The key to a good salad is a fantastic dressing! I hate when there is potential for a good salad, then the dressing is a runny mess. When it comes to making a good dressing, you need emulsifiers / binding agents to hold it together and make it creamy. In this dressing we use egg yolks for the best basil parmesan dressing!

Key Ingredients and Substitutions:

  • Kale – I prefer the dino / Tuscan kale for this salad. But any kale or lettuce will work!
  • Butter Beans – Butter beans are my all time favorite beans to use in salad. They are large white beans with a firm but creamy texture. You can use dried and cook them, or canned. A great substitution would be chickpeas.
  • Red Onion – This is hear for the punch and crunch! I like to finely dice so they aren’t overpowering. Feel free to omit or even use pickled red onions.
  • Grape Tomatoes – I use grape tomatoes for the sweetness, but any tomatoes will work here.
  • Parmesan – Grated parmesan gives this salad salt and umami that is delicious. Pecorino would also work well here instead.
  • Basil – The basil is used in the dressing! Do not omit!
  • Lemon Juice – This is used to balance out the dressing. Make sure to use freshly squeezed lemon juice. For substitution, I recommend white wine vinegar.
  • Egg Yolks – These are the main binding ingredient in the dressing. That is what makes it thick and creamy. If you cannot use raw egg yolks, use mustard instead.
  • Avocado Oil – This is used as a neutral oil for the dressing. Use a neutral oil so the flavor isn’t overpowering, such as grapeseed oil.

Why Use Egg Yolks in Dressing:

When it comes to making salad dressings you need to have a binder to hold the opposing ingredients together. If you put vinegar and oil together, they are going to want to separate unless you have something in there that helps it stick together. A few examples of this are mustard, mayo, gums, and egg yolks. Egg yolks are the strongest of any binder, and make for the creamiest and thickest dressings. These are used in things like caesar dressing, or ranch dressing. When you use egg yolks, you know your dressing will always emulsify properly!

@kellyscleankitchen

Lets make a white bean and kale basil salad and talk about using egg yolks in dressings 🥗 #dressing #salad #saladdressing

♬ Wes Anderson-esque Cute Acoustic – Kenji Ueda
  • SERVINGS:  4-6
  • PREP TIME: 30 Mins
  • COOK TIME: 0 Mins
  • TOTAL TIME: 30 Mins

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch dino / Tuscan kale, stems removed and sliced
  • 2 cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 cup parmesan, finely grated

Basil Parmesan Vinaigrette:

  • 1 cup basil leaves
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 3/4 -1 cup avocado oil
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated

Preparation:

STEP 1.

Add all of the salad ingredients to a large bowl.

STEP 2.

Make the dressing by whisking or blending together all of the ingredients until they are creamy. For best results, use a blender or immersion blender. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Add more oil if you want it to be thicker.

STEP 3.

Dress the salad, season with salt to taste, and serve!

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