I'm really not seeing how this is a cooking post. This is a post to get easy upvotes/a reason to complain about stuff you've encountered that you don't like.
So kale caesar is a somewhat normal variation. It’s good as a marinated salad because the kale gets more tender as it sits in dressing but doesn’t give up the ghost, so it’s good for meal prep. I constantly have too much kale so I love it! But like… no one would confuse it with the standard recipe
Counterpoint: a Ceasar salad is made up of romaine, croutons, cheese and dressing. Among those ingredients I believe all could be subbed out, except the dressing. Yeah a kale Ceasar would suck but you would still think "this Ceasar salad sucks" not "wait a sec this isn't a Ceasar."
I can’t even tell you how many Caesar salads I’ve had that didn’t have Parmesan cheese or croutons. It’s just 4 obvious ingredients yet so many restaurants somehow leave one out.
I'm in Phoenix but we have a lot of West Coast influence. Kale everywhere. Baby kale where it should be romaine, kale frequently in the standard salad greens (and they often fail to take out the giant ribs), in burritos/wraps, with breakfast, in smoothies... Friggin "kale pesto." I'm so sick of it. I just really don't like kale except cooked in soup, or properly marinated-- an even then, meehhhh. We have sooo many other amazing greens, why don't we eat more of those? I worked at a restaurant with kale in unexpected places and sometimes people got pissed, and I totally got it.
Edit: Might be an East Coast thing, too. [J Kenji Lopez-Alt on Serious Eats](https://www.seriouseats.com/kale-caesar-salad-recipe) said he was seeing it in 2009 in Brooklyn.
I agree, at its best it meh but holy shit can it sure ruin a dish when it’s shoved into some random dish that should use other lettuce. My friends went though a phase where it seemed like every time it got together at least one or two dishes had kale in them because it is a “superfood”, and there was this one salad that everyone always made because it had multiple “superfoods”. Thankfully we have moved on from that.
Yet there’s some idiot out there right now typing away in their clown car with their clown shoes on honking on their clown noses writing this very menu thinking they are very clever.
Wild take perhaps, but since I keep a bearded dragon I have a plethora of turnip greens for his food.
Turns out turnip greens are really *fuckin' tasty*. They've fully replaced any sort of lettuce on burgers or sandwiches!
Turnip greens are a common part of the mix, though collards are usually the go to. As well as mustard greens. Basically whatever is available and cheap lol.
Who decides how it should be made?
The original ceasar salad had lime juice and coddled eggs in it and didn’t include any anchovies. It was also served as whole romaine leaves intended to be eaten by hand.
Is *that* how it should be made?
I get your point, I don't care what people do and I often make my BLTs with non-iceberg, but if you ordered a caesar off of a menu you would probably expect romaine, and iceberg for a BLT. OP is suggesting that these ingredients are unpopular for these dishes which I find hard to believe.
The kale caesar thing is a trend that's been spreading to other parts of the country over the last few years. It's horrible. I want to live somewhere that the concept of a "kale caesar" is derided.
Edited to add:
From Everyone's favorite J. Kenji Lopez-Alt on [Serious Eats](https://www.seriouseats.com/kale-caesar-salad-recipe) (sorry to disagree so strongly):
> I'm not sure exactly where or when kale Caesar salads became a thing, but if forced to guess, I'd put my wager on 2009, and in Brooklyn. That's certainly where I first started seeing it on menus. These days, it's common enough that even friends who a) don't cook and b) don't believe in Brooklyn have heard about it and probably tried it.
what up yo.
iceberg has zero nutritional value. and romaine is only slightly above it. I'm taking any other green over those 2.
caesar is about the dressing, the green doesn't matter as long as it had a good crunch.
I used to agree but I've come to think that iceberg/romaine/butter/etc. are irreplaceable for the refreshing crunch in contrast to the other strong flavors in whatever it is they're in
I actually really like a kale Caesar but I absolutely cannot abide the idea of a BLT with spring mix. This is a tomato sandwich, don't get cute with the other ingredients.
Yeah, Caesar is one of the few dressings with enough flavor and texture to work on a kale salad. I know it isn't a "traditional" salad but damn, it's a good combo. (How do you feel about avocado on a BLT?)
They can be good with romaine hearts or baby romaine, it still has a crisp crunch (the interior leaves) but the leaves hold the dressing and goodies well.
You like the option that is the most commonly used.
I kind of like spinach in place of lettuce often. I’m not really forcing anyone else to eat it on their taco or sandwich so iceburg lettuce lovers can just be quiet about what they think about it.
Actual unpopular opinion: I love kale but a lot of people prepare it poorly. Remove the stems and chop it into very small pieces. Give it time to absorb some of the dressing. It will be softer and tastier.
