Mixed Greens Salad with Crispy Chickpeas, Creamy Vegan Garlic Dressing and Sourdough Croutons

This salad is so good and garlicky – yet so mild! I like to serve it over mixed hearty greens that include kale, arugula, swiss chard and romaine. The chickpeas add the right amount of spice and if you eat gluten, you must add the spicy sourdough croutons.  It is also oil free, but I did not want to add that the title because it is already long enough.

Also, if you use swiss chard, please chop up the brightly colored stems to throw in the salad. They pack a punch in the vitamin department and add crunchy texture to your salad.

This is one of our favorites.

Mixed Greens Salad with Crispy Chickpeas, Creamy Vegan Garlic Dressing and Sourdough Croutons

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

2-3 Slices of thick day old sourdough, cut into large cubes

1 (14-ounce) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed and patted dry

1 tsp smoked paprika

6 cups of mixed green firm lettuces, to include kale, arugula, swiss chard, spinach romaine, – whatever you have on hand

For the Dressing:

1 cup whole unroasted cashews (no soaking needed)

1/4 cup Nutritional yeast, plus more for serving

The juice from 2 lemons

3 garlic cloves

2 tsps of brine from a jar of capers

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp white miso paste

3/4 cup water

salt and pepper to taste

cooking spray

Instructions:

Wash lettuce and set out on paper towels to dry,

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.

Spread out the chickpeas on one side of your baking sheet, and the bread crumbs on the other. Generously spray with cooking spray and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Bake for about 10 minutes – if the croutons are browned go ahead and remove them from the baking sheet and continue baking the chickpeas for another 20 minutes.

While your chickpeas and croutons are baking, add all dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Adjust taste with extra garlic, salt, pepper – whatever you feel it needs – and scrape down the sides of the blender often. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the lettuce leaves and dressing, and mix well. Season with additional salt and pepper and Nutritional Yeast. Add croutons just before serving.

Enjoy!

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Mixed Greens Salad with Crispy Chickpeas, Creamy Vegan Garlic Dressing and Sourdough Croutons

Author: Gay Van Beek for Canterbury Cottage Designs

Ingredients

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

• 2-3 Slices of thick day old sourdough cut into large cubes
• 1 14-ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed and patted dry
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 6 cups of mixed green firm lettuces to include kale, arugula, swiss chard, spinach romaine, – whatever you have on hand

For the Dressing:

• 1 cup whole unroasted cashews no soaking needed
• 1/4 cup Nutritional yeast plus more for serving
• The juice from 2 lemons
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tsps of brine from a jar of capers
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp white miso paste
• 3/4 cup water
• salt and pepper to taste
• cooking spray

Instructions

Instructions:

1. Wash lettuce and set out on paper towels to dry,
2. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.
3. Spread out the chickpeas on one side of your baking sheet, and the bread crumbs on the other. Generously spray with cooking spray and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Bake for about 10 minutes – if the croutons are browned go ahead and remove them from the baking sheet and continue baking the chickpeas for another 20 minutes.
4. While your chickpeas and croutons are baking, add all dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Adjust taste with extra garlic, salt, pepper – whatever you feel it needs – and scrape down the sides of the blender often. Set aside.
5. In a large bowl, add the lettuce leaves and dressing, and mix well. Season with additional salt and pepper and Nutritional Yeast. Add croutons just before serving.