Kale Caesar Salad

I don’t know what it is, but I’ve had some serious nostalgia for being back at school! I’ve been overcome with an intense longing to be back and reunited with all of my people. Thank goodness I get to see some of my friends this week and that school is only a month away. Aside from seeing friends and doing college things, I’ve been seriously missing our food excursions to Chopt — the BEST salad place near school. I know it’s weird that I’m nostalgic about a salad, but I’ve been craving it so much recently that I knew I had to recreate it!

Unless I’m in a funky mood and make my own custom salad, I without fail order the Kale Caesar with their vegan Caesar dressing. It wasn’t until I was craving it that I started to wonder how they make a vegan Caesar dressing. After doing some serious digging and thinking up different concoctions, I finally gave it a shot and oh my goodness I hit it so spot on!

Classic Caesar dressing is made from egg yolks and LOTS of Parmesan cheese. To mimic that creamy texture that is so necessary, all you have to do is blend up some cashews, olive oil, and water (if that sounds weird, don’t let it freak you out!).

This salad feels like you’re eating something super indulgent, but in reality it’s packed with ALL the good stuff: healthy fats, whole plant based protein, low sugar, and green goodness!

Ingredients

2 small sweet potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch circles
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
2 tsp smoked paprika
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
1 (14 ounce) can chickpeas, drained
2 large head kale, shredded
2 avocados, sliced

Vegan Caesar Dressing:
1 cup raw cashews (for nut free recipe try 1/2 cup chickpeas or sunflower seeds)
1/2 cup water
juice of 2 lemon
6 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dijon mustard
4 garlic cloves
2 tbsp capers
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 425° F.
2) On a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, combine the sweet potatoes, 2 tbsp olive oil, chili powder, paprika, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss well to coat. Make sure the sweet potatoes are in an even layer. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, add the chickpeas and remaining oil. Toss with the sweet potatoes and return to the oven for another 20 minutes. The chickpeas should be crisp and the sweet potatoes should be tender.
3) Meanwhile, in a large salad bowl, massage the shredded kale with a tbsp of olive oil and a pinch of Kosher salt.
4) To make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper.
5) To assemble the salad, combine the roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas in with the salad. Add the dressing and toss to combine. Top with avocado.

Enjoy!