shaved brussels sprout and chickpea caesar salad
Y’know, I’ve needed a good salad in my life lately. I’ve been lacking aggressive portions of greens.
Seriously, my lunch today was a prosaic combination of tortilla chips, storebought guac, some random roasted salmon, and veggies leftover from a tray I bought at Trader Joe’s. Satisfying? Yes. Completely and utterly tossed together because I had no inspiration otherwise? Also yes.
Nothing wrong with an uncurated meal, though. So long as I’m eating with some measure of intent, I’m good.
But really, I’ve missed salads. I went apeshit over summer with various wholesome bowls. Autumn and wintertime I tend to slow my salad roll just because its easier and more fun to create slightly more indulgent, rib-sticking dishes. Et in mindful moderation, of course. This past weekend, though, after chowing down on some rad fucken pizza, I thought something with kale and the bag o’ sprouts haunting my fridge felt fitting.
So here we are. Shaved Brussels Sprout and Chickpea Caesar Salad. Because of course, if we’re gonna lean back into salads, we’re gonna make ’em Caesar Ho-style. I like this baby for Thanksgiving, especially if you’re among the folks who go heavier on side dishes and keep the mains minimal. He’s simple, nourishing, and hearty, and especially adaptable if you’ve other proteins to add on top.
Plus, my homemade Caesar dressing is pretty much a blessing from the heavens. Just take my word and make it, yo.
The Chick to My Pea
In lieu of croutons here, we’re gonna roast some chickypeas. A bit healthier, and a fun little alternative to the stale bread bites we all know and love.
First, make sure your chickpeas are drained, rinsed, and dried well. I like to place the chickpeas onto a large plate or baking sheet and roll them under a paper towel. You don’t have to be so meticulous as to pull off all the weird transparent skins, but if they slide off as you’re drying the chickpeas, throw ’em out.
Then, toss them with some olive oil, dried oregano, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Sort of Italian-style, I’d say. Spread in an even, single layer on a large parchment-lined baking sheet.
Roast the chickpeas at 425 for about 15-18 minutes. Stir them up once halfway through. The chickpeas are ready when they’re crisp and lightly golden – they will continue to crisp as they cool, so keep an eye on them during the second round of roasting to make sure they don’t burn.
Dress ‘Em Up
While the chickpeas roast, make the dressing. My Caesar doesn’t involve any raw eggs, so if that tends to weird you out about Caesar dressings, breathe a sigh of relief.
Instead, we’ll combine some mayonnaise (vegan or regular), Greek yogurt, and Dijon mustard to achieve the creaminess necessary for the dressing. Flavor that shit with lemon juice, garlic cloves, anchovy paste, and plenty of parmesan. I like to mix it in the food processor for maximal smoothness.
Kale Me Maybe
The base greens here are shaved Brussels sprouts and kale. Any kale will do – I like lacinato or dino, the darker the better. But choose what’s accessible and what you prefer.
The recipe card calls for pre-shaved Brussels sprouts, which this time of year are typically easy to find. If you’d rather, you can buy a pound of whole sprouts and slice them yourself – the thinner, the better. I’m guessing a mandolin would work well, also, but isn’t necessary in my opinion. Not quite as imperative that sprouts are as thin as, say, taters are for sweet potato stacks.
Add the kale and sprouts to a big bowl. Massage a little bit of the dressing into the greens. Both veggies hold up extremely well to dressing, even mellow out when exposed to the moisture, so this salad is excellent to make ahead for meal preps.
Then, toss the greens with some shaved parmesan and the chickpeas. Move the greens to a nice serving bowl or platter. Or don’t, I don’t much care.
Serve the salad with the remaining dressing on the side. I know I’m a sucker for extra Caesar. Oh, and a little more parmesan, too. Make like Olive Garden and have no boundaries.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Simple salads for simple folks:
Spicy Roasted Sweet Potato Feta and Kale Salad
Honeycrisp Apple and Blue Cheese Autumn Salad
Warm and Spicy Southwest Quinoa Kale Salad with Chipotle Tahini Ranch
Kale Pomegranate and Maple Chickpea Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette
Harvest Fig and Kale Crunch Salad with Tahini Cider Dressing
shaved brussels sprout and chickpea caesar salad
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and thoroughly dried
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 4 cups kale, roughly chopped
- 2 cups shredded Brussels sprouts
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
caesar dressing
- 3/4 cup vegan or regular mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup plain whole milk GReek yogurt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp anchovy paste
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup fresh parmesan cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
- Toss the chickpeas with 2 tablespoons olive oil, the oregano, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 15-18 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until crispy. Let cool – the chickpeas will continue to crisp as they cool.
- In a food processor, combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, dijon mustard, anchovy paste, garlic, parmesan, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whip until smooth. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Add the Brussels sprouts and kale to a large bowl. Scoop in a few spoonfuls of the dressing and massage until the kale darkens and softens. Toss with the chickpeas and parmesan.
- Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and top with additional parmesan, as desired. Serve with the dressing on the side.
