Chickpea Kale Salad + Old Bread Croutons
3 Cups of chickpeas ( soaked/cooked or two cans of chickpeas).
2 cups of chopped and marinated kale (see directions below)
1/4 cup walnuts or almonds
1 lemon
2 tbsp grape seed oil (or olive oil)
+ 1 tbsp for kale
1 garlic clove
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp honey or maple syrup
1 cup of croutons (see recipe below-optional)
4 tbsp of chopped herbs ( dill and parsley. You can use just one of them too, your pleasure. About 1/4 cup of each fresh or small handful).
Sea salt + Black pepper
Salad
1.) cook/prep/rinse chickpeas. Set aside in large bowl. Finely chop 1 clove of garlic and add it to the bowl of chickpeas. Add in: Grape seed oil, juice of 1/2 lemon ( cut in half and squeeze it over the chickpeas. Save other half for kale), 1 tsp red wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp (or even just a 2 second drizzle) honey, 3 pinch seal salt + 2 pinch black pepper. Mix it all together with a spoon.
2.) Rinse and chop 2 cups of kale. Place in separate bowl. Squeeze the other half of lemon over the kale, sprinkle 2 good pinches of sea salt over kale and a drizzle of olive oil (about 1 tsp). With your hands massage the kale, getting all the leaves covered in the oil/vinegar/salt mix. When the kale is tender and a more vibrant green the plant magic has happened. Taste it!
3.) Add marinated kale to the bowl of chickpeas and mix it all together. Let it settle into the flavors and the garlic/lemon/salt work it’s plant alchemy. Gather dill and parsley. Finely Chop 1/4 cup of each. Add them to the bowl and mix around. Next chop walnuts finely and heat a small pan. Toast them in the pan on medium/high for 3 mins. When they start to look golden on the edges remove from heat. Add them to your salad and mix around. Taste for salt/pepper ratio. Adjust based on your flavor preference. I like to add a sprinkle of herbs on top and croutons from old bread. See crouton recipe below
Old Bread Croutons
1.) You need 1/4-1/2 loaf of bread- I like sour dough or any fresh bread that is close to a week old. Let it sit out for part of the day too. I pulled out a 1/4 loaf I froze this winter for future crouton baking and it made this salad a little more hearty and added lovely crunch to the softness of the chickpeas. Heat oven to 350.
2.) while oven pre-heats chop bread in desirable sized pieces (small or big, do what is in your pleasure). Place them in a bowl. Drizzle a 4 second count of olive oil or grape seed oil. Sprinkle 3 big pinches of sea salt and black pepper. Add garlic powder too (or any dried or fresh herbs you like), about 1/4 tsp. Squeeze juice of lemon wedge over the croutons. Mix it all together with your hands, massage the oil and salt into the bread. Make sure all the edges have oil on them.
3.) Lay them out on baking sheet (parchment paper is lovely for them if you have it). Bake for 12-15 mins until golden and crispy. Enjoy in this salad, soups or for a snack!