Low-Carb Caesar Salad with Kale, Romaine, and Shaved Parmesan

Ingredients

• 5 oz. package of baby kale, crisped in cold water if needed and dried well
• 4-5 oz. romaine lettuce, chopped, washed and dried very well
• 2 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp. fish sauce
• 1 tsp. garlic puree
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 6 T olive oil
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. If the kale looks at all tired, soak it in a salad spinner filled with very cold water for a few minutes to perk it up. Spin it thoroughly, pat away any extra moisture with paper towels if it needs it, and transfer the kale to a large salad bowl.
2. Trim the romaine, cutting away the root ends and removing any bruised or rough outer leaves, then chop it. Rinse it in the salad spinner using very cold water, spin until dry, and use paper towels for any lingering moisture. Add the romaine to the bowl with the kale.
3. For the dressing, use a blender, a food processor, or the small processor attachment from an immersion blender. Add the lemon juice, fish sauce, or the anchovy paste or soy sauce, along with the garlic puree and Dijon, then pulse a few times to bring everything together.
4. Pour in the olive oil 2 tablespoons at a time, giving the dressing a short pulse after each addition.
5. Add sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to the dressing to taste.
6. Refrigerate the dressing until you are ready to assemble the salad.
7. Spoon some of the dressing over the greens and toss until the leaves have just a light coating. You might not use all of it, and any extra can go into the fridge for later.
8. Scatter in the shaved chopped Parmesan and toss once more.
9. Serve the salad immediately, with more fresh-ground black pepper added at the table if you like.
10. If homemade dressing is not happening, make the salad anyway and use Cardini's Caesar, the bottled Caesar dressing mentioned here, or choose your favorite vegan Caesar dressing instead.