Kale chickpea salad
ha, feels good to be posting quite consistenly! I have recently starting posting my food pictures on instagram/ facebook and have been receiving a warm response on facebook specifically. I have had a few people try out a few of my recipes and have a few people who have requested for certain recipes or certain kinds of recipes. One such friend Maanasa, was requesting for recipes that are high in protein, low in carb, high in fibre that are not boring, regular ones & infact satiating. Quite the criteria, but every person trying to diet (screams ME) is always on the search for these. Here you go Maanas, this is definitely one such recipe. Kale is a superfood (might I add multiple supers :)) that is full of goodness. To begin with, it’s low in carb & high in fibre (fills my friend’s criteria perfectly). It is a good source of iron, calcium (generally any dark green leafy is), Vitamin A, K, C & omega-3 fatty acids. It’s also packed with powerful anti-oxidants and is a great food for detox. Phew, I can go on about Kale but let me stop with this for now :D. The chickpea in this dish adds to the main protein factor and helps you feel full for a good while! D always says/ feels that food/ dishes that are so healthy will definitely not taste good! I totally disagree with his opinion on that. Yes, Kale is kinda bitter and takes time to getting used to the taste. However, it’s an acquired taste. Once you become a fan, you are always gonna remain a fan – there is NO turning back. For those, who haven’t really tried Kale or dislike Kale, I strongly suggest you try this recipe. Since Kale has a very strong taste on its own, using a strong dressing will mask the bitter taste of Kale. I was checking out different kale recipes and came across this one and knew I had to try it out. To a very large extent, I followed the recipe but played around with the portions since I wanted to make it only for one (me & myself :)) – it was super super delicious. My friend who has no clue what Kale is tasted it and gave a huge thumbs up! He as of now thinks the tahini is probably the taste of Kale :). I can’t wait to see his reaction when I get him to taste some raw/ naked kale :D. Anywho, here you go peeps & Maanas – do give this a go and let me know how it turns out.
- 2.5 cups kale (cleaned, de-ribbed & finely chopped)
- 1/2 cup boiled/ canned chickpea
- 2 tbsp sundried tomatoes (chopped)
- 1/4 cup red onion (choped finely)
- 2 tbsp chopped olives
- 1 tbsp parmesan cheese (shredded)
- 1 tbsp toasted sunflower/ pumpkin seeds
- 1.5 tbsp tahini paste
- 1/2 lemon squeeze
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp black pepper powder (freshly ground is better)
- 1 no small garlic minced/ pressed
- 1/2 tsp salt (adjust as required)
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In a large bowl, add the kale & a bit of salt and massage it for a minute. This helps release the flavours of the kale.
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To this, add the chickpeas, sundried tomatoes, red onion, olives & parmesan cheese and stir the whole mixture.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together all the ingredients mentioned in the 'For the dressing' section.
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Pour the dressing into the salad bowl & stir it well. Ensure the whole mixture is incorporated with the dressing.
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For a nice crunch, add toasted sunflower/ pumpkin seeds and serve immediately or chill for a few hours before serving.
1) You can dry toast the sunflower/ pumpkin seeds which is what I do or else add a teeny-tiny bit of oil for toasting.
2) It's best to chill the salad for a few hours before serving it so that the dressing will soak in the salad well. You can let the salad sit out for a while before having it so that it'll not be very cold.
3) If chilling, add the seeds/ parmesan cheese in the end before serving.
4) You can avoid using the parmesan cheese if you want to make the salad vegan.
Stepwise pictures
For the dressing
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- Toss in all the ingredients in a small bowl
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- Stir well to ensure there are no lumps.
For the salad
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- In a large bowl, add the chopped kale & some salt. Massage for a bit to release all the flavours.
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- To this, add the chickpeas, sundried tomatoes, onion, olives, parmesan cheese.
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- Stir the whole mixture.
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- Toss in the salad dressing.
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- Combine well to ensure the the salad dressing coats the whole mixture.
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- Serve immediately or chill for a few hours before serving!