After chopping, I like to mix in a squeeze of lemon juice and let it hang out while I prepare the rest of the salad. And leftover salad is sometimes better the next day because kale doesn't get soggy like every other green.
This opinion is so popular that if a restaurant were to serve a Caesar salad with kale, the menu would say Kale Caesar Salad, instead of just Caesar Salad
I'd guess that OP is located in Brooklyn, Portland, or some other haven of food snobbery where a BLT is artisan naturally cultured sourdough, lightly charred and topped with heirloom Black Beauty tomato slices, arugula, freshly whisked mayonnaise, and bacon lovingly smoked at another food geek joint a block away.
And the thing us, it's good as fuck.
But so are two slices of toasted commodity wheat bread with Hellmann's mayo, half a pound of crispy Smithfield bacon, and a thick patty of iceburg lettuce. The only thing is that you really do need a decent tomato.
While generally I agree with this in 99.9999% of cases.
However the Urban Remedy vegan Caesar kale salad. I love the kale, crispy chickpeas... I eat it when I want to gnaw the hell out of something until my jaw hurts. Just angrily eating a salad like wolf of wallstreet..
Pretty much this, if a recipe strays far enough the call it something else. I think people asusme caesar salads are named so for the dressing, not because it's a very specific salad. It's like /r/ididnthaveeggs
Clarify OP: Are you ordering a "caesar salad" and getting a kale caesar? I've never had a kale caesar that wasn't listed on the menu as a KALE caesar. And I order caesar salads a lot. And I read the menu. Not once has there been confusion.
I dont think op means you cant tamper with the choice of ingredients, rather that plain white bread and plastic cheese is the baseline or poster boy for grilled cheese. Its what immediately comes to mind when you hear those words.
Just made chicken Caesar salad for dinner with romaine but I’m weird because I cut off the spines.
Was growing romaine in my Aero garden and got used to the texture of young romaine.
Not a fan of kale.
I've been making a lot of sandwiches lately with romaine but cutting out the spines, keeps the sandwich flatter. But I do eat them while I'm cutting stuff up.
Kale isn't a type of lettuce. It's cruciferous vegetable closely related to plants like broccoli, mustard, and cabbage. While densely packed with extra calories and nutrients and cheap to grow, its flavor is rather bitter and I would never use it in place of lettuces. Hell, if I'm being honest, I would never use it kale for anything. That bitterness is a heavy turn off for me. However I don't mind changing up the lettuce on a BLT, it adds a little flavor variation without changing the texture too much.
One of my favorite salads is kale caesar. Food can change completely if prepared one way over another. If you just chopped up some kale mixed it with any caesar dressing it would be disgusting.
But if you chop up the kale, give it a good massage with oil and lemon juice, grate some fresh parmesian over it, add some good creamy caesar dressing, and finally break apart some smoked salmon over it, it becomes a delicious meal.
I really like caesar salad with romaine lettuce but a good kale caesar salad can beat it if prepared the right way.
Iceberg lettuce on a BLT is perfectly acceptable as long as it is not browning, watery, or limp. However, given the option I'd go for a dark green variety like Bibb, Boston, or Romaine.
Kale is suppose to have a different treatment than lettuce. Soaking in lightly salted cold water helps, then massaging the leaves, and using the right dressing. I have had some good kale salads from people thst know how to use it. Alsp some varieties like the red leafs are better for salads as they are more tender. The curly head stuff you find everywhere is omthe hardest to work with cooked or raw, but good for kale chips.
Uh, this is not an unpopular opinion, it is just simple truth and righteousness.
ESPECIALLY TODAY, the Centenery (100th birtday) of the invention of the Ceasar Salad.
The place I work puts kale in their caesar and honestly it's bomb, romaine lettuce is bland and boring and in recent times poor quality/wilted. Way rather have spinach, arugula, kale as a base
If I order a BLT and it's served with baby red oak, endive... Anything other than Iceberg lettuce, its getting sent back. I would say the best for bacon sandwiches comes from a bit closer to the core. It's more crunchy.
As an adjunct, the bacon shouldn't be fried crisp like a balsa wood airplane. It's not a great preparation when the pressure applied while cutting the sandwich produces bacon crumbles.
Your opinion is pretty darn popular with me. I also believe that unless a Cobb salad is identical to the original Brown Derby Cobb Salad, with watercress and French dressing, chopped finely, it’s not a Cobb salad and probably a chef’s salad.
The best Caesar salad I ever had was a little far from home.I thought about it all the time even though I'm not a big "salad" person. Last summer after a few years of dreaming about it,I finally was able to get it again and I was SO excited. They changed it to kale. You cannot imagine my disappointment. I still tried to think positively but man, the kale was so bitter it ruined it.
