Raw Kale Salad with Roasted Chickpeas

I made this for Halloween and apparently it was a real treat for many people, because they all liked it and want the recipe.

Normally I don’t make raw kale salads, because the boy does not like raw kale. But a friend of us (hi Eily!) convinced us to make this, and I got something like 3 pounds of kale for 2 buckaroos, so I gave this a try. And the boy is a total convert.

Basically, I followed Heidi Swanson’s recipe for raw kale salad, except I skipped the breadcrumbs and have a slightly different method. I also added an avocado, because I had one on hand and another friend of mine had suggested a raw massaged kale salad with avocado.

Since then, I’ve made this three or four times, and so far, this is how I make it:

Raw Kale Salad (adapted from 101 Cookbooks, doubled because this goes FAST.)

• 2 bunches curly kale (you can use Tuscan kale, but I prefer curly kale) (Lil’ Farm has some awesome kale in season right now)
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 lemons
• pinch or two of red chili pepper
• 6 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• ground pepper
• 1/2 cup parmesan
• 1 avocado

1. Microplane a clove of garlic into a small bowl. Add red pepper flakes and juice from 2 lemons and stir and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Destem kale and roughly tear up leaves into bite size pieces (I do this by hand). Wash and rinse three times to get all the debris out. Use a towel or salad spinner to get as much water from kale as possible. Put kale in a big bowl.
3. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper to the garlic-lemon juice mixture. Whisk the dressing well and then stir in parmesan cheese.
4. Pour the entire dressing into the bowl of kale. Cut and dice an avocado, and add the chopped avocado to the kale bowl as well.
5. This is the fun part: roll up your sleeves, make sure your hands are clean, and thoroughly massage the dressing and avocado into the kale leaves. Just make sure the leaves are covered with the dressing (it will glisten a bit but not be overly oily).
6. Set aside for about 5 minutes then serve.

You can also add roasted chickpeas, which serve as a sort of bean-y croutons. They are crispy outside and soft inside, and they are insanely addictive.

Roasted Chickpeas (via Miss Marnie from here) – can be doubled

• 1 can chickpeas (about 14.5 oz)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• pinches of cayenne (to your taste)

1. Preheat your oven to 425 F
2. Drain chickpeas. Add oil and the seasonings. Put chickpeas on a baking sheet or a roasting pan.
3. Roast for 30-35 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes.

(I know the recipe I linked to suggests roasting chickpeas without spices first, but I’ve tried both methods and find the lazier version a tiny bit crispier.)