This dairy-free, paleo kale Caesar salad is a nutritious rendition of the classic with dark green leafy greens, soft-boiled eggs and cherry tomatoes. I also like to add a few grilled onions for sweetness. 



Friends who know me well would tell you that one of my all-time favourite dishes is a Caesar salad. But not just any kind of Caesar – it has to be good, with just the right amount of dressing, anchovies, of course, crispy bacon, soft egg and so on.

Lately, I’ve been making a lot of homemade Caesar with kale because I’ve been trying to incorporate more leafy greens in my diet.  This recipe is my yummy, nourishing and paleo-friendly kale Caesar salad version.

 

DAIRY-FREE VERSION NOTES

Nutritional yeast is used instead of Parmesan cheese for a dairy-free version. Essentially, nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast made from sugar cane and beet molasses that has no leavening ability. It comes in a form of light yellow flakes that have a cheesy, umami flavour and is high in B-group vitamins. It can be purchased at most health food stores and online. For those who tolerate dairy, grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese can be used as well.

HOW TO PREPARE KALE FOR A SALAD

You can use kale or cavolo nero for this paleo Caesar salad. As a leafy green, kale has a much firmer, chewier texture and you need to soften it slightly to make it easier to digest and to have a more pleasant bite. That’s when kale massaging comes into play. Simply season the chopped kale with a little bit of salt and lemon juice and use your hands to squeeze the leaves for 30 seconds or so. This will break down some of the fibres, making the leaves softer and less chewy. 

PS. Bacon can be replaced with fried mushrooms and grilled chicken can be added for extra protein.

 

MORE RECIPES WITH DARK LEAFY GREENS

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Description

This nutritious paleo Caesar salad with kale, cherry tomatoes and soft-boiled eggs can be served as a main dish or as a side dish. This salad recipe is for 4 servings (or 2 large ones) so feel free to adjust the ingredients as you need.


For the dressing

To serve: extra anchovy fillets if you like


  1. Fill up a small saucepan with water and bring to boil. Add eggs to boiling water and cook for 6 minutes. Strain and rinse under cold water and peel.
  2. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add bacon rashers and cook for a couple of minutes on each side, until crispy. Remove to a chopping board.
  3. Add sliced onion to the frying pan and cook for a few minutes, until softened and lightly golden. Season with a little salt.
  4. While bacon, onion and eggs are cooking, prepare the kale. Tear the leaves away from the stalks and slice very thinly. Add to a large bowl and drizzle with lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Massage the leaves with your hands, this will soften the fibres and make kale less chewy.
  5. Prepare the dressing by combining all ingredients in a small bowl.
  6. Slice bacon rashers into small piece and add to the kale together with the salad dressing and toss through using your hands or tongs, until well incorporated and the kale is evenly coated.
  7. Then add cooked onion, cherry tomatoes and nutritional yeast (or grated Parmesan) and toss through gently. Serve in bowls topped with halved egg and an extra anchovy or two.


Notes

I used black kale, also known as cavolo nero or Tuscan cabbage, but you can use regular kale or any other dark leafy greens. The anchovy flavour in the dressing is quite subtle but feel free to reduce the amount or omit it altogether.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1.5 cups
  • Calories: 479
  • Sugar: 5.5 g
  • Sodium: 883.8 mg
  • Fat: 39.6 g
  • Saturated Fat: 11 g
  • Carbohydrates: 12 g
  • Fiber: 3.2 g
  • Protein: 18.8 g
  • Cholesterol: 233 mg

SAVE THIS KALE CAESAR TO PINTEREST FOR LATER

 

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Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip

My Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip was a Denny family favorite long before anyone heard of Ranch Dressing! And this family favorite Ranch Dip is a delicious low-carb and keto dip recipe and in my family this makes an appearance at every holiday gathering!

PIN Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip to try it later!

My Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip is one of my favorite memories from childhood! As early as I can remember, my Grandma Denny made a fantastic dip that she served with carrots and celery as an appetizer at every family gathering. In those days we called Grandma’s homemade ranch dip just *Vegetable Dip* as if there was only one kind of dip that could possibly be served with veggies.

