Kale Caesar Salad with Crunchy Chickpeas

I love kale, in a major way. I add it in my juices, sauté it for lunch, and love to make salads with it. This was a recipe I have wanted to try for a while. It is off the charts amazing. I think the dressing is what makes it so good. It is creamy and filled with Parmesan cheese and the crunchy chickpeas are the perfect addition to top the salad.

You can dress the salad well ahead of time because the kale won't get soggy but I would wait and add the chickpeas right before you serve so they don't get soggy. I actually ate this salad again the next day and the kale stood up to the dressing fine, it was still delicious and firm. This is by far my new favorite kale salad. I will be making this frequently.

Enjoy!

|| K A L E  C E A S A R  S A L A D   W I T H   C R I S P Y   C H I C K P E A S ||

recipe adapted via Mountain Mama Cooks

For the Dressing:

1 garlic clove

1/2 cup mayonnaise or vegan mayonnaise

1 tsp Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 teaspoons of water to thin if necessary

Salt and pepper to taste

For the Garbanzo Beans:

1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

For the Salad:

1 head lacianto kale

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Caesar dressing

Crispy garbanzo beans

INSTRUCTIONS

For the Crispy Garbanzo Beans:

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Rinse and drain the garbanzo beans; lay them on a double layer of paper towels and dry them as much as you can. Line the dried garbanzo beans on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast the garbanzo beans for 35-40 minutes until brown and crispy. 

While the garbanzos are roasting, make the dressing:

Combine all ingredients except oil, salt and pepper in the base of a blender. With the motor running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream into the blender. When the dressing is thoroughly mixed, test for desired thickness. If you want it a little thinner, add the water a teaspoon at a time. Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble the salad:

Clean the kale and remove the leaves from the thick inner stalk. Chop the kale and transfer to a large bowl. Dress with desired amount of Caesar dressing (I used about 1/2-2/3 of this batch) and grated Parmesan cheese. Top with crispy garbanzo beans.