kale caesar with zesty lemon cashew dressing chickpea croutons

Recipessalads
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This is a delicious way to serve kale, especially young, tender, spring kale. This satisfies our family’s craving for a strong, tangy caesar.

Serves: 6

Time: 10 minutes

How to Enjoy: first course or side salad

Ingredients

1 cup toasted chickpea croutons, recipe below

1 recipe zesty lemon cashew dressing, recipe here

8 large kale leaves, stripped and chopped into 1-inch pieces

½ cup grated carrots, optional

½ to ¾ cup Brazil nut or walnut parmesan

Herbed sea salt, a few sprinkles

Freshly ground black pepper, for garnish (or ground black cumin seeds, if allergic to black pepper)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the croutons + dressing according to the following recipes.

  2. Prep the kale: Strip the kale leaves from the stem (reserve stems for later use, if desired, chop finely and add to stir-fry or soup, or add to homemade vegetable broth). Tear the leaves into smaller pieces, including the upper half or third of the stem.  Place in a large bowl, sprinkle with a little herbed salt and lemon juice, and massage for a minute or two to render the kale more tender. 

  3. To serve, toss one-half cup of dressing with the kale and carrots until thoroughly coated. Add more sauce as desired. Add one-half cup of the plant-based parmesan, toss lightly, top with the croutons and serve the remaining dressing on the side.

     

     

    crispy chickpea croutons

     

    A delicious and nourishing alternative to bread croutons, the chickpea crouton makes a fun snack. It’s best to serve atop the salad after it’s already tossed, so the chickpeas stay crispy.

     

    1 cup cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained, and wrapped in a dishtowel to dry

    ¼ teaspoon each: ground cumin, garlic granules, herbed sea salt

    ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

     

    Whisk seasonings together in a small bowl. Toss with the chickpeas and place them on a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes; toss and bake again for another 20 minutes or so until chickpeas are lightly browned and crispy.

This recipe qualifies for the whole-food plant-based (WFPB) designation, meaning that it is made of only of whole plant foods and does not contain any extracted ingredients, such as sugar or oil, that would damage the body’s endothelium (the inner most lining of the arteries).




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zesty lemon cashew dressing