This recipe is featured as part of Vidya Living's Seasonal Recipe Share. Claire is one of my closest friends from college and is a talented yogi, knowledgeable wellness coach, and passionate chef and recipe creator, often focusing on seasonal, plant-based, and Ayurvedic principles.
Falafel-Inspired Kale Salad
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
A modern take on a traditional Middle Eastern wrap: falafel-inspired kale salad with crispy roasted chickpeas, fresh vegetables, and all the familiar spices of a traditional falafel wrap.
Author: thyme & toast
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
- Roasted Chickpeas
- 1½ cups chickpeas or 1 15.5-ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed, drained and dried very well*
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¾ teaspoon coriander
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- optional: a pinch of allspice and pepper
- Lemon Tahini Dressing
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- warm water to thin (2-4 tablespoons)
- Salad
- 10 ounces (~5 cups) or one bunch kale, chopped
- 3 radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 persian cucumbers, halved length-wise and sliced
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- ¼ cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
- Pita chips (store-bought or homemade)**
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Create the spice mix by combining the cumin, coriander, paprika, salt, onion powder, allspice, and pepper.
- Add chickpeas to a baking sheet (without any spices or oil) and roast for 10 minutes on the middle rack.
- After 10 minutes, remove the pan and toss the chickpeas with olive oil and spice mix. Put the chickpeas back in the oven for 15-25 minutes or until browned and crispy, checking on them every 10 minutes to ensure they aren’t burning. Remove from oven and set aside.
- To prepare the dressing, combine all ingredients, adding water until it reaches desired consistency and is pourable.
- In a mixing bowl, massage kale with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil and 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Add desired amount of dressing and toss well. To serve, divide kale and toppings (chickpeas, cucumbers, radishes, tomato, and pita chips) among dishes, drizzle with more dressing, and sprinkle with mint and parsley.
Notes
*To ensure the chickpeas will get crispy in the oven, make sure the they are dried really well. I'll normally put them on a towel and lightly press and roll with another towel until thoroughly dry.
**To make homemade pita chips, slice pita into triangles and brush each side with olive oil. Bake in oven at 400 F for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until crispy.
**To make homemade pita chips, slice pita into triangles and brush each side with olive oil. Bake in oven at 400 F for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until crispy.
Matt says
August 22, 2016 at 3:46 amI’m always looking for things that will add a crunch to salads that aren’t croutons. This looks really tasty, and perfect given the weather.
Christine says
August 23, 2016 at 7:17 pmThanks, Matt! I’m a big fan of crispy chickpeas on salads lately. If you love a good crunch, this salad was made for you!
Valencia @ Life of a Vegaholic says
September 26, 2016 at 2:26 pmI love crispy chickpeas. I make them all of the time to the point where I think I may have a problem. Haha! I’ve never tried putting them on salads though. Maybe I should give it a try. Also, this salad looks so vibrant! Great recipe 🙂
Christine says
October 1, 2016 at 10:27 pmThank you! They’re great on salads and add a crouton-like crunch!