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The Deconstructed Falafel Salad

Reprinted with publisher permission from Family: New Vegetarian Comfort Food to Nourish Every Day by Hetty McKinnon. Photo credit: Luisa Brimble.

Course Salads
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 bunches of kale stems removed and leaves torn
  • 1 Persian cucumber sliced into thin rounds
  • 3 cups 150 g store-bought pita chips
  • handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves roughly chopped
  • handful of mint leaves
  • 1 lemon cut into wedges
  • sea salt

CRISPY ROASTED CHICKPEAS

  • 18 ounces 500 g cooked chickpeas (about 2 drained cans), patted dry
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • sea salt and black pepper

LEMON TAHINI

  • ¹⁄₃ cup 90 g tahini
  • juice of 1 lemon plus extra if needed
  • 1 garlic clove very finely chopped
  • sea salt and black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425˚F (220˚C).
  2. For the crispy roasted chickpeas, place the drained chickpeas in a small ovenproof dish. Cover with olive oil, season well with two 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.
  3. For the salad, place a large frying pan over a 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.
  4. 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, add 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.
  5. 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.