce. Caesar salad is an effortless go-to for easy lunches and dinners, especially with how customizable the salad can be. Want to add a protein but tired of chicken? That's fine — just swap it for steak, salmon, or even some beans.

This Caesar salad recipe, which combines the classic components of Caesar with new textures and flavors, mixes creamy homemade dressing with kale, white beans, and Brussels sprouts, then finishes with toasted breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, and Dijon-baked salmon. The flaky, flavorful salmon can be made in the oven while you chop, toss, and prepare the salad, making it an easy, all-in-one meal for even the busiest weeknights.

Like the headline suggests, you'll first need salmon, kale, and white beans to start this salad. Any white bean works here, though the best option is cannellini beans, which are sturdy but creamy white kidney beans. Any type of kale also works well, but the best option is lacinato, which has a firm texture and plenty of grooves for the dressing to nestle into. For the rest of the ingredients, you'll need olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, salt, pepper, butter, Brussels sprouts, Parmesan, and panko breadcrumbs.

To make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a compact blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 450 F.

Arrange the salmon on a foil-lined baking sheet.

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon, Dijon, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Brush the Dijon mixture over the salmon to coat.

Bake the salmon for 12 minutes, then turn the broiler to high and broil for 3 minutes, until just browned on top.

In the meantime, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.

Add the breadcrumbs and toast until browned, about 3-4 minutes. Remove and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the kale, Brussels sprouts, drained white beans, and Caesar dressing. Toss to coat.

Top with grated Parmesan and toasted breadcrumbs.

When salmon is baked, add it to the salad and serve.

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When making four or more servings of salmon, it's easiest to fill a baking sheet and bake the salmon all at once, which requires very little work along the way. For fewer servings or different results, you can use a variety of methods to cook the salmon. When baked in the oven, salmon becomes flaky and buttery, but it never quite gets as crispy or browned as it does when you grill it, air-fry it, or saute it, even if you include the step of broiling it afterwards. To get a deeper browned crust, try another method.

My favorite way to cook salmon is in a pan on the stove, and you can easily cook the Dijon-brushed salmon this way, too. Heat an oiled skillet over medium heat, and once hot, add the salmon skin-side down. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the skin lifts easily from the skillet, then flip and brown the tops of the filets. You may need to work in batches with this method, but another way to achieve similar results is by using the air fryer, which can fit up to 4 filets. Preheat the air fryer to 400 F, then air fry the salmon for 7 to 10 minutes or until cooked through.

The toasted breadcrumbs in this recipe take the place of the typical croutons found in Caesar salad. I prefer the more granular texture of panko to croutons, which can be overly crunchy and harder to eat, especially if they're not freshly made. Breadcrumbs are also super customizable and can add hints of flavor to the salad with very little extra prep. For example, you can toast the breadcrumbs with sundried tomatoes and their oil for a hint of tart tomato-based flavor. You can toast the breadcrumbs in bacon fat for a rich, salty flavor, or you could also toast the breadcrumbs with leftover anchovies for a subtle extra kick of umami.

You can also start the customization with the bread itself and make your breadcrumbs from scratch. To do this, choose a bread like white bread, pretzel bread, or a flavored loaf like rosemary-garlic sourdough and run the pieces through the food processor to break them down into fine, granular pieces. Then, continue with the recipe as written, toasting the crumbs in butter or flavored oils until browned and crispy.

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