Toasted Breadcrumb and Vegan Parmesan Kale Salad

Get ready to take everything you think you know about kale salads and throw it out the window. This kale salad has so many good things going on. Toasted breadcrumbs tossed in vegan butter; salty, savory vegan parmesan; crunchy sunflower seeds; chopped kale; finely diced red onion; and a lemon garlic vinaigrette that is so simple and packed with tons of flavor.

Step One: Make the Breadcrumbs

First thing we need to do is make our breadcrumbs. Today we are making these from scratch. Which is much easier than you’d think.

You ever have a few slices of bread left that are a day or two away from going bad? That is the perfect bread to use for this. It’s already a little dry and will crisp up nicely in the oven.

Place the bread on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, flipping halfway. 

Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes. Break it into smaller pieces and place in a food processor. Pulse until breadcrumbs begin to form. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and pepper and pulse 2-3 more times. Spread the breadcrumbs back on the baking sheet and drizzle remaining butter over top. Place back in the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and set aside.

TIP: I used whole wheat sourdough, but you could use any bread you have on hand – or gluten free bread if needed.

Step Two: Make the Dressing

And, while the bread is doing its thing, we are going to whisk up the dressing. This dressing is one of my favorites. All you need is olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, salt & pepper. So simple, but so, so good.

Add everything to a bowl and whisk until combined.

Now that all of the “hard” parts are done (let’s be honest, there’s nothing hard about this recipe), we’ll just combine everything in a large bowl and call it a day.

Step Three: Assemble & Serve

This salad is great on its own, but it also makes the best side salad. I’m thinking alongside a plate of Spaghetti & Meatballs or Cauliflower Alfredo.

And I hope that after all of my gushing over this recipe you may have had a change of heart about kale salads. Fingers crossed!