Kale & Carrot Salad with Crispy Chickpeas

I bought a bunch of kale at the grocery store.. it was unblemished & beautiful… but now the question was ….what to do with it!

I found this recipe on Minimalist Baker, 20-minute Asian Kale Salad . Click on the link to get to the original recipe, I adapted it & will write up the recipe the way I made it

For me, the trick to kale salad is to cut the kale into fine strips or piece otherwise I don’t like it! Too much chewing kale for me otherwise!

The dressing is so flavourful, it is delicious. I roasted the chickpeas which in the recipe is optional but I love a good crispy chickpea…. the chickpeas are roasted with some miso & a couple other ingredients..& then there is a dressing to go on the kale & carrots…there are a few steps to this but its good so I think it is worth it.

This salad is vegan… if your miso is vegan…

We have leftover kale & carrot salad so I am roasting some tofu with the same dressing that I used on the salad, making some Coconut Quinoa & that is dinner tonight…

Here is the recipe, inspired by & adapted from Minimalist Baker

Ingredients

For the Roasted Chickpeas

1 can of chickpeas

2 tbsp oil, not olive oil

1 tbsp Miso Paste

2 tsp maple syrup

1 tsp chili paste… if you don’t have any use any hot sauce you like…Sriracha would work!

For the Salad

1 bunch of kale

4 large carrots

Dressing for the Salad

1/4 cup smooth peanut butter of your choice

1 tbsp Sriracha or to taste

3 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp tamarind sauce or soya sauce

Note: taste & adjust seasonings…add more of anything!

Method

FOR THE CHICKPEAS

Preheat oven to 425f

1. Drain the can of chickpeas & dry them as best you can… I used a dish towel to dry them… they will crisp up better if they are dry & set aside
2. Mix the oil, miso paste, maple syrup & chili paste together…use a jar to shake the ingredients together or whisk together in a bowl big enough to add the dried chickpeas to
3. Coat all of the chickpeas in the sauce you just made…
4. Put the seasoned chickpeas onto a unlined cookie sheet in a single layer & bake the hot oven until they are crispy…. about 20-25 minutes. I tossed mine about half way through… remember to check on them… time depends on your oven etc & you won’t want to burn them
5. Remove from the oven & set aside

FOR THE SALAD

1. Prepare the kale by removing the leaves from the tough stem. Wash & dry the leaves
2. Cut the leaves into thin strips & put into a large bowl
3. Peel. trim & wash the carrots
4. Grate the carrots right into the bowl of kale Set aside

FOR THE SALAD DRESSING

1. Mix the salad ingredients together & taste & adjust seasonings to your liking *** the peanut butter is a bit tough to mix in so use a whisk or jar

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

Put the toasted chick peas into the bowl with the kale & carrots. Add as much of the salad dressing as you like & mix well!

The leftover have kept well in the fridge for 3 days… now we are finishing them!

Enjoy!