Vegan Kale Salad with Caesar Dressing & Chickpea Croutons
All hail this Vegan Kale Salad with Dairy Free Caesar Dressing & Chickpea Croutons!
Ingredients
- 1 25 oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained & rinsed; see Recipe Notes
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil divided
- salt & pepper to taste
- 3 bunches lacinato kale washed with stems removed; see Recipe Notes
- 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise I like Follow YourHeart’s Original Vegannaise
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice + zest about 1 large lemon
- 2 cloves garlic crushed or minced
- 2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- vegan parmesan if desired; see my cookbook 5-Ingredient Vegan Cooking for the recipe
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas then place them on a clean kitchen towel. Fold the end of the towel over the top of the chickpeas and gently rub the chickpeas between the folds of the towel. This will help to remove the skins and dry the chickpeas before they are roasted.
- Toss the chickpeas in 1 tbsp of olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Cook the chickpeas in an air fryer for 5 minutes. Pause and shake the chickpeas, then continue to cook for 5-minute intervals, until the chickpeas are fully crispy then allow to cool. See Recipe Notes.
- While the chickpeas are roasting, remove the kale leaves from the stems by holding each stem and the end with one hand, while pulling the leaf down off the stem with your other hand.
- Roughly chop the kale and add it to a large bowl. Add 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, then thoroughly massage the oil into the leaves with your hands. Set aside.
- Combine the vegan mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, fresh lemon juice, garlic & vegan Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl. Stir to thoroughly combine.
- Drizzle the vegan Caesar dressing over the massaged kale. Add the chickpea croutons, lemon zest and salt & pepper to taste. You can also add vegan parmesan for some extra flavor and nutrition. You can find a recipe for it in my 5-Ingredient Vegan Cooking cookbook.
Notes
- This Vegan Kale Salad recipe calls for canned chickpeas, but I more often start with dried chickpeas. I cook them in my Instant Pot and then proceed with the recipe as directed.
- If you do not have an air fryer, you can roast the chickpeas on a baking tray in the oven. Preheat the oven to 425º then roast the chickpeas for 20 minutes. Pause to shake the tray, then continue roasting for 10-minute intervals until the chickpeas are crispy. To maintain crispiness, store the chickpeas in a loosely covered bowl on the counter. Sealing them in an airtight container or refrigerating them will cause them to lose crispiness. Homemade chickpea croutons are usually good for 1-2 days.
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