I love kale as a salad base because it makes salads actually
worth saving. This particular salad is one of my favorites. It’s hearty and
filling, but packed full of nutrition. And it couldn’t be easier to assemble.
The crispy chickpeas are a worthy snack all on their own. It was very tempting
to save them for dinner and not just eat them right off the baking sheet as
they came out of the oven. A few may have disappeared…
Here’s the recipe.
Tahini Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas
Ingredients
Chickpeas:
2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
Salad:
1 bag of Tuscan kale
1 ½ cups diced cherry tomatoes
1 large avocado, sliced
1 large red pepper, diced
3 green onions, chopped
Dressing:
6 tablespoons tahini
½ cup lemon juice
6 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Mix the chickpeas with the olive oil and spices in a large
bowl to evenly coat. Spread evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at
425 for 30 minutes, or until crispy. I may have baked them for another minute
or two.
Pour the kale in a large bowl and massage for 30 seconds,
evenly grasping all the leaves until they turn a slightly darker green. Then,
add all the other salad ingredients.
Whisk together the dressing ingredients and toss the salad
with the chickpeas. Serve with garlic bread.
Note: You might not need all of the dressing. I prefer kale salads to be more heavily dressed than I do other salads. Start with about 1/2 the dressing and add as needed.
The next couple of photos show how to cut a pepper.
Step 1: Cut off the top of the pepper.
Step 2: Slice into the pepper lengthwise.
Step 3: Keep cutting in a circular motion, removing the seeded core.
Step 4: Flatten out the pepper into a "sheet."
Step 5: Cut into slices. You can then stack the slices to easily chop.
Note: You might not need all of the dressing. I prefer kale salads to be more heavily dressed than I do other salads. Start with about 1/2 the dressing and add as needed.
The next couple of photos show how to cut a pepper.
Step 1: Cut off the top of the pepper.
Step 2: Slice into the pepper lengthwise.
Step 3: Keep cutting in a circular motion, removing the seeded core.
Step 4: Flatten out the pepper into a "sheet."
Step 5: Cut into slices. You can then stack the slices to easily chop.
