Vegan kale Caesar salad with chickpeas

A healthy yet delicious salad with cavolo nero, crispy air fried chickpeas and a delicious creamy vegan caesar salad dressing made with silken tofu. A salad that feels indulgent but is packed full of nutrients.

Undoubtedly a Caesar salad is my all time favourite salad but that’s probably because it’s really actually quite unhealthy! This salad however has almost all of the lovely flavours and creaminess of the unhealthy version but it has cavolo nero which is much more nutritious than your average water based romaine, silken tofu in the oil free dressing that contains more protein than any other Caesar dressing and a fraction of the fat and chickpeas that are also packed with protein and micronutrients unlike bacon in the classic Caesar salad. That being said you will not be missing out on flavour or creaminess with this salad. So over all this salad makes me feel like I’m eating an unhealthy salad but is actually packed full of nutrients. A bonus of this dressing is that it works really well as a dip or in sandwiches so feel free to whip up a big batch to keep in the fridge for the rest of the week! Give this one a try next time you are looking for an actually healthy lunch.

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Ingredients and substitutes-

• Cavolo nero- Also known as black kale is a winter kale that is darker and a little softer than regular kale. It is packed with vitamins and can be eaten raw or cooked. In my opinion the taste of raw fresh kale is a little too much for me however I learnt to massage the kale which softens it and breaks it down into softer easier to eat pieces. If you haven’t tried massaged kale yet I recommend trying this. Of course you can swap out for regular massaged kale and also if you really cannot do kale then replace with extra romaine.

• Chickpeas- Crunchy air fried chickpeas are something I am currently obsessed with and they work really well in this ‘caesar’ style salad as seasoned with paprika replace the bacon flavour element and give a lovely crunch.

• Romaine- Romaine is the classic most commonly used for Caeser salad mostly for its mild flavour and crunchy texture. Iceberg or baby gem lettuce can also be used if these suit you better.

• Silken tofu- This soft tofu really is a great shape shifter and works amazingly in this dressing in place of mayo giving us an oil free salad dressing. Silken tofu has around 7g of protein per 100g where as regular caeser dressing contains around 3g per 100g. This dressing is a creamy protein boost that you wont even be able to tell contains tofu.

• Capers- Capers work really well at replacing the anchovy element of the Caesar dressing. They are naturally salty and can be used in pasta dishes or in a vegan tartare sauce, it’s worth keeping a jar in the fridge as they keep quite well too.

• Nutritional yeast- Nooch creates a slightly cheesy, savoury flavour that is perfect in a Caesar dressing. You can substitute this out with a vegan parmesan but I wouldn’t omit all together as it really gives the dressing the deep savoury flavour.

• Ciabatta bread- I love a crouton made from ciabatta bread however if you have some old bread to use up any bread will work as salad croutons.

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Top Tips!

Kale staining-

This kale is quite dark and pigmented and can slightly stain wooden chopping boards and your hands so I tend to use gloves to massage the kale to avoid green hands.

Dressing consistency-

In the dressing I added some of the aquafaba (chickpea water) to thin the dressing but I would recommend to add a little at a time as to not cause the dressing to come out too thin. Its easier to thin the dressing than thicken it so go easy with adding the right amount. If you do make it too thin add some more silken tofu, failing that you can add oil and blend to emulsify however this is a last resort option.

And now for the recipe!

Vegan kale Caesar salad with crispy chickpeas

Serves- 2 Time- 20 minutes

Ingredients-

• 50g Cavolo nero

• 1tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

• 1 Can of chickpeas

• 1tsp Garlic granules

• 1tsp Parika powder

• 1 Head romaine lettuce

• 2 Ciabatta rolls

• 50g Vegan parmesan

• 150g Silken tofu

• 1tbsp Apple cider vinegar

• 2tbsp Chickpea water

• 1 Clove of garlic

• 1tbsp Capers

• 3tbsp Nutritional yeast

• 1tbsp Soy sauce

• 1tsp Salt

• 1tsp Ground black pepper

Method-

1. Firstly drain and pat dry the chickpeas and toss into a big mixing bowl

2. Drizzle with oil then add the paprika, garlic granules and a little salt and air fry on 180 for 15 minutes.

3. Whilst the chickpeas are cooking get started on the salad. Remove the large stalks from the cavolo nero, roll up and slice in to thin strips.

4. Add the strips to a big mixing bowl and drizzle on some olive oil and salt. Now massage the kale with your fingers until tender this should take about 3-5 minutes.

5. Now add all of the dressing ingredients to a high speed blender cup and blend until smooth. Please see the ‘tips’ section before making the dressing as you must be careful with the consistency.

6. About 5 minutes before the chickpeas are finished cooking make the croutons. Cut up the bread into whatever size chunks you desire and add to the air fryer with the chickpeas for the last 5 minutes.

7. Now to assemble the salad chop the romaine lettuce and add to the bowl with the kale, add in the chickpeas, croutons, dressing and some extra parmesan if you wish. Give it all a really good mix and serve up.

FAQ-

·         Can I make this salad completely oil free?- Yes there is a small amount of oil on the chickpeas and the kale but if you’re oil free just omit this. But be aware the chickpeas will be a little drier and the kale may turn out a little more tough.

·         Can I make this ahead?- Sure, just don’t mix in the dressing until you’re actually going to eat it as no one likes a soggy salad!

Why not try these other chickpea recipes?

• Chickpea tuna pasta salad

• Moroccan tagine style chickpeas

• Creamy coconut chickpea curry

Did you make this recipe?

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Click here to watch the recipe video

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