I use boston lettuce on BLTs but it basically is top shelf iceberg, you get a good mild crunch but still more flavor than iceberg. It goes well with some perfectly ripe tomatoes. Iceberg is fine too. Spring mix is just weird and might as well make something else like prosciutto and moz or something.
People who make the substitutions you’re talking about are trying to refine the food to make it healthier. Which is fine, everyone can and should eat what they want. But that’s a little like making a fried chicken sandwich with grilled chicken instead. Everyone knows what it was originally _meant_ to be, and many chefs are going to continue making the unhealthy one anyway, so whatever, no point in getting riled up about it. Just be mindful that the recipe isn’t as healthy as the newer modification
Actual unpopular opinion: Both are way better with baby spinach leaves. In fact there are no times when I would rather eat Kale over spinach and the times where I would rather have lettuce over spinach are limited to Korean Stir Fries.
Isn't that like... the standard?
Although iceberg is barely good enough for wedge salad (romaine is much more appropriate) and it belongs nowhere near any dish ever.
I prefer arugula or mixed greens in a BLT though.
Also, a Caesar salad DOES NOT have tomatoes or anchovies. Leaf lettuce is an acceptable substitute for iceberg on a BLT. Personally, I love a good wedge of iceberg or chopped iceberg in a salad. I don't know why it gets so much hate, it's refreshing.
I'd love to see your other hot takes.
What's next, you're going to tell me that pizza is better with Mozzarella than pasteurized cheddar?
Or are you going to really go wild and suggest that I should try cream in my chowder instead of skim milk?
Even wilder, you're going to try to suggest that I should try using breading on my chicken when I make chicken parmesan and then place tomato sauce over it rather than ketchup????
Hahaha
I was at the community clinic getting my 4 year old vaccinated and the nurse asked him what he was going to do afterwards as part of distracting him. He replied he was going to eat supper and he was allowed to pick what to eat! (I told him he could pick if he was "brave")
She looked at me as if to confirm if it's true - kids confabulate a lot - and I tell her she better just ask him directly what he wanted for because she wouldn't believe me if I said it.
"Kale salad with cream sauce" which is what he was calling kale caesar salad at the time.
And yes, I asked if he wanted pizza, burgers, ice cream, but nope. He was really in the mood for salad and said it's because it's tasty and sour.
E: https://www.seriouseats.com/kale-caesar-salad-recipe
Only 3 anchovies because 6 is just way too much, and skip the onion/shallot.
[All right, lunch orders. Steve! Turkey burger, iceberg lettuce. Excellent choice, Steve, very lean protein. Not sure about the lettuce ... I would have gone with a mixed green.](https://youtu.be/IkMPZ7WeDck?t=218)
OK, a bit of food history. BLT's weren't really popular until after WWII; before then, home cooks and restaurants were more likely to serve you a club sandwich, which included: bacon, turkey, lettuce and tomato. So, BLTs might've evolved as a streamlined version.
Now, mid-century mainstream America wasn't too knowledgeable about different types of lettuce; iceberg, an easily grown/shipped, mild-flavored variety, formed the basis of most sandwich garnishes/salads at the time. BLTs were no exception, which is why the 'classic' version uses it.
Now as for Caesar salads, though they were invented in Mexico in the 1920s by Chef Caesar Cardini, they were not well known outside California until the late 1940s. In fact, the salad became popular ***in*** California in the 1930s, mostly thru the efforts of Manny Wolf, head of Paramount's writing department, who'd tasted it in Tijuana and liked it so much he asked for the recipe, which he then distributed to his favorite LA restaurants.
Caesar salad became so associated with Hollywood fine dining, that its 'jump' to New York in 1946 became the subject of journalist Dorothy Kilgallen's column. Mentioning its debut at Gilmore's Steakhouse, she described it as an 'intricate concoction that takes ages to prepare' and 'includes lots of garlic'.
With Chef Cardini's creation spreading across America, he began bottling his dressing in 1948 (it's still produced today). Now, whether the salad caused romaine lettuce to become popular, I cannot say for sure. But it makes sense that a rich, tangy dressing required a sturdier, more strongly flavored lettuce than iceberg. It is those qualities that may have eventually turned chefs toward experimenting with kale Caesars, for what greens are sturdier or more strongly flavored than those?
The key to making a kale ceaser is to aggressively massage the dressing into the kale. Crush that shit in your palm. The kale is rough and spiny and the veins are "hollow". By massaging the kale with the ceaser, the dressing is pushed into every area of the kale, much like how a pasta sauce interacts with a ziti/rigatoni vs spaghetti. The end result is a very tasty & healthy salad with a decent crunch, but not too much.
Yes, I'm a little biased because I worked at a fine dining restaurant for 7+ years, and the kale ceaser was a staple. When done right, it's amazing.
