Kale Bacon Salad with Homemade Croutons

I know kale has been having the stage for awhile now as the BEST superfood. But how do we make it taste great? I say with bacon of course. And I have a few other tricks up my sleeve to make kale taste ah-mazing. Today I present to you Kale Bacon Salad, with homemade gluten free croutons. 

Kale is great, but let’s be honest sometimes when prepared incorrectly, it tastes like someone just went outside and picked some leaves and put it on a plate. Time after time, I tried to love it but it wasn’t until I started slightly steaming it that I really started to love it! For this salad, I boil some water, put a colander on top of the boiling water and let my kale get soft. Then for a light dressing, I mixed olive oil, lemon and a bit of dijon. I topped it with bacon and goat cheese, oh and homemade croutons, can’t forget the homemade croutons. I dipped bite size pieces of Trader Joe’s Brand Gluten Free Bread in the light dressing I made, and then I broiled it in the oven. These were hot, fresh, and super delicious! 

If you don’t love kale, you should really give this recipe a try. I think the bacon and hot fresh croutons may help you get your greens in. This recipe is perfect for dinner with a grilled chicken breast on top, or as a starter or side salad. 

Note: So if you read my blog regularly, you know that some recipes just aren’t totally Paleo. I’ve thrown in beans once or twice, I like some goat cheese, and today I’m using gluten free bread. I just expect that people who eat strictly Paleo know their rules, and if they want to eat some of these things then fine by me! If a recipe strictly has Paleo in the title, it will probably strictly Paleo! But this one doesn’t 🙂 

Kale Bacon Salad with Homemade Croutons

The photograph shows 1 serving of salad!

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Servings 2

Calories 609 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 4 cups kale
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ lemon juiced
• ¼ teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 piece of gluten free bread cubed
• 4 pieces of bacon cooked
• ¼ cup goat cheese shredded
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• In a large pot, boil water. Once boiling, place a colander or double boiler over the pot and fill with kale. Let the kale soften, only about a minute or two, and then place in a large bowl.
• In a small bowl, mix olive oil, lemon juice, and dijon mustard with a spoon. Then dip your gluten free bread cubes into this mixture and place on a cookie sheet. Place in the oven on high broil for 3-5 minutes, or until crispy.
• Assemble the salad by topping it with bacon, goat cheese, salt, pepper, and the croutons. Pour the leftover olive oil mixture, and serve!