Deconstructed Falafel Salad

Name: Deconstructed Falafel Salad
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 Extra-virgin olive oil; 1 2 bunches of kale leaves (6 cups); 1 1 Persian cucumber, sliced into thin rounds; 1 3 cups (150 g) store-bought pita chips; 1 Handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped; 1 Handful of mint leaves; 1 1 lemon, cut into wedges; 1 Sea salt; 1 18 ounces (500 g) cooked chickpeas (about 2 cans), drained and patted dry; 1 Extra-virgin olive oil; 1 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 1 1 teaspoon paprika; 1 Sea salt and black pepper; 1 1/3 cup (90 g) tahini paste; 1 Juice of 1 lemon, plus more if needed; 1 1 garlic clove, very finely chopped; 1 Sea salt and black pepper

From the kitchen of Carly

All the flavors of falafel, minus the frying. Crispy roasted chickpeas tossed with wilted kale, cucumber, fresh herbs, and pita chips, then dressed with silky lemon tahini. Crunchy, bright, and surprisingly filling for a salad.

Prep: n/a
Cook: n/a
Total: n/a
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

4 servings

1Extra-virgin olive oil
12 bunches of kale leaves (6 cups)
11 Persian cucumber, sliced into thin rounds
13 cups (150 g) store-bought pita chips
1Handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
1Handful of mint leaves
11 lemon, cut into wedges
1Sea salt
118 ounces (500 g) cooked chickpeas (about 2 cans), drained and patted dry
1Extra-virgin olive oil
12 garlic cloves, finely chopped
12 teaspoons ground cumin
11 teaspoon paprika
1Sea salt and black pepper
11/3 cup (90 g) tahini paste
1Juice of 1 lemon, plus more if needed
11 garlic clove, very finely chopped
1Sea salt and black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
For the crispy roasted chickpeas, place the drained chickpeas into a small ovenproof dish. Cover with olive oil, season well with 2 big pinches of sea salt and black pepper, and add the garlic, cumin and paprika. Stir to combine. Roast for 35, 40 minutes, until the chickpeas are crispy. Set aside.
Place a large frying pan over medium heat and drizzle with oil. Add the kale, in batches, along with a pinch of salt and cook for 2, 3 minutes until wilted.
To make the lemon tahini, pour the tahini into a small bowl and whisk in the lemon juice and garlic. Gradually add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until the sauce is the consistency of thickened cream. If the tahini ‘seizes’ and becomes very thick, push through by adding more water; it will eventually come back together to form a cohesive creamy sauce. Season with sea salt and black pepper, and add more lemon juice if you like it lemony.
Combine the crispy chickpeas (and their cooking oil) with the kale, cucumber, half the pita chips and herbs. To serve, drizzle over the lemon tahini and scatter over the remaining pita chips. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.