Kale Salad with Harissa-Roasted Chickpeas

February 08, 2019 2 Comments

On Sundays, if I have my act together, you'll find me prepping food for the week's lunches. And on winter Sundays, that means roasting....lots and lots of roasting. Lately, I've been putting together a lot of salads and grain bowl-type lunches. And the last few weeks I've been playing with roasted chickpeas. 

Roasting chickpeas with salt, olive oil and spices gives them a crunchy nuttiness that makes them perfect as a little snack or as an add-in for salads, grain bowls or even in a burrito or a wrap. I love the flavor of Harissa on these chickpeas. The paprika-cayenne-cumin combination hits that Mediterranean note and matches up deliciously with this salad's dilly, zingy yogurt-tahini dressing.

But just about any one of our blends would be tasty with this recipe, such as Chili Powder or Zahtar. 

When they're straight out of the oven, roasted chickpeas are crispy and especially snack-ready. Kept in the fridge for a few days, they'll turn a little chewier, but I like them that way too. 

I tested out a couple different methods for seasoning roasted chickpeas: First, I tossed them with the olive oil, salt and Harissa before roasting. But I found that the spices tasted a little bitter, maybe because of the quantity of spice I used. Then, I tried roasting with just the oil and salt and tossing with the Harissa after roasting, while the chickpeas were still warm. This kept the flavor on point, while still allowing me to coat the chickpeas generously with spice. 

This yogurt tahini salad dressing with dill is a favorite for drizzling over roasted vegetables and Mediterranean meatballs. I find that dried dill is one of the spices I reach for most often for dressings, dips and soups. We don't have dill in our garden, and when I buy it fresh, it tends to go bad before I can use it all. Plus, I think it's one of the tastiest versions of a green herb in dried form. 

Kale Salad with Harissa-Roasted Chickpeas

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon Harissa Powder
4 teaspoons salt, divided
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 bunch kale, ribs removed and chopped bite-size (about 4-6 cups)

Yogurt-Tahini Dressing:

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 tablespoon dried Dill Weed
1 teaspoon Granulated Garlic
Juice from ½ lemon
1 tablespoon tahini paste
Salt to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.

Toss squash with 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 tsp salt. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss chickpeas with 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 tsp salt. Place on a second rimmed baking sheet.

Roast the chickpeas and squash for 25-35 minutes, until the squash is tender and the chickpeas are crispy and browned. Toss the squash a few times with a spatula during roasting.

Meanwhile, whisk together the dressing ingredients.

When the chickpeas are done roasting but are still warm, toss with the Harissa Powder. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Assemble the salad: take a handful or two of kale and top with squash and chickpeas. Generously drizzle dressing and toss. Enjoy!

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