Vegan Spiced Chickpea Caesar Salad

I love a good caesar salad but more often than not they contain cheese and croutons which are a no-go for us gluten and dairy intolerant folks. I came across this recipe while I was in New Zealand last month so I had to give it a try and put my own little twist on it. This version retains the rich flavor and crunch without the allergens and the spices give it a little extra somethin somethin. The lighting in my kitchen was less than stellar, thus the stock photo of chickpeas, but it looks pretty darn good in person and I’ll try to upload a good picture the next time I make it. Enjoy!

Makes 2 Servings.

Ingredients:

For the Chickpeas:

• 1.5 cups Canned Chickpeas (drained - look for a BPA Free Can)

• 1 .5 Tbsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or Coconut Aminos

• 2 tsp Smoked Paprika

• 1 tsp Garlic Powder

• 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin

• 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger

• 1/2 tsp Chilli Powder

• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt

• 1/4 tsp Sumac

For the Dressing:

• 1/2 cup Hemp Milk (unsweetened) or non-dairy milk of your choice

• 3 Tbsp Tahini

• 1 Lemon, juiced

• 2 tsp Maple Syrup

• 1 tsp Garlic Powder

• Sea Salt - a pinch or to taste

For the Salad:

• 3 cups Organic Kale or Romaine Lettuce

• 1 cup Red Cabbage, shredded

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

2. Combine all ingredients for the spiced chickpeas in a bowl and stir until well combined.

3. Spread out spiced chickpea mixture on the sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes.

4. Remove from oven, stir well and continue baking for another 5-6 minutes. Be careful not to burn them!

5. While your chickpeas are cooling, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

6. Combine kale and cabbage in a large serving bowl and toss with about 3/4 of the dressing.

7. Scatter cooled spiced chickpeas over the top of the salad and drizzle with remaining dressing before serving.