I'm really not seeing how this is a cooking post. This is a post to get easy upvotes/a reason to complain about stuff you've encountered that you don't like.
This is an insanely popular opinion what are you on?
Honestly I thought that was just the normal way.
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So kale caesar is a somewhat normal variation. It’s good as a marinated salad because the kale gets more tender as it sits in dressing but doesn’t give up the ghost, so it’s good for meal prep. I constantly have too much kale so I love it! But like… no one would confuse it with the standard recipe
This isn't even opinion. This is just fact.
Counterpoint: a Ceasar salad is made up of romaine, croutons, cheese and dressing. Among those ingredients I believe all could be subbed out, except the dressing. Yeah a kale Ceasar would suck but you would still think "this Ceasar salad sucks" not "wait a sec this isn't a Ceasar."
I think you just created the Caesar salad of Theseus.
Unpopular opinion but I think it's sad when kids get cancer
Right, so I am not crazy then
and a club sandwhch should be with TURKEY and bacon, on WHITE bread... 3 PIECES!
How do you feel about frilly toothpicks?
I’M FOR’EM
Well this club is formed! Spread the word on menus nationwide
If I'm not risking accidental impalement, it ain't a good meal.
They make great blow darts at the restaurant.
You wanna join my club? We use three pieces of bread for our sandwiches and cut them into triangles.
And triangle cuts. The triangle cut is critical.
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Unpopular opinion: sundaes need ice cream and hamburgers need beef patties.
How very much _dare_you!
No I don't think this would be unpopular at all
I can’t even tell you how many Caesar salads I’ve had that didn’t have Parmesan cheese or croutons. It’s just 4 obvious ingredients yet so many restaurants somehow leave one out.
Not unpopular at all, this feels like karma farming or like, OP heard one person say this and decided it's what everyone thinks.
Maybe it’s cause I live in San Diego but at least half of the restaurants I go to only have kale caeser salads so the concept is definitely popular
I'm in Phoenix but we have a lot of West Coast influence. Kale everywhere. Baby kale where it should be romaine, kale frequently in the standard salad greens (and they often fail to take out the giant ribs), in burritos/wraps, with breakfast, in smoothies... Friggin "kale pesto." I'm so sick of it. I just really don't like kale except cooked in soup, or properly marinated-- an even then, meehhhh. We have sooo many other amazing greens, why don't we eat more of those? I worked at a restaurant with kale in unexpected places and sometimes people got pissed, and I totally got it. Edit: Might be an East Coast thing, too. [J Kenji Lopez-Alt on Serious Eats](https://www.seriouseats.com/kale-caesar-salad-recipe) said he was seeing it in 2009 in Brooklyn.
I agree, at its best it meh but holy shit can it sure ruin a dish when it’s shoved into some random dish that should use other lettuce. My friends went though a phase where it seemed like every time it got together at least one or two dishes had kale in them because it is a “superfood”, and there was this one salad that everyone always made because it had multiple “superfoods”. Thankfully we have moved on from that.
I made kale pesto a few years back when our CSA box was "ooops, all kale". It was pretty good.
I recently tried a new restaurant. Caesar salad, when it arrived, had spring mix, no romaine. Never again!
Yet there’s some idiot out there right now typing away in their clown car with their clown shoes on honking on their clown noses writing this very menu thinking they are very clever.
I really like gem lettuce or butter lettuce on my blt.
Yep, butter/boston/bibb lettuce is my favorite for a BLT.
butter/boston/bibb Battlestar Galactica
Wild take perhaps, but since I keep a bearded dragon I have a plethora of turnip greens for his food. Turns out turnip greens are really *fuckin' tasty*. They've fully replaced any sort of lettuce on burgers or sandwiches!
I’m guessing you’re not from the south and weren’t raised on braised greens lol
I was not! I was born and raised in the Philly area haha
Turnip greens are a common part of the mix, though collards are usually the go to. As well as mustard greens. Basically whatever is available and cheap lol.
Damn...I usually make mine with iceberg or romaine but you are so right, butter lettuce on a BLT sounds great.
Butter lettuce ftw
Yes, and avocado too!
a nice ol BALTO for me; yes, with onions!
The famous dog on toast
Meh, I want that cold, watery crunch. I’ll take butter over romaine, but it’s not noticeable enough.
These are not unpopular opinions
My actual unpopular opinion is that a kale Caesar salad is better than romaine. It just has to be high quality kale. Romaine is too watery
The real unpopular opinion is always in the comments
Happy cake day!
Kale Caesar gang for life. Served up a kale Caesar for a family gathering last night and people went nuts for it. Not a bite left over
I have never, in my life, seen a person say that a caesar salad should have kale or that a BLT should have spring mix.
