Recipe video above. WORTH MAKING - don't let the length of the ingredients deter you!! This is a big, hearty salad that may well be the best kale salad you've ever had. Big call I stand by! :)Filled with good-for-you nutrition yet anything but bland, that creamy tahini sauce totally makes it, thanks to the parmesan. Crunchy seasoned chickpeas add starchy bulk, flavour pops and texture, the cherry tomatoes add juicy bursts and the chicken provides protein. Oh yeah, and there's kale in it too! :) Powerhouse greens!
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Course: Main
Cuisine: Western
Keyword: chicken kale salad, kale salad
Servings: 3- 4 people
Calories: 695cal
Author: Nagi
Ingredients
SOFTENED KALE:
5very tightly packed cupsTuscan kale (cavolo nero), leafy part stripped off stem, sliced into 1 cm / 1/2" ribbons (Note 1)
1tspextra virgin olive oil
1/4tspsalt and pepper
SALAD:
1/4red onion, very finely sliced
1 1/2cupsshredded cooked chicken, I use store bought (else poach your own, Note 2)
Oven - Roast tomatoes 12 min at 200°C/425°F (180°C fan). Roast plain chickpeas 10 min, toss with oil & seasonings, roast 20 min until crispy (same temp).
Salad - Massage kale, leave 20 min. Blitz dressing. Toss kale, chicken, tomatoes, onion with half. Pile on chickpeas, drizzle with remaining dressing, shower with parmesan. EAT!
FULL RECIPE:
Preheat the oven to 200°C/425°F (180°C fan).
Roast tomatoes - Toss the tomatoes with the oil, salt and pepper on a small tray. Roast 12 minutes, then cool on the tray.
Crispy chickpeas - Drain the chickpeas then spread on a tray (still wet). Bake 10 minutes (same time as tomatoes). Push the oven dried chickpeas to one side of the tray. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the chickpea spices, salt and pepper. Toss well using a rubber spatula, then return to the oven for a further 20 – 25 minutes until they're crispy (They should clatter! Note 4).
Soften kale - Rub/scrunch the kale with the oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Put the kale in a large bowl then drizzle with the oil and add the salt and pepper. Set aside for 20 minutes (softens leaves).
Tahini dressing - Put the ingredients in a jug just large enough to fit the head of a stick blender. Blitz until smooth, using extra water if needed to loosen into a thick but pourable consistency (see video).
Toss - Pour half the dressing over the kale and toss. Add onion, chicken and most of the tomatoes (save a few for decoration). Toss again.
Serve - Transfer into a serving bowl or individual bowls. Top with remaining tomatoes, all the chickpeas and eggs if using. Drizzle with remaining sauce then sprinkle with extra parmesan. DIG IN. SWOON!
Notes
* You could totally just make this with the kale and tahini dressing if you're just in need of a tasty kale side salad. Everything else are add-ins that makes this into a satisfying, interesting meal-size-salad!1. Tuscan kale, also called cavolo nero, black or lacinato kale, has leaves shaped more like silverbeet (chard) slightly flatter than curly kale so more suited to cutting into slaw-like strips and the leaves are slightly softer too. To use regular curly kale, chop into bite size pieces (don't slice thinly, doesn't really work well).Removing the leaf off the stem - Grab and rip it off! Quick 'n easy, watch the video :)2. Chicken - I use store bought roast chicken. If cooking your own, I recommend poaching it using this method. Shred then toss with a pinch of salt and pepper before using.3. Tahini - Mix well if the oil is separated. If it's set like cement, microwave to warm (it will loosen) then use a stick blender. Hulled is lighter in colour (standard tahini). Unhulled tahini is darker and more bitter (harder to find), I don't use this.4. Roasted chickpeas should be crispy on the outside but still soft on the inside (else they are like little rocks!). 10 minutes dry roasting makes them extra crisp (better than air or towel drying) though they will start to soften after an hour or so. For ultra crisp though, and longer lasting crisp, you need to deep fry.Re-crisp by popping in the oven for 5 minutes or so (same temp per recipe).5. Storage - Oil rubbed kale will keep just fine for 2 days. Keep the components separate then assemble when required. Crispy chickpeas can be revived - see above note.Nutrition per person, assuming 3 servings. It's filling! Easily stretch to 4 with bread or double the chickpeas.