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Meatless Monday: Raw Kale Salad With Spicy Chickpeas

This week's offering is a side salad with an extra kick.

Did you know that improving your health can be as easy as cutting out meat and processed cold cuts one day a week? Doing so can reduce your risk of chronic, preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.

Enter Meatless Monday. This week's recipe is kale salad with chickpeas. "Although kale is a super-food on its own, I wanted to boost the protein content of this flavorful dish, so I added toasted chickpeas spiced up with my own Flamenco Spice Blend, " says Chef Asata, who provides the recipe. She adds, "You can use a combination of cayenne pepper, smoked paprika and lemon zest to give your toasted chickpeas some extra kick."

Serves 4

Raw Kale Salad With Spicy Chickpeas

1 lb kale, stemmed and chopped

1 large yellow squash, medium diced

1 large zucchini, medium diced

1 cup cauliflower florets

1 shallot, minced

3 carrots, grated or shaved into ribbons with a vegetable peeler

3 tbsp red wine or apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil

1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained, patted dry with paper towel

1 tbsp Carnelian Spice Blend, or yellow curry powder

1 tbsp Flamenco Spice Blend, or a tsp each of cayenne pepper, smoked paprika and lemon zest

Combine kale and shallot with oil and vinegar to begin the marination process that will tenderize the raw kale. 

Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the dry chickpeas and Flamenco Spice Blend and toast over medium heat until the chickpeas are golden and aromatic.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the remaining vegetables plus the Carnelian Spice Blend or curry powder to the kale salad.  Toss well to incorporate flavors. Season with salt if desired, and allow flavors to meld for at least 20 minutes. Prior to serving, toss in the toasted chick peas.

Nutritional analysis of raw kale salad with spicy chickpeas: 

Nutrition info: Per 307 gram serving: 199 calories, 6 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 269 mg sodium, 31 g total carbs, 7 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugar and 8 g protein

About Chef Asata:

Chef Asata completed her degree in culinary arts from the International School of Culinary Arts at the Art Institute of Atlanta in 2000 and has been a professional chef for nearly a decade in some of Atlanta’s top-rated restaurants and in private homes. She has been chef at Dish Restaurant, the Food Studio, Nikolai’s Roof (both recipients of the AAA Four Diamond Award) and the vegan restaurant Lush. Asata teaches cooking classes for teens and adults at the Cooks Warehouse in Atlanta.

(Photo: Chalotte Observer/MCT/Landov)

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