Vegan Kale Caesar Salad + Crispy Chickpeas

If you’re not a huge fan of kale, this vegan kale caesar salad will change that. It has just the right amount of garlic and cheesiness from the nutritional yeast, with a fresh hint of lemon. The crispy chickpea croutons really take it to the next level! Serve this caesar salad as a side dish or enjoy it as a meal. Bulk it up even more with quinoa and avocado! Meal prep it and take it for lunches, or enjoy for leftovers. The nice thing about kale is it won’t go soggy like romaine, so no need to keep the dressing separate.

Serves: 4

Prep Ahead:

Vegan Caesar Dressing

Ingredients:

Chickpea Croutons:
1 15-oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tsp avocado oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Kale Salad:
1 large head of kale, washed and destemmed 
1 cup grape tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
4 tbsp nutritional yeast

How to Make:

1. To make the chickpea croutons, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Add chickpeas to a bowl with oil and spices, and toss to coat.
3. Bake for 20 minutes, give the pan a shake and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes. Turn the oven off and keep the chickpeas in the oven to cool and get crispy.
4. While the chickpeas are cooking, prepare your kale. Wash and dry your kale, run your hands along the stems to remove the leaves and roughly chop.
5. Add kale to a large mixing bowl along with 3/4 cup of vegan caesar dressing. Using your hands, massage the kale until tender and fully coated in dressing.
6. Mix in chopped grape tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, and nutritional yeast.
7. To serve, top with a squeeze of fresh lemon, more nutritional yeast, black pepper and crispy chickpea croutons.

Optional Add Ins:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 avocado, sliced

If you love this recipe…

CHECK OUT OUR PROTEIN-PACKED FRENCH TOAST! FIND THE RECIPE HERE