I’ll be honest, I’ve never been a big fan of kale. My mom used to put it in our green smoothies for breakfast and I could always tell when it was a kale smoothie instead of a spinach smoothie. Most people scrunch their nose at the sound of kale because it tends to be a more bitter and tougher leafy green than spinach or romaine. However, kale is one of the healthiest vegetables we can eat. Its deep, rich green color and tough leaves make it an excellent source of antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
To prepare kale, rip the leaves off the large stem. Then chop the leaves up finely. I like mine cut really finely like it’s shredded because it makes it easier to eat. Place the kale in a large bowl and sprinkle just a little bit of lemon juice on the leaves. Massage the lemon into the kale. It should start to soften.
The Caesar dressing for this salad is a light, zesty dressing that can be homemade in just 5 minutes. It’s easy, quick, and delicious! The great thing about homemade dressings is you know exactly what’s in the dressing, and you can often make them sugar-free and with quality oils. This Caesar dressing has only clean, simple ingredients. After making the dressing, drizzle some of it onto the kale and mix it until the kale is covered in the dressing. Then, top with the roasted chickpeas and some fresh parmesan or pecorino, and you’ve got a homemade, clean, whole food caesar salad! If you want to make this salad the main dish, simply add in cooked chicken for a more substantial dish.
You’ll need the following ingredients for this dish:
- Kale
- Lemons
- Chickpeas
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Fresh parmesan or pecorino
- Homemade Caesar dressing
Kale Caesar Salad w/Chickpea Croutons
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 2 tsp olive oil
- salt
- ¼-½ cup pecorino or parmesan shredded
- 1 head kale
- homemade Caesar dressing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Pour the chickpeas onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and salt. Bake for 10 minutes.
- While the chickpeas are cooking, de-stem the kale and chop it finely into shreds.
- Place the kale in a bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Massage the lemon into the kale.
- When the chickpeas are done, add to the salad along with the cheese.
- Drizzle with the dressing and mix well.