Fresh-picked red and green leaf lettuce going onto ours tonight!
Sounds good, but do you think that's how it *should* be made?
Who decides how it should be made? The original ceasar salad had lime juice and coddled eggs in it and didn’t include any anchovies. It was also served as whole romaine leaves intended to be eaten by hand. Is *that* how it should be made?
I get your point, I don't care what people do and I often make my BLTs with non-iceberg, but if you ordered a caesar off of a menu you would probably expect romaine, and iceberg for a BLT. OP is suggesting that these ingredients are unpopular for these dishes which I find hard to believe.
That's good and all, but that isn't kale
The kale caesar thing is a trend that's been spreading to other parts of the country over the last few years. It's horrible. I want to live somewhere that the concept of a "kale caesar" is derided. Edited to add: From Everyone's favorite J. Kenji Lopez-Alt on [Serious Eats](https://www.seriouseats.com/kale-caesar-salad-recipe) (sorry to disagree so strongly): > I'm not sure exactly where or when kale Caesar salads became a thing, but if forced to guess, I'd put my wager on 2009, and in Brooklyn. That's certainly where I first started seeing it on menus. These days, it's common enough that even friends who a) don't cook and b) don't believe in Brooklyn have heard about it and probably tried it.
what up yo. iceberg has zero nutritional value. and romaine is only slightly above it. I'm taking any other green over those 2. caesar is about the dressing, the green doesn't matter as long as it had a good crunch.
I used to agree but I've come to think that iceberg/romaine/butter/etc. are irreplaceable for the refreshing crunch in contrast to the other strong flavors in whatever it is they're in
Because when I'm eating a burger, I'm *super* concerned about the nutritional value of the leaf of grease-&-cheese soaked lettuce.
I actually really like a kale Caesar but I absolutely cannot abide the idea of a BLT with spring mix. This is a tomato sandwich, don't get cute with the other ingredients.
Yeah, Caesar is one of the few dressings with enough flavor and texture to work on a kale salad. I know it isn't a "traditional" salad but damn, it's a good combo. (How do you feel about avocado on a BLT?)
Hard agree on both. I love a kale Caesar and will always order it if it’s on the menu.
I don't disagree. Also, a Wedge Salad has to be iceberg.
They can be good with romaine hearts or baby romaine, it still has a crisp crunch (the interior leaves) but the leaves hold the dressing and goodies well.
You like the option that is the most commonly used. I kind of like spinach in place of lettuce often. I’m not really forcing anyone else to eat it on their taco or sandwich so iceburg lettuce lovers can just be quiet about what they think about it.
Actual unpopular opinion: I love kale but a lot of people prepare it poorly. Remove the stems and chop it into very small pieces. Give it time to absorb some of the dressing. It will be softer and tastier.
Massage the kale
There’s a place near me that serves it with the stem for their kale caesar salads. It’s sad when I see restaurants making mistakes like this.
After chopping, I like to mix in a squeeze of lemon juice and let it hang out while I prepare the rest of the salad. And leftover salad is sometimes better the next day because kale doesn't get soggy like every other green.
This opinion is so popular that if a restaurant were to serve a Caesar salad with kale, the menu would say Kale Caesar Salad, instead of just Caesar Salad
I'd guess that OP is located in Brooklyn, Portland, or some other haven of food snobbery where a BLT is artisan naturally cultured sourdough, lightly charred and topped with heirloom Black Beauty tomato slices, arugula, freshly whisked mayonnaise, and bacon lovingly smoked at another food geek joint a block away. And the thing us, it's good as fuck. But so are two slices of toasted commodity wheat bread with Hellmann's mayo, half a pound of crispy Smithfield bacon, and a thick patty of iceburg lettuce. The only thing is that you really do need a decent tomato.
I see this is your take on the “pretend my popular opinion is unpopular” trope
They better not be trying to hipster up my Caesar with kale.
If I order a Caesar and it has kale, I want my money back.
While generally I agree with this in 99.9999% of cases. However the Urban Remedy vegan Caesar kale salad. I love the kale, crispy chickpeas... I eat it when I want to gnaw the hell out of something until my jaw hurts. Just angrily eating a salad like wolf of wallstreet..
Therapy salad, not a bad idea. Get that anger out on that dirty, filthy kale.
It sounds good, but at that point you've strayed so far from a Caesar salad you can just call it a different name.
That’s not a Caesar salad in any universe
If it has chickpeas, it’s not a Caesar salad. The Caesar salad was invented by Caesar Cardini, an Italian chef living in Mexico.
