I just saw a GIF on Facebook from the movie ‘Hocus Pocus‘ that was of the 3 main witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy) with their faces looking absolutely shocked. The text on the GIF said, “When someone tells me they’re not excited for fall.”
My face would be the same as those three witches – I LOVE fall. I am so excited to be giving birth at the end of September, because October is my all-time favorite month, and I can’t wait to take stroller walks with the baby and smell the fall foliage and feel that cool, crisp breeze.
Although I’m savoring every last minute of alone time with Lu and summer weather, I’m secretly more excited for fall than I am for summer. Luckily, this summer hasn’t been as brutal as last summer – I felt like last summer in this area it was high 90s every day for weeks at at time.
This photograph is another ‘oldie but a goodie’ that my girl Sarah from Broma Bakery re-photographed for me. The sweet potato noodles make it a bit more fall-inspired, but you could swap the kale for spinach and the sweet potatoes for zucchini and make this into a summer version!
The sweet potato noodles with the spicy chickpeas bring protein and texture to this salad and what better dressing than a vegan caesar to top off the fluffy, tough kale? This caesar dressing has the consistency of a traditional caesar dressing, without the thick mayonnaise aftertaste or the anchovies. If you’re not vegan and just dairy-free, you can add a little less than a teaspoon of minced anchovy filets for that classic caesar taste.
Also, if you’re not vegan, you can add some grilled chicken for extra protein and flavor. I love this salad as is – the warmth of the kale and sweet potato noodles is an idyllic combo for a crisp fall day – or just a summer day when you’re channeling the fall?
Watch our video to learn how to spiralize a sweet potato using the Inspiralizer and subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch more videos:
Nutritional Information & Recipe
Weight Watchers SmartPoints*: 10 points
*These points were calculated using the official Weight Watchers SmartPoints calculator. We are in no way affiliated with Weight Watchers, we are providing this information based on popular demand.
Vegan Kale and Sweet Potato Noodle Caesar Salad with Crispy Spiced Chickpeas
Ingredients
- For the salad:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large sweet potato peeled, Blade C
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 packed cups chopped kale
- For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup raw cashews soaked for at least 2 hours
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 large cloves garlic
- 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
- For the chickpeas:
- 1 15- ounce can of chickpeas drained, rinsed, patted dry
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper and salt and whisk together. Add in the chickpeas, toss to coat, and then drizzle with the olive oil. Toss again to mix. Place the chickpeas out evenly over a parchment-paper lined baking sheet and bake 30-35 minutes or until crisp, shaking the pan half way through.
- Twenty minutes into baking the chickpeas, place a large skillet over medium heat and add in the olive oil. Once oil heats, add in the sweet potato noodles and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cover and cook, uncovering occasionally to toss, for 5-7 minutes or until sweet potato noodles are cooked through. Set aside in a large bowl when done.
- While the sweet potato noodles cook, place all of the ingredients for the dressing into a high speed blender and pulse until creamy. Taste and adjust (more tang? more lemon! more spice? more pepper! more flavor? more dijon!) Set aside.
- When sweet potato noodles are done, wipe the skillet clean. Coat with cooking spray and add in the kale. Sautee for 3 minutes or until the kale is warmed up and slightly wilted, seasoning lightly with pepper and add to the large bowl with the sweet potato noodles.
- When the chickpeas are done roasting, prepare the salad. Pour the Caesar dressing over the kale and sweet potato noodles and toss to combine thoroughly. Portion onto four plates and top with spiced chickpeas. Serve immediately.
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