Kale Brussel Caesar & Crispy Buffalo Chickpeas
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
Kale Brussel Caesar & Crispy Buffalo Chickpeas
*Makes about 4 servings of dressed salad or 1 1/2 cups dressing*
Ingredients - 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
* scale down if you are not looking to make salads for 4 people *6 cups washed and chopped dinosaur kale '
1 1/2 cups thinly chopped red cabbage
Garnish
I used Violife parmesan cheese block and shaved off pieces using a veggie peeler.
Instructions
Step 1 - Soak or boil the cashews
First things first, soak your cashews. If you haven’t soaked any overnight don’t worry as I have found a little cheat for this. Boil your cashews till they have expanded, look spongy and are soft enough to blend. This typically takes maybe 30 min.
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.
