I’ve been trying to make the perfect kale Caesar and finally cracked it! This recipe has become an instant favourite and I hope you love it as much as I do!

Kale Caesar with Warm Spicy, Smokey, Sticky Chickpeas

 

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Author: noctekana@gmail.com

Ingredients

Dressing

• 1 whole head of garlic
• ¾ cup raw cashews
• ¾ cup cold water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 tbsp capers + 1 tsp brine
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 3 tbsp lemon juice + zest from 1 lemon
• ½ tsp salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper

Warm chickpeas

• 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 1½ tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp liquid smoke
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• ⅓ cup unsweetened shredded or powdered coconut

To Assemble

• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• Kale, torn
• Baby gem lettuce, torn
• Dressing
• Chickpeas
• Toasted sesame and pumpkin seeds

Instructions

For the dressing

1. Heat oven to 400F. Peel the outer layers the garlic and cut the top of the bulb so the insides of the cloves are visible. Drizzle with oil and roast in the middle of the oven for 25-40 minutes, or until cloves are very soft and browned on top. Let cool and peel.
2. To a blender, add the garlic and all other dressing ingredients. Blend until smooth.

For the chickpeas

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over low heat. Whisk all ingredients (except the chickpeas and coconut) together. Once the pan is hot, add the liquid and chickpeas. Continually stir until the mixture has caramelized and there is no liquid left in the pan. This will take about 15 minutes. Stir in the coconut so it lightly coats the chickpeas and mix it around for a couple minutes, taking care it doesn’t burn.

To Assemble

1. In a large bowl, massage the kale until softened. Add in the baby gem, quinoa, and dressing to your liking and mix well. Tip into bowls and top with warm chickpeas and toasted seeds.

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