These Kale Caesar Salad Pitas are easy to make, super flavorful and perfect for a veggie packed lunch or dinner!
I know it’s the time of year when everyone is making cookies and other holiday treats, but all those sweets really make me crave something healthy and savory. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve definitely been eating my share of Caramel Corn, but these Kale Caesar Salad Pitas are helping to balance everything out!
The idea for these Kale Caesar salad Pitas came from my Mediterranean Chopped Salad Pitas, which have always been a reader favorite. I guess there’s just something tasty about veggies and dressing packed into a warm pita 🙂
What You’ll Need For These Kale Caesar Salad Pitas
- Kale – I like to use curly kale when making a kale salad but purple kale or lacinato kale would also work. You want to get a good sized bunch or two bunches if they’re really small.
- Caesar Dressing – I made my own caesar dressing using cashews, almond milk, garlic, lemon juice and parmesan cheese. I know it seems strange to use cheese in a cashew based sauce but you could also use vegan parmesan cheese. Or, you can use a store-bought caesar dressing.
- Croutons – The croutons are one of my favorite parts of this recipe! I did not use homemade croutons because I was in a hurry but those would be great too. I like to mix up my salad and let it sit for a few minutes before eating so the croutons soften up a bit.
- Chickpeas – I added in some spiced chickpeas for a little extra flavor and protein. They’re not mandatory but I’d recommend them!
- Pita Bread – I just used a store-bought pita bread and heated it up a little bit so it was nice and warm. There are so many different brands of pita breads to choose from and they even sell gluten free pita bread these days.
Caesar Salad Pitas For Meal Prep
I like to mix the kale, croutons, chickpeas and dressing all together when making these pitas. Since everything is mixed together with the dressing, the kale doesn’t stay super fresh and crispy for quite as long as usual but you could still probably store it in the refrigerator for about 3 days.
You could also leave the dressing off and just mix together a single serving in the morning to enjoy later for lunch. It would stay fresh in the refrigerator longer that way.
Caesar Salad Pita Recipe
These pitas are super simple to put together! Here’s how I do it:
- First, you want to wash your kale and chop it into bite size pieces.
- Next, sauté your chickpeas in a pan with olive oil and spices until crispy.
- If making your own dressing, add all dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until creamy.
- Add your kale, chickpeas, croutons and dressing to a large bowl and mix until combined.
- Warm pita on the stovetop for a few seconds and then fill it with your Caesar salad mix and enjoy!
I know some people don’t love eating kale raw, or at all haha, but I think in the right recipe it’s super delicious! You want to make sure the dressing is really mixed in well and you can even let everything sit for a few minutes before eating to make sure the kale softens up.
If you really hate the idea of eating raw kale, you can easily use romaine lettuce instead, which is traditional for a Caesar salad.
Kale Caesar Salad Pitas
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Description
These Kale Caesar Salad Pitas are fresh, filling and healthy! Great for lunch or dinner!
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch curly kale
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 big pinch salt
- 1 cup croutons
- 3/4 cup Caesar salad dressing (my recipe below)
- Pita Bread
Caesar Salad Dressing:
- 3/4 cup raw, unsalted cashews, soaked overnight or boiled for 30 minutes
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk or regular milk
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 3 small cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Wash kale, remove the stems, chop into bite size pieces and place in a large bowl.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat and add olive oil, chickpeas, paprika, garlic powder and salt. Stir and cook until chickpeas are warmed through and crispy, 7-10 minutes.
- If making your own caesar dressing, add all ingredients to a high powered blender and blend until creamy.
- Add the chickpeas, croutons and 3/4 cup of dressing to the bowl with the kale and mix until combined. If desired, heat pita bread until warm and stuff it with kale mixture. Top with extra grated parmesan and a squeeze of lemon.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Lunch, Vegetarian
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
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