Kale Salad with Roasted Chickpeas and Shallot
I’ll tell you what. I love me an entrée salad that’s bursting at the seams with flavor, and is accompanied by a crisp white wine. This salad is simple enough for anyone to execute, yet composed enough to make you look like you know what the hell you’re talking about.
I’m sure this leafy delight would have made it onto the blog eventually, but I have to thank my dear friend, Joanna, for the push. She asked me to create something for patrons of her dance studio, Dovetail Studios; a dish that would fit into the lifestyle of a dancer, which seems befitting since I used to be one!
Joanna is one of those people who excels at everything she does, and Dovetail is no different. The studio has training opportunities for the very young all the way to the working professional dancer. PEOPLE! PUT YOUR KIDDOS IN DANCE! I cannot express enough the discipline and structure that dance has brought to my life, and how it transcends every aspect of everyday life. Are you an adult that has zero prior training? There’s a class at Dovetail for you! It is never too late!
CHECK THEM OUT NOW AND MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM, OK??? Oh, and perhaps my favorite part: ‘We continue to strive for a space that embraces all the cultures, colors and orientations that make our society a vibrant and joyful place to live.’ – Dovetail Studios
Kale Salad with Roasted Chickpeas
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN!
- 2 boneless/skinless chicken thighs
- HOMEMADE VERY ITALIAN DRESSING <- linked! (or store-bought cause sometimes it be like that)
- 2 Tbsp Greek yogurt (Fagé all day!)
- ¼ tsp paprika
FOR THE CHICKPEAS!
- 1 – 15 oz can chickpeas
- 2 large shallots, sliced into ¼ inch-ish rings
- ½ Tbsp olive oil
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp paprika
- dash cayenne (optional)
FOR THE SALAD!
- kale/mixed greens/whatever roughage you want!
- ½ apple, thinly sliced
- freshly shaved parmesan, or similar cheese
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
FOR THE CHICKEN!
- In a medium bowl, add chicken, yogurt, 2 tablespoon of dressing, and paprika. Toss until chicken is evenly coated. Set aside, outside of fridge. We want chicken to come to room temp because we don't want to place cold meat directly on heat!
FOR THE CHICKPEAS!
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Drain and rinse chickpeas, thoroughly shaking off excess water.
- Place chickpeas on a paper towel-lined plate. Place another paper towel on top of them and gently press down, rolling the chickpeas around to dry those lil bastards off. Discard any skins that have come off.
- In a medium bowl, add chickpeas, shallot, oil, salt, paprika, and cayenne if using. Toss well to coat. Remove shallot and set aside, it will go into oven halfway through the chickpeas roasting time.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread chickpeas evenly across.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, adding shallot halfway through. Twenty-five minutes gave me 'al dente' chickpeas, and 30 minutes gave me straight-up crunch. Feel free to check at the 25 mark and asses then. Around 27 is my pref, but you do you, boo.
CHICKEN, CONT'D!
- Toward the end of the chickpea cooking process, or while they cool, you can start cooking your chicken!
- Preheat a medium pan over medium heat with a cute drizzle of olive oil. She's ready to go when the oil is runny and shimmering.
- DO NOT RINSE OFF MARINADE! Give both sides of the chicken a healthy sprinkle of kosher salt and pepper. Cook for approximately 7 minutes on each side (depending on thickness), or until an internal temp of 165°F is reached. When done, let rest on a cutting board for a few minutes before slicing.
THE BUILD!
- I eat this salad as a main dish so, in a large bowl, portion out whatever that is for you (remember this exact recipe is for 2).
- Add sliced apple and dress to your liking with HOMEMADE VERY ITALIAN DRESSING. Toss your salad. Lol.
- Divvy up dressed greens into 2 bowls.
- Garnish with sliced chicken, roasted chickpeas, freshly shaved cheese, and cracked pepper!
- Enjoy your nice, light, bright salad-y salad!!!
Notes
OMG DID YOU MAKE THIS?!?
Post your photo of this dish! Tag @la_faguette_ on Instagram and hashtag it #lafaguette !EQUIPMENT:
The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products I recommend, many of which I love and use daily!