Kale Brussel Caesar & Crispy Buffalo Chickpeas
seriously my favorite salad
one of my childhood favorites made into a more grown up version with its crispy air fried buffalo chickpeas, charred brussels, dino kale and red cabbage. the dressing will have you using every last drop.
Kale Brussel Caesar & Crispy Buffalo Chickpeas
serves 4-6 and the prep takes about 45 minutes. the dressing yields 1 1/2 cups.
Ingredients for the dressing
1/2 cup - soaked cashews
1 tbsp - minced garlic
2 tbsp - fresh lemon juice
2 tsp - dijon mustard
2 tsp - capers and their juice
1/2 cup - of water
1/4 tsp - black pepper
1 tsp - salt
1/2 tbsp - nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp - paprika
Ingredients - Buffalo Chickpeas
1 can of chickpeas ( rinsed )
2 tbsp - oil
3 tbsp - tabasco or franks red hot
1/2 tsp - garlic powder
1/4 tsp - salt
1/4 tsp - cayenne
1/4 tsp - paprika
Ingredients - Charred Brussels
8 brussels cut in half
2 tbsp - oil
1 tbsp - soy sauce
1/2 tbsp - tabasco
1 tbsp - maple syrup
1/2 tbsp - garlic powder
Ingredients - Salad
6 cups - washed and chopped dinosaur kale '
1 1/2 cups - thinly chopped red cabbage
Garnish :
Violife brand parmesan cheese block shaved with a veggie peeler
Instructions
Step 1 - Prep
There is nothing worse than going to make something and realizing you don’t have the stuff ! Take this moment to gather everything. If you don’t have time to soak your cashews over night you can boil them for 30 minutes.
Step 2 - Blend the cashews and make the dressing
I used a Nutribullet but for this recipe any blender should do the trick as long as it can blend nuts well. Otherwise it may be chunky which isn't really the texture we are looking for. Blend the cashews along with the rest of the dressing ingredients.
Note :
I recommend blending the cashews and water first till smooth and then add in the remaining ingredients. Then pour into a jar and put in the fridge to cool while we work on the other components.
Step 3 - Air fry the chickpeas and brussels
Now to work on the chickpeas. Once the chickpeas are rinsed, transfer into a bowl and give them a toss in some grapeseed oil, soy sauce, hot sauce and garlic powder. Plop them into the air fryer with a liner and let them cook till crispy. Maybe 15 min at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the air fryer you have. After they have cooked, toss your brussels in their marinade and plop them into the air fryer and cook for 7-10 min at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 4 - Cut the kale and cabbage
Lets wash and clean the kale and give it a good chop making sure to cut the stems off. Next cut your cabbage in half, then in half again to get a little quarter segment, then cut out the core. Lastly with your perfect little quarter segment go into chopping thin strips.
Step 5 - Massage in the dressing
Now to dress the salad. In a bowl add in your kale, cabbage, charred brussels and add in your dressing. Massage with your hands till the dressing has been thoroughly massaged into the mix then transfer to your plate.
Step 6 - Plate and garnish
To garnish I drizzled the dressing on top using a squeeze bottle, sprinkled the crispy chickpeas, added a couple brussels for the aesthetic and of course some shaved parmesan cheese. Save the left overs in an air tight, food safe container for up to 5 days. I recommend keeping the dressing separate and adding to the salad just before eating.
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3