[This Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas is the perfect mix of crunchy, crispy, creamy and a little bit spicy. It’s vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg free, soy-free, optionally nut-free, optionally yeast-free, and low glycemic. Suitable for all stages on an anti-candida diet.]
[My big plate of this super-satisfying salad!].
Although I enjoy salads all year round, during the summers I go on a true salad binge. It’s salad for lunch, salad for dinner–oftentimes, salad for breakfast, too. The beauty of summer salads, of course, is that produce is incredibly plentiful and there is an abundance of choices when it comes to ingredients. So no more tepid “lettuce, tomato, cucumber” combos in your salad bowl!
Jesse Lane Lee, a fellow Holistic Nutritionist, is a gal after my own heart when it comes to salad. Jesse just came out with a new ebook called Healthy Fresh Salads. The book contains over 30 gluten-free salad recipes, most of which are vegan and even candida-friendly. (I found it really easy to adapt most of them to my diet by switching out a bit of maple syrup for stevia, for instance).
The book also contains information on how to prepare and clean veggies, plus tips on how to save money (and still eat organic), and a one-page “Guide to Creating the Ultimate Salad.” It’s a fresh, colorful and appealing collection of salads that will get your creative salad-juices flowing.
Jesse has allowed me to share one of her favorite salads with you all. The HH and I loved this one (the flavors really are addictive), though we did decrease the amount of dressing somewhat (see recipe note).
I hope you love it! If you’d like to learn more about the ebook or order a copy, head over to Jesse’s blog.
Jesse Lane Lee’s Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas from Healthy Fresh Salads
(reprinted with permission)
Jesse says: “This sale salad is one of my one of the most addictive recipes from Jesse Lane Wellness Cookbook Healthy Fresh Salads. I think it’s because the toasted, crispy chickpeas gives you the crunchy texture that our bodies crave from chips, and other fried foods. However, with this recipe, your crunchy cravings can be cured in a healthy way! I know a lot of people are skeptical about using kale in a salad, but I promise this fresh dish will turn you into a kale lover! The creamy dressing compliments the chickpea crunch, and the avocado adds those healthy fats that our body needs.”
For the salad:
1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted dry [I used 2 cups/480 ml cooked chickpeas]
3 Tbsp (45 ml) sesame seeds
3 Tbsp (45 ml) sunflower seeds
3 Tbsp (45 ml) pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
3 Tbsp (45 ml) coconut oil, melted
1 tsp (5 ml) cumin
1 tsp (5 ml) garlic powder
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) coriander, whole
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) pepper
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) paprika
1/4 tsp (1 ml) turmeric
1/4 tsp (1 ml) cayenne pepper
1 large head kale, stems removed and chopped/torn into bite sized pieces
2 avocados, diced
For the Creamy Cashew Dressing:
3/4 cup (180 ml) raw cashews (or sesame seeds for a nut free version) [I used cashews]
2 garlic cloves
3/4 cup (180 ml) tahini
1 tsp (5 ml) apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice (1/4 a lemon)
2 tsp (10 ml) nutritional yeast [for ACD stage one, use mild miso instead]
3 Tbsp (45 ml) coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup (120 ml) water
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt [I used sea salt]
1 tsp (5 ml) pepper
For the salad: Preheat the oven to 400F (200C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. In a large bowl mix the chickpeas, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, 3 Tbsp melted coconut oil, cumin, garlic powder, coriander, pepper, paprika, turmeric and cayenne pepper. Spread out on the baking sheet and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Place the cashews (or sesame seeds for a nut free version) and garlic in a food processor and pulse until minced. Add the remaining dressing ingredients and blend until smooth. The dressing will be much thicker than regular salad dressing but you can add water as needed. [Note: I used my blender for this, as I prefer a very smooth dressing.]
In a large bowl massage dressing into the kale. Top with the avocado and sprinkle with the crispy chickpea and seed mixture. Makes 2 main course or 4 large side salads.
[Ricki’s note: the dressing for this salad is very rich. We opted to use just half on the salad and thin it out a little bit with some extra water. Then we saved the rest for another salad (yum!)].
Suitable for: ACD All stages; refined sugar-free, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg free, soy-free, vegan, low glycemic.
More about Jesse:
Jesse Lane Lee, BSc, CNP is a cheerful Holistic Nutritionist, motivating speaker, cookbook author, and founder of JesseLaneWellness.com. She is a salad lover and former civil engineer. Jesse Lane literally ate a salad every day for the 7 years she worked as an engineer which works out to roughly 1,700 salads! She got super creative with the salads she was making and shares them in her cookbook Healthy Fresh Salads. She is also the author of author Jesse Lane Wellness Cookbook Healthy Dairy Free Desserts and has contributed recipes to KrisCarr.com, MindBodyGreen.com and Clean Eating Magazine. Check out her free eBook , Healthy Eating on a Budget!
Get in touch with Jesse:
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase using those links, at no cost to you, I will receive a small percentage of the sale.
Subscribe for recipes and more about living well without sugar, gluten, eggs or dairy! Click here to subscribe to RickiHeller.com via email. You’ll receive emails sharing recipes and videos as soon as they’re posted, plus weekly updates and news about upcoming events. A healthy lifestyle CAN be sweet!
Hi! I'm Ricki, cookbook author, professional recipe developer, holistic nutritionist and anti-candida crusader. Let me show you how easy it is to eat plant-based, sugar-free, gluten free food that tastes great! 
This is amazing. Quick, easy, yummy even for those afraid to eat well. I will make the crunchy chick peas as a snack!!
Glad you like it, Cindy! And I agree–those chickpeas would make a great snack all on their own. 🙂
I’m so happy you like it Cindy! I love to snack on crispy chickpeas!