By Kathryn Reed

Even though Caesar salad is one of my favorites, so often restaurants provide more dressing than greens. No wonder people order dressing on the side.

This recipe below is not a traditional Caesar dressing, but it tastes like it. It doesn’t have raw eggs or anchovies.

I used Veganaise instead of mayonnaise. They do the same thing.

It would also be fine not to fry the chickpeas. Doing so added a little different flavor and texture that I welcomed.

These days it’s possible to buy kale in a variety of forms. I bought a bag that was chopped already. I just took off some of the larger stems.

It would be easy to add other things to this salad. I had some craisins I wanted to get rid of, so I threw those in the mix. Nuts would work too. So, really, what makes this a Caesar is that the dressing is Caesar-ish.

Untraditional Caesar Salad

Canola oil, for frying

1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained

Salt

Pepper

½ C Veganaise

2 T fresh lemon juice

2 tsp Dijon mustard

4 garlic cloves, finely grated

¼ C shredded Parmesan, plus more for serving

10 ounces curly kale, stemmed

Craisins, optional

Lightly coat frying pan with canola oil. Add the chickpeas and fry over moderately high heat. Stir. Remove after browned and crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chickpeas to paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.

In a bowl, whisk the Veganaise, lemon juice, mustard, garlic and ¼ cup of cheese. Add the kale and toss. Add chickpea, toss. Add remaining cheese or allow people to add it at the table.