Kani Caesar Salad with Nori Croutons

Kani Caesar Salad with Nori Croutons

When the Kosher Connection team decided on “croutons” as the link-up theme for May, I was so excited to finally try out a recipe that I’ve been dreaming of developing for months now. Truth be told, I am not the biggest nori fan. I mean, I wouldn’t eat the stuff if it didn’t hold my sushi together. It’s got that fishy quality about it that’s just kind of, well, stinky. But you know what? when you use it to top off a kani caesar salad, it just sorta, goes.

Talking about dislikes, I used to have a serious aversion to surimi, those orange-colored mock crab sticks. But after I tasted this salad at my cousin’s house a few months back, I was hooked. You see, it’s all a matter of how you serve it. Pulling the kani apart into shreds and coating it in a spicy sriracha dressing takes it from what-is-this-spongy-orange-stuff-in-my-california-roll to what’s-in-this-amazing-salad?! Seriously people, kani salad has changed my outlook on surimi forever.

So that’s sorta how this happened. At first, I came up with the brilliant concept of a nori-flavored crouton. But who would want to eat a nori crouton on a standard lettuce salad? I knew I had to incorporate some kind of seafood to bring the whole sushi concept together, but it also had to have greens to hold up the whole croutons thing. Alas, I figured I would do a take on a salmon-caesar salad with a Japanese-inspired recipe. This Kani Caesar Salad combines the classic Caesar concept with the awesomeness of kani salad, with nori croutons and a sriracha caesar dressing to round it out. If you think this salad looks good, just wait until you taste the dressing. It’s got an amazing depth of flavor from the anchovies that is only made better by the Asian hot sauce, it’s heat  balanced by the addition of sweet rice vinegar.

So, if you’re looking to wow your guests with a nontraditional twist on a classic Caesar salad, give this Kani Caesar Salad with nori croutons a try. And don’t forget to check out the Kosher Connection Link-Up below for more fun & creative twists on croutons!

1 year ago: cream of leek soup
2 years ago: home-made fish sticks

Post a Comment



23 thoughts on “Kani Caesar Salad with Nori Croutons

  1. I love this! I am definitely going to make these croutons. I also love kani in my salad. The dressing recipe is definitely something I am going to try very soon.

  2. I can’t get imitation crab in Israel – any other ideas? Also, what’s sriracha and what are the odds of finding it kosher in Israel? Come to think of it, where can you find it kosher outside of NY but in the US?

    1. Hi Julie, you can try using some flaked salmon, halibut chunks, or even lox. Sriracha has become readily available in the US with a hechsher. I hope you will be able to find it in Israel!

  3. I absolutely love the idea of coating the croutons with nori dust. I will try that (I have done it with mushrooms dust). Still don’t like that fake crab though! Will use these for salad with halibut chunks.

  4. I know this post is supposed to be all about the croutons, but I have to admit it is that dressing that has me wanting to run to the kitchen to make this salad. It sounds absolutely divine!

    1. It won’t have the same depth of flavor, but it will still be good. And trust me on the anchovies, I never eat them, I am not a fan either, you don’t really taste them!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *