One of my absolute favorite Portland restaurants is Dick’s Kitchen, a burger joint that sources responsibly grown, grass-fed, and local meat and seafood for its menu. Along with traditional burgers, they also have more alternative versions made with tempeh, beans, turkey, bison, salmon, and so much more. PSA: They also serve some killer baked yam fries and house made kimchi, too.

Every time I go to Dick’s Kitchen, (or when the fiancé picks it up as takeout – what a winner!) I get the exact same thing – without fail:

Kale caesar burger bowl with a side of yam fries, please.

Made with strictly plant-based ingredients, DK’s caesar dressing is life changing. It’s creamy, tangy, zesty, and oh so good when massaged into hearty pieces of kale. Topped with a burger of choice, it’s a hearty and nourishing meal.

This Kale Caesar Burger Bowl recipe is a play off my favorite DK order with the addition of my favorite plant-based burger, Dr. Praeger’s. If you’ve never topped a bean burger on a kale salad before, prepare to take notes – and fall in love.

Kale Yeah.

Kale isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon. Packed with vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber too, kale is a superfood that ticks so many nutritional boxes.

This super leafy green veg is rich in vitamins K, A, and C, manganese, copper, calcium, potassium, iron, B vitamins, and a host of other nutrients like folate and omega-3 fatty acids. It has a rich composition of antioxidants (namely carotenoids and flavonoids), which have been extensively studied for their role in cancer-prevention.

Kale is especially delicious when chopped finely and massaged with an acid-based dressing, such as this one. This caesar dressing made with cashews, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, Dijon mustard, and more, is the perfect kale topper. Trust me, the combination of dressing ingredients sounds odd – but the really do work wonderfully together. It’s the perfect tang and zip that caesar dressing is known for, just strictly plant-based.

Hearty kale caesar salad is topped with one of my favorite plant-based burgers, Dr. Praeger’s Heirloom Bean veggie burger. This veggie burger is the perfect blend of beans (a super mix of adzuki, pinto, great white northern, black eyed peas, kidney, and cranberry beans), red lentils, cremini mushrooms, tomatoes, brown rice, and even veggies like carrots, kale, celery, and onion. Just one burger provides 6 grams of fiber, 3 grams of plant protein, and Vitamin A, calcium, and iron. They are a truly delicious (and super hearty) way to get your bean burger on.

I love that Dr. P’s Heirloom Bean burgers can be quickly heated up on the stovetop or in a skillet while I am preparing the kale. It means that the whole dinner can come together in roughly ten minutes, which is definitely quicker (and tastier) than ordering takeout of Dick’s Kitchen.

Hearty bean burgers + nutrient-dense kale + plant-based caesar dressing = the ultimate kale caesar burger bowl.

Kale Caesar Burger Bowl

Ingredients

Caesar Dressing:

¼ cup raw cashews, soaked for 1-2 hours
¼ cup lemon juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons hemp seeds
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1 Tablespoon tahini
½ teaspoon coconut aminos

Kale Salad:

2 large bunches curly green kale, stems removed
2 Dr. Praeger’s Heirloom Bean Veggie Burgers
2 Tablespoons hemp seeds

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Place frozen veggies burgers on parchment paper lined baking tray. Bake for seven minutes, flip, and bake an additional five minutes.

While burgers are cooking, drain soaked cashews and add to a high-speed blender along with the remainder of ingredients. Blend dressing on highest speed until mixture is smooth and creamy. Add in a teaspoon of water or two, to thin.

Remove thick stems from kale and discard. Finely chop kale using a sharp knife or kitchen shears. Add chopped kale to a large bowl and pour dressing overtop.

Use your hands to massage dressing into kale for one to two minutes, or until kale leaves break down and become wilty.

Divide kale into bowls and top with a black bean burger and a sprinkle of hemp seeds – Enjoy!

Leftover kale will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Notes:

- Although I love Dr. P’s Heirloom Veggie Bean Burger, other veggie bean burgers by Dr. Praeger’s would be delicious too.
- This post was sponsored by Dr. Praeger’s – who I love. Thank you for supporting brands who support Vegukate!