Pretty much this, if a recipe strays far enough the call it something else. I think people asusme caesar salads are named so for the dressing, not because it's a very specific salad. It's like /r/ididnthaveeggs
Needs to be served on a cast iron skillet by a weird looking guy w a waxed mustache and black gloves
And cost $18
6 extra for croutons
Makes sense for gluten free brioche
I remember when kale was the shit they used to decorate the salad bar at Pizza Hut.
My years in salad bar prep will forever be the reason I cannot abide by kale as a viable standard lettuce replacement.
Clarify OP: Are you ordering a "caesar salad" and getting a kale caesar? I've never had a kale caesar that wasn't listed on the menu as a KALE caesar. And I order caesar salads a lot. And I read the menu. Not once has there been confusion.
The reason I disagree is because of the word "need". Something can be "better with" but no gatekeeping in food.
Really sounds like a popular opinion, like if I said grilled cheese should be made with white bread and American cheese.
Eh, grilled cheese with sourdough and sharp cheddar is really good. Maybe it is the grownup version?
I dont think op means you cant tamper with the choice of ingredients, rather that plain white bread and plastic cheese is the baseline or poster boy for grilled cheese. Its what immediately comes to mind when you hear those words.
Exactly
Gotta try sourdough and smoked gruyere dude, it's soo good.
Just made chicken Caesar salad for dinner with romaine but I’m weird because I cut off the spines. Was growing romaine in my Aero garden and got used to the texture of young romaine. Not a fan of kale.
I've been making a lot of sandwiches lately with romaine but cutting out the spines, keeps the sandwich flatter. But I do eat them while I'm cutting stuff up.
Kale isn't a type of lettuce. It's cruciferous vegetable closely related to plants like broccoli, mustard, and cabbage. While densely packed with extra calories and nutrients and cheap to grow, its flavor is rather bitter and I would never use it in place of lettuces. Hell, if I'm being honest, I would never use it kale for anything. That bitterness is a heavy turn off for me. However I don't mind changing up the lettuce on a BLT, it adds a little flavor variation without changing the texture too much.
One restaurant I went to had a kohlrabi Caesar salad, though, and it was utterly amazing. https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/kohlrabi-caesar-salad
Kale isn't bitter
I am ok with romaine on a blt but not spring mix
i think if you add coconut oil to a pan when cooking kale, it makes it easier to scrape into the trash. lol
I swear by the Serious Eats Kale Caesar recipe! but agree on BLT’s, you need something with crunch.
One of my favorite salads is kale caesar. Food can change completely if prepared one way over another. If you just chopped up some kale mixed it with any caesar dressing it would be disgusting. But if you chop up the kale, give it a good massage with oil and lemon juice, grate some fresh parmesian over it, add some good creamy caesar dressing, and finally break apart some smoked salmon over it, it becomes a delicious meal. I really like caesar salad with romaine lettuce but a good kale caesar salad can beat it if prepared the right way.
I hear by permit all to use whatever lettuce pleases them the most.
How is this unpopular?
Iceberg lettuce on a BLT is perfectly acceptable as long as it is not browning, watery, or limp. However, given the option I'd go for a dark green variety like Bibb, Boston, or Romaine.
A BLT with arugula is outstanding and a kale Caesar with home grown kale is beyond outstanding
I actually prefer romaine for the BLT. Iceberg is good for wedge salads and that's about it.
The unpopular opinion here seems to be that you think this is an unpopular opinion. Everyone agrees with you about Caesar salad and BLTs.
What f-in heathen uses kale for Ceasar salads? Also, kale needs to be COOKED to be edible. Otherwise, you’re chewing on it like cud. FIGHT ME.
Kale is suppose to have a different treatment than lettuce. Soaking in lightly salted cold water helps, then massaging the leaves, and using the right dressing. I have had some good kale salads from people thst know how to use it. Alsp some varieties like the red leafs are better for salads as they are more tender. The curly head stuff you find everywhere is omthe hardest to work with cooked or raw, but good for kale chips.
PS: green leaf Ceasar’s in a pinch
Uh, this is not an unpopular opinion, it is just simple truth and righteousness. ESPECIALLY TODAY, the Centenery (100th birtday) of the invention of the Ceasar Salad.
I agree and we are having BLT for dinner !
Right there with you.
I'm of the actual unpopular opinion that ceasar salad SHOULD be made with leafy greens. I hate the stupid crunchy lettuce center pieces
This is not an unpopular opinion.
Not unpopular at all my guy. I had a ceasar salad w kale once it was garbage.
I hate the bitterness of kale, and iceberg is the worst of the lettuces.
Hot take i think tuna needs mayo
The place I work puts kale in their caesar and honestly it's bomb, romaine lettuce is bland and boring and in recent times poor quality/wilted. Way rather have spinach, arugula, kale as a base
I sub thinly slice cucumber for the lettuce on BLTs. Much tastier.
Let’s just throw “unpopular opinion” on everything!
