Paleo and Keto Friendly Caesar Salad

It’s no secret: I’m a HUGE fan of salads.

And of all the salads that exist, if I was forced to choose only one to eat for the rest of my days, I would most definitely have to elect Caesar.

For the longest time, though, I regarded Caesar Salad as a major artery blocking, fat producing factory, so I would only indulge on the rare occasion. I never thought, not in my wildest dreams, that I’d ever come to consider this fat bomb to be a part of a healthy diet, let alone that I would wanna boost its fat content even further by adding avocado to it.

To be honest, my brain is still trying to recover from the shock!

But it you’re on a keto diet, I swear that this kicked up version of an already outstanding classic will probably become your very best friend.

I mean hey, it’s got a whopping 70g of healthy fats, a decent 17g of protein and a mere 10g of net carbs, which you could bring even further down by losing the croutons, but honestly, those croutons are sooooooo yummy, it would be a shame to abandon the poor things on the side of the road.

I must say that I was especially proud of this particular salad, for I basically made everything from scratch, even the bacon! And the croutons, I made using the delicious Olive and Rosemary Faux’caccia that I’d whipped up a couple of days prior.

To say that it was the best Caesar Salad I’ve ever eaten would be an understatement.

And now, I’m ‘onna share with you how to make your very own. And I’m not even gonna charge your for that. I know, how fabulously generous of me…

For starters, we need to cook DA BACON! Use your favorite method and cook it as little or as much as you like.

I tend to prefer mine on the crispy side and when I don’t have too much to cook at once, I’ll just do it in a skillet over medium heat. But when I have larger batches to cook, I’ll tend to prefer the oven. I just lay the slices flat in a rimmed baking sheet and bake them in a 375F oven, turning the slices every 5 minutes or so, until they are nice and crispy, which usually takes about 20 to 25 minutes.

Whatever you do, make sure to hold on to those drippings, ‘cuz you’re going to need them to make the dressing. And if you do end up with more than 2 tablespoons, you should most definitely use that instead of ghee to fry your croutons..

Now for the dressing. The method used here is pretty much the same as the one I use for making mayo.

So yeah… You HAVE to have an immersion blender, but trust me, if you don’t have one yet, it’s worth getting one if only to make this dressing (and mayo, of course!)

All the ingredients need to go into a tall glass jar that’s barely wide enough to accommodate the head of your immersion blender and then must be allowed to sit for a few seconds, just long enough for the egg to settle comfortably underneath the oil.

Then your blender must be inserted all the way down until it makes contact with the bottom of the jar.

Now push that power button and do not move the blender for a full 20 seconds. This will cause your dressing to emulsify and become lusciously thick and creamy.

After 20 seconds, start moving your blender around and up and down just to make sure that every last bit gets well incorporated. Set aside

Of course, no Caesar Salad would be complete without a little sprinkling of Parmesan… If you happen to do dairy, feel free to add the real thing!

But if like me, you’ve also pretty much voided dairy from your diet, this is a pretty awesome replacement to use as a garnish over dishes…

To make it, add some raw cashew pieces, garlic and salt to a small food processor and give them a few quick pulses until their texture resembles that of grated parmesan. That easy!

Ah! Time to make croutons now. My favorite part!

Melt some ghee (or use leftover bacon drippings) in a skillet that’s been set over medium-high heat. Cut the Faux’caccia bread into large dice and throw them right into the hot fat. Let them brown for about 30 seconds then flip them to another side. Repeat until all sides are nice and golden and crispy. Kill the heat and set aside.

Of course, if you don’t have any of that Faux’caccia, you can use any other paleo bread. Word is, though, this Faux’caccia is totally worth making!

Last but not least, we need an actual “salad”.

Simply add romaine lettuce, endive, avocado and the Caesar Dressing that we just made to a large mixing bowl and toss to combine.

Divide the salad between 3 or 4 serving plates, garnish with delicious, warm and crispy croutons, pieces of smokey bacon and finally, sprinkle with the faux-Parmesan.

Serve without delay…

Caesar waits for no one!

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4 from 1 vote

Paleo and Keto Friendly Caesar Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Still searching for the ultimate Caesar Salad recipe? You just found it! As an added bonus, it's entirely Gluten Free and Dairy Free! You know you want it!

Servings: 4

Ingredients

The Salad

• 2 hearts of romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 large endive, chopped
• 1 1/2 ripe avocado, diced

The Dressing

• 1 large egg
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
• 1 teaspoon preserved lemons, or the zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup avocado oil
• 2 tablespoons bacon drippings , from cooking bacon

The "Parmesan"

• 2 tablespoons raw cashew pieces
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1/4 tsp Himalayan salt

The Croutons

• 2 tablespoons ghee, or make your own
• 1-1/2 slice Olive and Rosemary Faux'caccia

DA BACON!

• 8 thick slices of bacon, cooked to your liking

Instructions

• Start by cooking DA BACON to your liking using your favorite method. Make sure to hold on to those drippings, you're going to need them to make the dressing. And if you do end up with more than 2 tablespoons, you should definitely use that instead of ghee to fry your croutons...

To make the dressing

• Add all the ingredients listed under “dressing” to a tall glass jar that’s barely wide enough to accommodate the head of your immersion blender and let them sit for a few seconds, just long enough for the egg to settle comfortably underneath the oil.
• Insert your immersion blender and push it all the way down until it makes contact with the bottom of the jar.
• Push the power button and do not move the blender for a full 20 seconds. This will cause your dressing to emulsify and become lusciously thick and creamy.
• After 20 seconds, start moving your blender around and up and down just to make sure that every last bit gets well incorporated. Set aside

To make the parmesan

• Add the cashew pieces, garlic and salt to a small food processor and give them a few quick pulses until their texture resembles that of grated parmesan. Set aside.

To make the croutons

• Melt the ghee in a skillet that’s been set over medium-high heat. Cut the Faux’caccia into large dice and throw them right into the hot fat. Let them brown for about 30 seconds then flip them to another side. Repeat until all sides are nice and golden and crispy. Kill the heat and set aside

The assembly

• Add the lettuce, endive, avocado and dressing to a large mixing bowl. Toss to combine.
• Divide the salad between 3 or 4 plates, top with croutons, slices of bacon and finally, sprinkle with the “parmesan”.
• Serve immediately.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 679kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 66g, Saturated Fat: 18g, Cholesterol: 96mg, Sodium: 603mg, Potassium: 787mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 8373IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 56mg, Iron: 2mg

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Author: Sonia! The Healthy Foodie

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