Crisp, hearty and tangy, this kale Caesar is one of my favorite dishes during the summer months.
Prepare the salad by slicing the romaine into 1” ribbons. Transfer to a salad bowl and set aside. De-stem the kale by holding the stem in one hand and strip the leaves using the other hand. Then slice the de-stemmed kale into 1” ribbons. Put the greens with the romaine, wash and spin dry. (You can slice the stems thinly and use them for another dish like a stir-fry.)
Vegan Caesar Dressing
- ¾ cup fresh lemon juice (4-5 lemons)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. water
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp. ground flax seeds
- ½ cup raw walnuts soaked in water for 10 minutes
- 2 – 3 large garlic cloves
- 1 Tbsp. dulce powder (sea vegetable)
For the dressing mix all the ingredients in a blender and store in a sealed jar. It will last in the refrigerator for one week.
Serve the kale and romaine in a large bowl and add the dressing, toss thoroughly, making sure each leave is nicely coated. Top with a sprinkle of roasted chickpeas for crunch.
Roasted Chick Peas
- 1 cup dried chick peas/garbanzo beans (or buy 2 cans of precooked garbanzos)
- water for boiling
- 1 ½ tsp cumin
- 1 ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- juice from ½ a lime
- juice from 1 lemon
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil melted
- 1 paper bag
- If using dried chick peas, discard any rocks, soak the beans in water for about 5 hours or overnight. (If using canned beans, drain and rinse them but skip cooking them in step 2.)
- Rinse and cover with fresh water to cook for 30-45 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with waxed paper.
- Mix the spice seasonings (cumin, paprika, cayenne and salt).
- In a bowl, toss the chick peas with melted coconut oil and half of the spice mixture. Spread on a lined cookie sheet and squeeze ½ of one lime and ½ of one lemon over the beans.
- Roast 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Then place them back in oven for 10-15 minutes until crunchy.
- Remove from the oven when crunchy and throw in with the remaining spice mixture and a few drops of lemon juice.