Kale Caesar Salad with Crispy Garbanzo Bean Croutons

Hope all you moms out there had a wonderful Mothers Day yesterday. I know I did. The boys and I had breakfast with my mom and dad and then spent the rest of the morning at the park with friends. I got my garden ready for planting and ordered some speciality hybrid seeds from a family owned organic farm in Colorado that specializes in high altitude vegetable seeds. I couldn’t have asked for more beautiful weather for spending the day outdoors soaking up the sun and some much needed vitamin D. I played tennis in the late afternoon and then I went to the Park City Film Series screening of Romantics Anonymous, a french film about two very awkward but talented chocolate makers. If you like quirky love stories, I highly suggest it! Over all it was a great day and just what this mountain mama needed!

The only downfall to my day was the rather large mug of steamy hot tea that was accidentally knocked over directly onto my lap top. I blew it off initially as I was determined not to let it ruin my day. In fact I didn’t think about it much yesterday as I focused on my boys and my own mama. But as I lay in bed last night thinking of all the work I have saved on my hard drive, I slowly started to make myself sick. It’s a lot of work that will be lost and I have a ton of pictures that I’d hate to lose too. I have an appointment at the Mac store later today so I’m crossing my fingers they can fix it. Or at the very least retrieve all the photos and work I did last week.
No, I didn’t back it up.
Yes, I’ve learned my lesson.

Always looking for the silver lining, at least I’d already uploaded the pictures for this post so I could share it today. I now have a few days to either get my computer fixed or buy a new one and re-do all the photos and recipe I did last week. I’m hoping for the first. Plus a visit to the Mac store means I also get to visit Anthropologie and Albion Fit. It’s just bonus that two of my favorite stores happen to be in the same complex as the Apple store. See, things are looking up already!

Let’s move on to happier things, shall we? This salad is a must make! If you’re as obsessed with kale and kale salads as much as I am, you’re going to love it. I could start a blog entirely dedicated to kale salad recipes- I have more recipes with kale on my blog than anything else. It’s with complete honesty when I tell you I really love kale. I love it raw in a salad or slaw just as much as I love it steamed or thrown into a pot of soup. All the health benefits are pure bonus. This is my fun twist on a classic Caesar substituting the crispy romaine for dark leafy kale and instead of bread croutons, I roasted chickpeas for the crunch. It’s dressed with an anchovy free dressing and lots of freshly grated parmesan.

As the weather gets warmer, I find myself wanting to eat a little lighter. Maybe because I know I’m going to start wearing a swimsuit soon but either way salads start making regular appearances on our table posing as dinner. Like most kale salads, this one can stand up to being dressing hours before and even the day before. I don’t generally eat leftover dressed salads but this one I will. With that being said, don’t toss the garbanzo beans in until just before you’re ready to eat as they’ll get soggy.

Happy Monday everyone! xoxo

Kale Caesar Salad with Crispy Garbanzo Bean ‘Croutons’

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Ingredients

For the Dressing:

• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise or vegan mayonnaise
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 3–4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1–2 teaspoons of water to thin if necessary
• salt and pepper to taste

For the Garbanzo Beans:

• 1 15oz can garbanzo beans
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• salt and pepper

For the Salad:

• 1 head lacianto kale
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• Caesar dressing
• crispy garbanzo beans

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Instructions

For the Crispy Garbanzo Beans:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
2. Rinse and drain the garbanzo beans; lay them on a double layer of paper towels and dry them as much as you can. Slightly rub each garbanzo bean between your fingers to remove the thin layer.
3. Line the dried garbanzo beans on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. Roast the garbanzo beans for 35-40 minutes until brown and crispy.

While the garbanzos are roasting, make the dressing:

1. Combine all ingredients except oil, salt and pepper in the base of a blender.
2. With the motor running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream into the blender.
3. When the dressing is thoroughly mixed, test for desired thickness. If you want it a little thinner, add the water a teaspoon at a time.
4. Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble the salad:

1. Clean the kale and remove the leaves from the thick inner stalk.
2. Chop the kale and transfer to a large bowl.
3. Dress with desired amount of Caesar dressing (I used about 1/2-2/3 of this batch) and grated parmesan cheese.
4. Top with crispy garbanzo beans.