Kale Caesar Salad with Crispy Chickpeas

This kale caesar salad with crispy chickpeas is the salad to beat all other salads!

Dinosaur kale is massaged with the BEST caesar dressing, then tossed with freshly shaved Parmesan, crispy roasted chickpeas and drizzled with more of that amazing caesar salad.

You need this salad in your life!

How to make kale caesar salad with crispy chickpeas

Featured Ingredients

Crispy Chickpeas:

• Chickpeas: A few cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained.
  • Dry them thoroughly and when roasted in the oven they'll become super crispy and crunchy!
• Olive oil: Before roasting the dried chickpeas, they'll get a dose of olive oil to help them become crispy and crunchy.

Caesar Dressing:

• Olive oil: Grab a bottle of good quality olive oil to use for your caesar dressing.
  • It may not be a customary ingredient for caesar dressing, but it is seriously amazing.
• Mayonnaise: A few tablespoons to make the dressing uber creamy and rich.
• Parmesan: Freshly grated - the fresh part is important!
• Anchovies: I use anchovy paste.
  • A little dab makes for the most delicious caesar dressing.
• Garlic: A few fresh cloves, crushed and minced.
• Lemon: I use the zest and the juice from a fresh lemon.
• Worcestershire: Umami at its finest. Just a dash will do.
• Sugar: To balance the acidity of the rest of the ingredients.
• Black pepper: Freshly cracked will be best for this dressing.

Kale Salad:

• Lacinato/dinosaur kale: A bunch of super dark green and crunchy kale to use as the base of the salad.
• Parmesan: Grab a wedge of fresh Parm and shave on top of the salad. Lots of it.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Lay paper towels out on a cutting board.
3. Pour chickpeas onto the paper towels and pay them dry. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
4. Add olive oil and salt and toss to coat.
5. Transfer mixture to a baking sheet and spread chickpeas in one even layer.
6. Roast 30-35 minutes or until crispy, stirring halfway through. Remove and let cool.
7. In the same bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients.
8. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
9. Add kale and stir to thoroughly coat with dressing.
10. Optional step: Place kale in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil.
11. Massage the kale until it's all coated with the olive oil. Let sit 5 minutes.
12. When ready to serve, distribute dressed kale to large bowls and top with crispy chickpeas and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Considerations

• To make this gluten free: This recipe is gluten free.
  • Be sure all packaged ingredients are gluten free.
• To make this dairy free: Skip the Parmesan and try sprinkling some nutritional yeast on top of the salad and to use in the dressing.
• To make this vegetarian: Skip the anchovy paste.
• To make this nut free: This recipe is nut free.
  • Be sure all packaged ingredients are nut free.

Refreshing salad recipes:

• Citrus Arugula Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette
• Salmon Nicoise Salad
• Almond Strawberry Salad with Fennel
• Berry Chicken Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Vegetarian Taco Salad
• Mediterranean Kale Salad
• Roasted Acorn Squash Salad

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