Crispy Chickpea Kale Salad Bowl
{Original post published March 2, 2018}
It's great to have a few hearty plant-based meal ideas up your sleeve! This is one of my favourites because I'm a such a chickpea lover. They're full of fibre and protein... and especially when they're crispy and seasoned... I can't get enough. You can even eat them on their own as a snack! This is a vegan-friendly meal that's quick to put together and it also makes great use of two of my favourite seasonal winter vegetables- yams and kale. I find it very grounding, and very, very tasty. Try it for your next Meatless Monday!
Ingredients (makes 2 servings)
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp masala spice
2 tbsp avocado oil (or melted coconut oil)
1 large head of kale
1 sweet potato or yam
2 tbsp hemp seeds
sea salt or himalayan salt to taste
Tahini Garlic Dressing
1/4 cup tahini paste
1-2 tbsp maple syrup
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 cloves raw garlic or 3 cloves roasted garlic, finely minced
warm water to thin (a couple tbsp at most)
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375. Wash the yam or sweet potato and cut into thin rounds. Place them in a baking dish or on a parchment-covered tray. Drizzle with avocado or coconut oil and sprinkle with salt. Place in oven to roast for approximately 30 minutes or until fork-tender.
2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and place them on a baking sheet. Drizzle with avocado oil and toss with masala spice and a big pinch of salt. Place in the oven to roast with the sweet potatoes for 20-30 minutes.
3. Prep the kale. Rinse it thoroughly and tear into bite sized pieces. Set aside in a large bowl.
4. Make the dressing. Place all ingredients into small bowl and whisk to combine. Alternatively you could use a blender or magic bullet. Taste for seasoning- add more apple cider vinegar it it needs more bite, or more maple syrup if it's lacking sweetness. Make sure the salt is there. (Dressings are all about adjusting until you have something thats so delicious you just want to eat it off the spoon. That's how you make salad irresistible.)
5. Pour the dressing over the kale and give it a massage. A "toss" won't do. Get in there with your hands and really make sure every piece is generously coated with dressing. Set aside.
6. Once chickpeas are crispy looking and yams are fork-tender, remove from oven and let them cool for a couple minutes.
7. Assemble your salad: Place a few large handfuls of kale in a bowl, surrounded by several warm sweet potato rounds. Add a few large handfuls of chickpeas and top the whole thing with hemp seeds. Enjoy!
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