This salad takes a bit of simple prep. The nice part is that you can prepare the components in the morning (chick peas and vinaigrette) and then put them all together right before dinner. So, if you have a slow morning but a busy day, this salad is for you. For me, I’m home with a kiddo who isn’t feeling that well, that’s the worst in the summertime, I feel for my little guy. So I had the time to be in and out of the kitchen today, getting laundry done, picking up the house etc. First thing this morning I got a jump start on the chick peas.
I simply took one can of chick peas, rinsed, dried, and put them on a lined and sprayed rimmed cookie sheet. You can also use the chick peas you may have gotten in your winter share, but ours have long since been gobbled up. Sprinkle them with a pinch of salt and put them in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50 minutes. The key to a crispy chick pea is to let them sit on the cookie sheet for at least an hour after they come out of the oven, they will continue to crisp as they sit there.
The other step that needs to be taken ahead of time, about an hour, is to massage your kale. I know, I laughed when I heard about this too. I mean really, who massages their vegetables? But let me tell you, it makes a difference. I washed, dried, stemmed, and chopped my whole bunch of red Russian kale. I just stuck my hands right in there and rubbed the pieces together for a good 3 minutes. You can see the color change and you can feel the texture of the kale change and become soft. This is breaking down the fibers and tenderizing the kale. I then added about 1 Tablespoon of oil and massaged that in.
While letting that sit for another 10 minutes or so I made the vinaigrette. Whisk together:
1 Tablespoon of pine nuts, chopped
1 mango, diced
4 Tablespoons of oil
2 Tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon of orange juice
2 teaspoons of orange marmalade
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
Pour the dressing over the kale and serve topped with the crunchy chick peas.
Enjoy!
If I use chickpeas that are dry and in a bag – how do I prep them for this recipe? Do I have to soak then bake them?
Place them in a bowl and fill it with two inches of water above the peas. Soak them overnight. Drain, pat dry and continue with my process. Hope you like them! I suggest using them within a day or two, before they lose their crisp.