Coconut Ranch Kale Salad
The ultimate salads feature a bounty of roasted vegetables generously dressed with a creamy dressing. This vegan coconut ranch dressing is so incredibly tempting that you'll find yourself wanting to dip everything in it. However, the real show-stealer might just be the crunchy chickpeas, rendering traditional croutons unnecessary.For a flawless kale salad, here's a simple trick: sprinkle a bit of salt on the kale and gently massage it with your fingers. This delightful massaging process relaxes the kale, resulting in more tender and flavorful leaves. It may sound peculiar, but trust us, it works wonders!
Ingredients
FOR COCONUT RANCH
- 1/4 c. coconut milk
- 1/4 c. vegan mayonaise
- 1 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp. freshly chopped chives
- 2 tsp. freshly chopped dill
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. onion powder
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
FOR SALAD:
- 1 large sweet potato, cut in 1/4" thick half moons
- 1 tbsp. plus 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder, divided
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 large bunch curly kale, washed and dried, stems removed
- Avocado, thinly sliced
- Shaved vegan parmesan
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together coconut milk and mayonnaise. Add herbs, garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of cayenne. Stir to combine, then season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 400°. Place sweet potatoes on a large baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and season with 1 teaspoon chili powder, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat, then spread potato slices out in an even layer.
- Bake until tender and bottoms start to crisp, 35 to 40 minutes.
- Pat chickpeas dry with a paper towel and place on a small baking sheet. Bake until dried out and crisp, 30 minutes.
- While chickpeas are still warm, place in a medium bowl. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and ½ teaspoon chili powder. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper.
- Place dried kale on a cutting board and roughly chop into bite sized pieces. Place in a large bowl. Add a large pinch of salt and massage kale with your fingers, rubbing the salt in for about 1 minutes.
- Top kale with sweet potatoes, chickpeas, avocado, and parmesan. Drizzle with coconut ranch to serve.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!