For the kale salad
Wash and spin the kale, coarsely chop, and add to a large bowl. Add lemon juice and olive oil. Use your hands to massage the kale to break down its texture and remove some of the bitterness.
We have intentionally cut the amount of oil in half.
Wash the bell pepper and cut into thin slices. Peel the onion and cut into thin rings. Wash and halve the cherry tomatoes. Wash the cucumber and cut into thin slices. Cut the olives in half. Rinse off the chickpeas and let drain. Add all of these ingredients to the kale in the bowl.
Using a cucumber is optional.
You can use chickpeas from a can or jar, or prepare your own. For information on the latter, see the section “Alternate preparation.”
You can use fresh bell pepper slices (as described above), or you can fry them in a little olive oil until they are soft and take on a light brown color.
For the garlic herb dressing
Peel and mince the garlic. Clean and coarsely chop the dill. Squeeze the lemon and add lemon juice along with the garlic, dill, and tahini to a small bowl.
If you have hummus on hand, you can use this in place of the tahini. The original recipe calls for hummus.
Whisk to combine. Add only enough almond milk and/or water to thin until the dressing is pourable. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
Tossing the salad and serving
Add the desired amount of dressing and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Store leftovers separately in the refrigerator for 2–3 days. Best when fresh.
Detailed Nutritional Information per Person for this Recipe
The majority of the nutritional information comes from the USDA (US Department of Agriculture). This means that the information for natural products is often incomplete or only given within broader categories, whereas in most cases products made from these have more complete information displayed.
If we take flaxseed, for example, the important essential amino acid ALA (omega-3) is only included in an overarching category whereas for flaxseed oil ALA is listed specifically. In time, we will be able to change this, but it will require a lot of work. An “i” appears behind ingredients that have been adjusted and an explanation appears when you hover over this symbol.
For Erb Muesli, the original calculations resulted in 48 % of the daily requirement of ALA — but with the correction, we see that the muesli actually covers >100 % of the necessary recommendation for the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Our goal is to eventually be able to compare the nutritional value of our recipes with those that are used in conventional western lifestyles.
This Greek kale salad with chickpeas and olives is served with a delicious herb dressing and works well either as a light main dish or a tasty side.
Serving information: The recipe to make 4 servings is enough for either 4 side servings or 2 main entrees.
Kale: Kale is a fast-growing plant in the cabbage family. It can be found throughout the world, and like cauliflower originated from wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.). This hearty winter vegetable contains high levels of vitamin C. Kale provides a broad variety of nutrients including many vitamins, fiber, and phytonutrients. Eating kale raw, as is the case in this recipe, allows the nutrients to best be preserved and absorbed. Most cooking processes destroy heat-sensitive vitamins, which remain available in raw kale.
Cherry tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes are smaller, firmer, and sweeter than traditional tomatoes. They can be red, green, yellow, or black. A red cherry tomato is ripe when it has a vibrant color and the skin is firm. Cherry tomatoes keep for up to 14 days. It is best to store them at 13–18 °C (55–65 °F) and a relative humidity of 80 to 95 %.
Information about chickpeas: With an average of 20 g protein per 100 g, chickpeas are very high in protein and therefore a good addition to vegetables. Chickpeas (like many other legumes) are usually available in stores either dried or precooked (canned). While the canned version is of course more convenient and time-efficient, dried cookpeas that you have to cook yourself have a much better taste. And when you cook them at home, you can decide how firm you want them to be (canned chickpeas are often very soft, sometimes even mushy). In addition, canned foods often contain unnecessary additives or are already salted. It is therefore best to use the unprocessed version whenever possible.
Buying canned chickpeas: If you are going to use the quick variety, as the author suggests here, then make sure to buy organic chickpeas. These are often processed more gently, and most importantly they usually contain very few or no additives at all. It is better to buy organic chickpeas in glass jars (organic brands often choose glass jars). These do not contain any aluminium or BPA (bisphenol A) and are more environmentally friendly.
Tips
Tips from the author:
– If you do not have hummus, tahini makes a great substitute for the dressing. Adjust seasonings—adding more salt, lemon juice, garlic, and dill—to compensate.
– Storing:Store leftovers separately in the refrigerator for 2–3 days. Best when fresh.
Alternate preparation
Cooking the chickpeas yourself: If you are using dried chickpeas, you will only need half the amount called for because chickpeas absorb a lot of water during the soaking and cooking processes. You can also make a larger amount of chickpeas and then use the leftovers, for example, to make hummus (more under “Hummus instead of tahini”). Place the dried chickpeas in a bowl and cover completely with water. Soak for at least 8–12 hours or overnight. After the soaking time, pour the chickpeas into a sieve and rinse briefly. Transfer to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer. The cooking time depends on how old the chickpeas are and how they were stored. For hummus, it works best to cook the chickpeas until they are quite soft and not only until they are al dente. If the chickpeas are al dente after 1–1.5 hours (i.e., firm to the bite), you should then let them cook for a total of 2–2.5 hours. Check occasionally to make sure that there is still enough water in the saucepan. Caution: Never add salt before the chickpeas are done as this considerably prolongs the cooking process! When the chickpeas are ready, drain and let cool.
Hummus instead of tahini: If you want to use hummus in place of tahini, you may not need to add as much additional seasoning. To make your own hummus, here is a good basic recipe: Hummus with Chickpeas and Tahini.
Using your own almond milk: Instead of store-bought almond milk or drink, you can make your own almond milk and use it in a wide variety of recipes — including this one. The following link will take you to a refreshing recipe that we can highly recommend: Raw Almond Milk.
Dried dill: If you are using dried dill instead of fresh, you will only need ¼ teaspoon instead of 1 tablespoon.
