Vegan Cesar Kale Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash and Crunchy Paprika Chickpeas

I’m going to be honest with you all, this recipe was the product of a hangry and hungover version of myself waking up at noon on a Sunday, body begging for nourishment. I wanted something that would comfort my pounding headache, but would also kind of make up for the damage that I had done to my body the night before. So my thoughts first went to salad; salad is healthy; kale salad is healthy. But just some leaves and olive oil were not going to cut it. 

No. I wanted something that was creamy, had texture, and a little bit of a complex flavor profile. So the compromise I came up with between these two worlds was this caesar kale salad. 

The vegan caesar dressing is smooth, creamy, and a slight bit tangy (just like the real thing!). This is contrasted with the savory crunch of the paprika roasted chickpeas and the slight sweetness of the roasted butternut squash, all rounded out on a large plate of bright and tender massaged kale.

#SpoonTip: Do not forget to massage your kale! If you don’t massage, it will taste like you are chewing a shrub. Massaging your kale transforms the bitter flavor and rough texture to a tender and more neutral green. You will learn to love a kale salad that’s been massaged. It’s a thing, really.

I have included the recipe for each component separately down below. To make the final kale salad simply place the massaged kale, squash, chickpeas, and dressing in a bowl and toss until everything is evenly coated in the dressing. 

Vegan Cesear Dressing

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 5 minutesCook time: minutesTotal time: 5 minutesServings:4 servings

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup cashews that have been soaked overnight or for at least 4 hours
• 1/4 cup chickpeas
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp paprika
• 1 spray liquid aminos
• 1 drop liquid smoke optional
• 1/2 tbs lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic

Instructions

1. 
   

   Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

A few notes on this recipe:

First, the dressing requires overnight soaked cashews (so they blend to be perfectly smooth), but if you did not prepare ahead of time, you can place the cashews in a bowl of boiling water for around 30 minutes. If doing so, make sure that you use a high powered blender so you aren’t left with chunky dressing. 

Also, soy sauce can be substituted for liquid aminos. Liquid aminos are very similar to soy sauce but they have less salt and are not fermented. 

Lastly, liquid smoke. Liquid smoke is a seasoning that can be found in most supermarkets. It adds a nice smokey flavor and is really useful in vegan cooking to add depth of flavor. 

Roasted Butternut Squash

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 5 minutesCook time: 40 minutesTotal time: 45 minutesServings:4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups butternut squash
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp maple syrup

Instructions

1. 
   

   Toss butternut squash in spices, oil, and maple syrup. Bake at 425° for about 40 minutes, until caramelized.

Crunchy Paprika Chickpeas

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 5 minutesCook time: 30 minutesTotal time: 35 minutesServings:4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups chickpeas
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 5 sprays liquid aminos

Instructions

1. 
   

   Heat up a pan over high heat with olive oil and when the pan is hot add in chickpeas.

2. 
   

   After about 5 minutes of cooking the chickpeas add in all of the spices. Continue to cook over high heat until the chickpeas are crunchy.

To assemble the salad place everything in a bowl, drizzle with the dressing, and toss it all together! The crunchy chickpeas are a perfect addition to any other salad as well. 

Still Hangry and Hungover?

–15 Quick Vegan Meals for When You Have No Time

–5 Vegan Lunches Every Student Should Know How To Make

-How To Make A Week’s Worth of Vegan Lunches for $15 at Trader Joe’s

• Dinner
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