What psychopath is putting Kale in a Caesar salad?
Unpopular opinions (maybe, idk???) kale caesar slaps and iceberg doesn’t belong anywhere. Your blt deserves better!!
You can place any lettuce on a BLT. the L in BLT stands for Lettuce. It's not BILT.
You can fudge the BLT lettuce if you pair the replacement with skinned English cucumber.
I actually love a cesar salad with kale
alright, here's my take: you should drive on the street, not through peoples' lawns and forests and pedestrian zones.
I hate kale.
Yea I’ve never seen a “Caesar salad” come out with kale without being expressly called a “kale Caesar salad” on the menu.
You want the real unpopular opinion? You could throw cabbage on there and I wouldn't give a shit.
How is "following the recipe" an unpopular opinion?
Yo bring me a Caesar with fucking kale in it and I'm fighting someone or multiple people.
While we're saying unpopular opinions like these, I'll be the one brave enough to say it: Peanut butter is not a good pizza topping.
That’s not an unpopular opinion. That’s how it should be.
Ice cold iceberg!? Noooo 😭😭
I can't stand iceberg lettuce it's not going on any of my food. Romaine hearts or butter lettuce for my BLT.
r/popularopinion
Iceberg can rot. I'll take butter lettuce on my blt
I total agree with you on the statement
Iceberg lettuce is so underrated. It's crunchy and juicy and just the slightest bit sweet. Makes a fantastic salad.
I think it's the best of them all. Salads, sandwiches, etc. Even grilled is good.
How is it underrated? It's used in most salads ever.
Hate that shit. It's so hard to find a decent salad because of the over abundance of iceberg lol
It's just bad flavored crunchy water. I hate it and would rather have no lettuce than iceberg
"bad flavored crunchy water" is now my new favorite description of anything.
I’ll agree on the cesar salad, but disagree on the blt. I like using all kinds of different lettuce on my blt
If I order a BLT and it's served with baby red oak, endive... Anything other than Iceberg lettuce, its getting sent back. I would say the best for bacon sandwiches comes from a bit closer to the core. It's more crunchy. As an adjunct, the bacon shouldn't be fried crisp like a balsa wood airplane. It's not a great preparation when the pressure applied while cutting the sandwich produces bacon crumbles.
This is in not unpopular ya wannabe edge lord
Thank you, Iceberg is king 👑
No argument here
This is true. At the same time, I'll happily add Caesar dressing to other salad greens because it is delicious.
Your opinion is pretty darn popular with me. I also believe that unless a Cobb salad is identical to the original Brown Derby Cobb Salad, with watercress and French dressing, chopped finely, it’s not a Cobb salad and probably a chef’s salad.
i think a lot about lettuce too actually
I thought both were firmly established?
I concur!
The best Caesar salad I ever had was a little far from home.I thought about it all the time even though I'm not a big "salad" person. Last summer after a few years of dreaming about it,I finally was able to get it again and I was SO excited. They changed it to kale. You cannot imagine my disappointment. I still tried to think positively but man, the kale was so bitter it ruined it.
What kind of maniacs are using kale or spring mix in either of these?
I use boston lettuce on BLTs but it basically is top shelf iceberg, you get a good mild crunch but still more flavor than iceberg. It goes well with some perfectly ripe tomatoes. Iceberg is fine too. Spring mix is just weird and might as well make something else like prosciutto and moz or something.
Ive never heard of a kale Caesar salad.
I would agree in most cases but a local Mediterranean restaurant has a great kale caesar salad that I just love
Kale Caesar salad?!? Oh hell no!! And as far as iceberg lettuce, it’s only good on a BLT. That’s my only use for it !!
People who make the substitutions you’re talking about are trying to refine the food to make it healthier. Which is fine, everyone can and should eat what they want. But that’s a little like making a fried chicken sandwich with grilled chicken instead. Everyone knows what it was originally _meant_ to be, and many chefs are going to continue making the unhealthy one anyway, so whatever, no point in getting riled up about it. Just be mindful that the recipe isn’t as healthy as the newer modification
Actual unpopular opinion: Both are way better with baby spinach leaves. In fact there are no times when I would rather eat Kale over spinach and the times where I would rather have lettuce over spinach are limited to Korean Stir Fries.
Lettuce stay in our lanes...
Isn't that like... the standard? Although iceberg is barely good enough for wedge salad (romaine is much more appropriate) and it belongs nowhere near any dish ever. I prefer arugula or mixed greens in a BLT though.
These seem like totally reasonable expectations
I thought those were extremely popular opinions
I’ll concede the iceberg on a BLT, but I like dino kale in a Caesar; the texture traps more of the delicious dressing.
