Lemon Kale Caesar Salad
Lemon Kale Caesar Salad is crunch, filling and topped with creamy vegan Caesar dressing and spice roasted chickpea croutons.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- air fryer
- big salad bowl
Ingredients
For The Kale Salad
- 8 cups chopped kale
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 Tsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup vegan parmesan *see notes
- 1 thinly sliced, pitted avocado
For The Dressing
- ⅓ cup tahini, well stirred
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp finely chopped capers
- 1 tbsp caper brine
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Crispy Chickpeas
- 1 15 oz can of chickpeas drained
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp crushed, dried, oregano
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper *optional
Instructions
- Rinse the chickpeas well in a mesh colander. Pour them on a clean dish towel and roll them around a bit to collect any excess moisture. Add chickpea seasoning together in a small bowl and whisk. Put chickpeas in a medium bowl, add in olive oil and seasonings and mix well to be sure they are evenly coated. Add to air fryer and cook on 350º for about 12 minutes. Be sure to turn them once. *If you have an oven style air fryer, place parchment or tin foil under the chickpeas to prevent too much seasoning from falling off. ** If in the oven, cook on a cookie sheet on 350º for about 20 minutes, turning often.
- Make the dressing. Chop capers up into little bits. Add all the ingredients to a medium bowl. If using an immersion blender, blend well. Add a bit more water until mixture is thin enough to mock typical salad dressing, we want each leaf to be coated well. So don't make it too thin. You want it to stick to the spoon.
- Next put the salad together. Discard the stems from the kale, finely chop the leaves. Add to a large bowl. Pour olive oil and lemon juice over and gently massage the kale with your hands. This will soften the leaves and make them enjoyable to anyone eating. Next, pour dressing over, toss the dressing well so everything is evenly coated. Add in cheese, toss well. Top with avocado and crispy chickpeas.
- Serve immediately or, if making ahead, wait to add the avocado and chickpeas until serving.
Notes
*vegan mozzarella will also work if you don't have access to any Parmesan. Pecorino (made with sheep's milk) will also work wonderfully.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cup | Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 649mg | Potassium: 984mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 11925IU | Vitamin C: 148mg | Calcium: 291mg | Iron: 3mg