Harvest Caesar Salad

If you thought kale Caesar was over, you’ve clearly never topped it with crispy frico squash croutons. Featuring butternut squash and crispy baked Parmesan frico, this autumn spin on the classic Caesar salad will have you wishing it was fall all year round.

The kale:
Raw kale can be aggressive, with a rough, almost squeaky texture, so it’s important to treat it by massaging it with both lemon juice and salt before tossing with the dressing. The combination of acid and salt (and your elbow grease!) work together to partially break down the kale fibers, tenderizing it. Wondering how you go about “massaging” the kale? It’s not a science: You literally pretend the bowl of greens is someone’s shoulders. Put your hands in there and massage away!

The croutons:
Similar to my crispy Parmesan potatoes, these frico squash croutons are made by roasting the squash on a bed of shredded Parm. In the oven, the cheese melts and caramelizes on the baking sheet, forming this crunchy crispy crust underneath the squash. This isn’t a difficult technique, but there are a few tips that will make the process much easier:

• Use a bare baking sheet—and oil it well. Since the cheese will not caramelize and get crispy on parchment, using a bare baking sheet is key. Depending on the quality of the baking sheet, the frico may tend to stick, so I recommend oiling it well before adding the cheese.
• Go for color! For the crispiest frico, cook the croutons until the cheese around the squash is dark brown; this indicates that the cheese will be crisp when you flip it over. The rate of browning depends on the color of the sheet pan; darker sheet pans will encourage faster caramelization, while lighter metal will take longer. I recommend checking the squash every 3 minutes once you hit the 20-minute mark. You don’t want burnt frico, but you also want that cheese to get nice and crisp.
• Use a fish spatula. When removing the croutons from the pan, the goal is to keep the frico attached to the squash. In testing, I found a flexible metal fish spatula was the best tool for getting under the frico and scraping it off the baking sheet. Some frico bits might still break off, but if that happens, don’t worry! Just toss them in the salad as is—those toasty frico bits will add a whole other layer of texture and flavor.

Make ahead:
The frico squash croutons are best fresh (once refrigerated, they’ll lose their crispness), but the dressing can be made 1 day ahead. The kale can also be destemmed and torn up to 1 day ahead, but wait to massage it with the lemon juice and salt until just before serving.

Did you try making this? Let us know how it went in the comments!