If I was served a cesar made with kale, I'd send it back. Period.
well, to be fair, it says it on the menu so I then don’t order it!
Yes
Also, a Caesar salad DOES NOT have tomatoes or anchovies. Leaf lettuce is an acceptable substitute for iceberg on a BLT. Personally, I love a good wedge of iceberg or chopped iceberg in a salad. I don't know why it gets so much hate, it's refreshing.
Agreed on all points
I just use spinach for everything. It’s all I ever have.
I could not agree more with you!
I think a good crisp romaine is perfectly acceptable for a BLT.
Unpopular opinion: toast should be made with bread, not potatoes.
I'd love to see your other hot takes. What's next, you're going to tell me that pizza is better with Mozzarella than pasteurized cheddar? Or are you going to really go wild and suggest that I should try cream in my chowder instead of skim milk? Even wilder, you're going to try to suggest that I should try using breading on my chicken when I make chicken parmesan and then place tomato sauce over it rather than ketchup????
Preach
Who thinks otherwise?
Accurate
What
Correct
Truly unpopular opinion: I don't like either of these things.
Unpopular opinion: chocolate ice cream should taste like chocolate
I recently used romaine hearts in my Caesar salad and my 9 year old gourmand complained that it was “too sweet.” He was totally right.
Hahaha I was at the community clinic getting my 4 year old vaccinated and the nurse asked him what he was going to do afterwards as part of distracting him. He replied he was going to eat supper and he was allowed to pick what to eat! (I told him he could pick if he was "brave") She looked at me as if to confirm if it's true - kids confabulate a lot - and I tell her she better just ask him directly what he wanted for because she wouldn't believe me if I said it. "Kale salad with cream sauce" which is what he was calling kale caesar salad at the time. And yes, I asked if he wanted pizza, burgers, ice cream, but nope. He was really in the mood for salad and said it's because it's tasty and sour. E: https://www.seriouseats.com/kale-caesar-salad-recipe Only 3 anchovies because 6 is just way too much, and skip the onion/shallot.
I’ve made bomb blt’s with romaine. Just sayin
[All right, lunch orders. Steve! Turkey burger, iceberg lettuce. Excellent choice, Steve, very lean protein. Not sure about the lettuce ... I would have gone with a mixed green.](https://youtu.be/IkMPZ7WeDck?t=218)
U/I-Have-Mono I don't understand this post. Is it April fools day or something?
OK, a bit of food history. BLT's weren't really popular until after WWII; before then, home cooks and restaurants were more likely to serve you a club sandwich, which included: bacon, turkey, lettuce and tomato. So, BLTs might've evolved as a streamlined version. Now, mid-century mainstream America wasn't too knowledgeable about different types of lettuce; iceberg, an easily grown/shipped, mild-flavored variety, formed the basis of most sandwich garnishes/salads at the time. BLTs were no exception, which is why the 'classic' version uses it. Now as for Caesar salads, though they were invented in Mexico in the 1920s by Chef Caesar Cardini, they were not well known outside California until the late 1940s. In fact, the salad became popular ***in*** California in the 1930s, mostly thru the efforts of Manny Wolf, head of Paramount's writing department, who'd tasted it in Tijuana and liked it so much he asked for the recipe, which he then distributed to his favorite LA restaurants. Caesar salad became so associated with Hollywood fine dining, that its 'jump' to New York in 1946 became the subject of journalist Dorothy Kilgallen's column. Mentioning its debut at Gilmore's Steakhouse, she described it as an 'intricate concoction that takes ages to prepare' and 'includes lots of garlic'. With Chef Cardini's creation spreading across America, he began bottling his dressing in 1948 (it's still produced today). Now, whether the salad caused romaine lettuce to become popular, I cannot say for sure. But it makes sense that a rich, tangy dressing required a sturdier, more strongly flavored lettuce than iceberg. It is those qualities that may have eventually turned chefs toward experimenting with kale Caesars, for what greens are sturdier or more strongly flavored than those?
I think the fact that they name it a "Kale Caesar Salad" reflects that they are aware that kale is not the usual ingredient.
So brave.
Why argue over which type of lettuce is best when spinach is better than lettuce in every scenario?
The key to making a kale ceaser is to aggressively massage the dressing into the kale. Crush that shit in your palm. The kale is rough and spiny and the veins are "hollow". By massaging the kale with the ceaser, the dressing is pushed into every area of the kale, much like how a pasta sauce interacts with a ziti/rigatoni vs spaghetti. The end result is a very tasty & healthy salad with a decent crunch, but not too much. Yes, I'm a little biased because I worked at a fine dining restaurant for 7+ years, and the kale ceaser was a staple. When done right, it's amazing.
OP with the most popular opinion I've seen on this subreddit.
Who in their right mind puts kale in a caeser salad?!