This was long before the introduction of Ranch Dressing to the American culinary scene, and obviously my Grandma Denny was ahead of her time, because  now people all over the country are eating Ranch Dip with veggies. And in my own extended family, there would never be a holiday gathering without this delicious homemade Ranch Dip on the table.

Of course there’s nothing wrong with making Ranch-Style Vegetable Dip using a package mix if that time-saver works for you. But my grandma’s Homemade Ranch Dip is a bit fresher tasting as well as being low in carbs, and if you usually use the mix but don’t have a package on hand I bet you’ll love my Grandma’s recipe.

Grandma Denny always used full-fat mayo and sour cream, but for anyone wanting lower fat you can obviously make this with reduced-fat products if you prefer. Or if you don’t like mayo, you might prefer the variation below for Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip, made with Greek yogurt and blended cottage cheese for a higher protein, lower-fat dip.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

Can you make this dip with onion powder?

I love the flavor the grated onion gives to my Grandma Denny’s homemade ranch dip. But if you prefer or want to save time, just use 1 tsp. onion powder.

Can you make this homemade ranch dip with Greek Yogurt?

I sometimes make a variation of this that I call Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip that’s lower in fat and higher in protein. For that variation follow this recipe but replace the sour cream with one cup of cottage that’s blended in the food processor until it’s nearly smooth and replace the mayo with one cup fat-free Greek Yogurt. (This is the version I would make when I was strictly following the original South Beach Diet.)

Want a version of ranch dip with more texture?

You can make a variation of this homemade ranch dip recipe with a little chopped red onion, finely diced cucumber, and finely diced red pepper if you’d like a chunkier dip. I would use about 2 T of each.

How to Make Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  1. My Grandma always used Bon Appetit Seasoning Salt as the secret seasoning in her vegetable dip, but it’s no longer being made (sob!) If you still have Bon Appetit, use it, but now I use Beau Monde Seasoning (affiliate link). If you’re in Europe you can also use Trocomare Seasoning. (affiliate link)
  2. Grate a small amount of raw onion into a bowl.  (I use the large side of a box grater; don’t use a microplane grater which just turns the onion to liquid.)
  3. Add mayo and sour cream to bowl.
  4. Then add Beau Monde Seasoning and dried dill weed (affiliate link).
  5. Mix all ingredients together well with a whisk. You can use a food processor as well, but the whisk is quicker.
  6. Let the dip chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour or two for best flavor.
  7. Serve with raw vegetables like celery, sugar snap peas, bell pepper strips, jicama, radishes, broccoli, or cauliflower.
  8. This is also good with carrots or as a dip for baked sweet potato fries for those who don’t mind more carbs.
  9. I tested this out on my friend Robin and she gave it two thumbs up!

More Tasty Vegetable Dips You Might Like:

Weekend Food Prep:

This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sour cream (see notes)
  • 1 cup mayo (see notes)
  • 1 tsp. grated onion
  • 2 tsp. dried dill weed
  • 2 tsp. Beau Monde Seasoning (see notes)

Instructions

  1. Grate onion into a bowl, using the large side of a box grater or flat grater (not a microplane grater.)
  2. Add all other ingredients to the bowl and stir together with a whisk (or you can use a food processor, but it’s not necessary.)
  3. Chill an hour or so before serving.

 

Notes

I only use Daisy full-fat sour cream and full-fat mayo for this recipe but if you prefer to make a lower-fat version of the recipe you can definitely use reduced fat sour cream and mayo.

My Grandma always used Bon Appetit Seasoning for this. When that was discontinued I started making it with Beau Monde Seasoning (affiliate link), which is almost identical in flavor.

This will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks. Nutritional information doesn’t include vegetables and is calculated on 1/4 cup serving size.

Recipe from my Grandma Denny, who was a wonderful cook!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 245Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 6gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 564mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip is great for low-carb diets.Eat with low-carb vegetables like celery, sugar snap peas, jicama, bell pepper strips, radishes, broccoli, or cauliflower for low-carb diets. If you’re making this for the original South Beach Diet the Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip variation above is better for South Beach. 

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Appetizers to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
Kalyn was making this dip recipe long before the existence of the internet, and it was first posted on this site in 2005 (probably without a single photo in those days.) The recipe was last updated with more information in 2023.

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