THIS SALAD IS EVERYTHING YOU WISH FOR AND MORE!
Crunchy roasted chickpeas, addictive savory sweet coconut bacon, all creamy avocado, all topped on a beautiful bowl of kale and tossed with the most delicious vegan caesar dressing ever.
You are going to love it!
Kale is my go-to for many of my salad bases. Why? Because it's nutrient-dense and holds well! I'm all about making big portions and enjoying the leftovers. Plus, Kale doesn't wilt or go limp easily, so I personally love it! Check out my other kale-based recipes below.
INGREDIENTS
DRESSING
- 1/2 cup cashews, soaked in hot water for at least 1 hour (or sub with 1/4 cup cashew butter
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 lemon, juiced (about 1.5 tbsp)
- 1 large clove of garlic minced finely (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tbsp capers
- 1/4 cup water (or more as needed to thin the dressing)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Chili flakes to taste (optional)
DRESSING
- 1 cups large flake unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 tbsp avocado oilr another neutral oil)
- 1 tbsp of Ri’s Coconut Aminos
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tbsp maple syrup (omit if you’re on Cin15 or PB Whole30)
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
SALAD
- About 6 cups of kale, chopped
- 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 to 3 tbsp olive oil
- Salt to taste
- 1 avocado, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
- Soak your cashews.
- Place the chickpeas on a baking pan, drizzle with 1 tbsp oil, and sprinkle with salt, cumin, and garlic powder.
- Give everything a good mix. Bake for 30 minutes in total - at the 15 minute mark, give the chickpeas a little toss and continue baking.
- For the coconut bacon, mix all the ingredients and place on a lined baking tray. Don’t forget to spread the coconut flakes out so that they do not touch.
- When you have 5-6 minutes left of baking for the chickpeas, add the coconut bacon to the oven. These only need a few minutes to cook.
- While the chickpeas and coconut bacon are cooking, prepare your kale. Chop kale into thin ribbons and place in a large bowl. Mix well with 1.5 tbsp olive oil and salt for about 2 minutes.
- For the dressing - combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender. Add water as needed to thin.
- Once the chickpeas and bacon are cooked, mix all your salad components together and serve.
- Save some coconut bacon for the garnish!
For more yummy and healthy-ish recipes like this, click here to visit Riyana’s blog 👩🏽🍳