Buffalo Chickpea KALE SALAD

When it comes to anything spicy, I am completely locked in! My love for spicy food comes from my grandfather; I often watched him eat his Popeye’s fried chicken with an entire Scotch bonnet pepper that he carried around in a plastic bag in case he needed it. While I have nowhere near his tolerance for chile heat, I do like to doctor most things—soup, meat, rice, tacos, and so on—with a dash (or two!) of hot sauce. That’s why this salad is perfect for me. It has a great amount of spiciness from the Buffalo sauce that works amazingly well with fresh kale, and a creamy dressing helps offset the heat factor. It’s simple and healthy yet flavorful—my entire motto, especially with plant-forward eating

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Step 1

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Step 2

2. Put the chickpeas in a medium-size bowl along with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and toss until fully coated. In a separate bowl, toss the halved tomatoes with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil until fully coated. Place the coated chickpeas and tomatoes on the sheet pan, on opposite sides, and sprinkle the chickpeas with the parsley, red pepper flakes, turmeric, cumin, garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Season the tomatoes with a pinch or two of salt and black pepper.

Step 3

3. Bake the chickpeas and tomatoes for 10 minutes. Give the pan a good shake, then spoon the Buffalo sauce over the chickpeas and tomatoes until they’re fully coated. Continue to bake until the sauce is fully baked onto the chickpeas, the chickpeas are crisp, and the tomatoes are slightly blistered around the edges and wilted, another 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 4

4. Meanwhile, prep the kale: Remove the leaves from the stems, then rinse the leaves and chop them into bite-size pieces. Dress the kale with your favorite creamy dressing and toss until evenly coated.

Step 5

5. Spread out the coated kale on a platter and top with the Buffalo chickpeas and tomatoes. Garnish with your favorite nuts, if desired. Serve immediately.