Simple Kale Salad with Avocado and Chickpeas

Lists of food trends have been showing up everywhere. Of course, not all publications are in agreement. Bon Appetit sees a movement away from brownies to blondies and bread getting so dressed up it gets its own course on menus. The Sterling-Rice Group predicts we'll see more pickling and curing. Mercury News predicts we'll see more vegetables taking center stage, with dishes like cauliflower steaks. Cooking Light predicts sexy vegetables will prevail, a movement away from kale toward lighter, newer greens such as komatsuna.

Threats about the end of the kale trend showed up too often for my liking, with inquires about what the new quinoa, kale and cupcakes would be.

Luckily for me, the Huffington Post is holding onto kale, just encouraging me to use it in lighter preparations.

And this preparation would certainly count as lighter. This kale salad couldn't be simpler. It's lightly dressed with a bit of olive oil and lime juice. Red chili flakes give it a suggestion of heat. The addition of avocado, red onion and chickpeas ensure you get something interesting in each bite.

Make it more of a dinner salad by boosting the protein with more chickpeas, sauteed tempeh or oven-roasted tofu.

Take a big bite, smile, and think about all the new food trends we have to explore this year!


Simple Kale Salad with Avocado and Chickpeas

This salad serves 4 to 5 as a salad with dinner.

Ingredients:
1/2 bunch kale, stems removed, thinly sliced and well washed
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 avocado, sliced and cubed
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

In a large mixing bowl, combine lime juice, olive oil and red chili flakes. Stir well. Add a bit of salt and pepper. Add the onion, avocado and chickpeas to the bowl, and stir until the new ingredients are well covered.

Massage the kale with your hands for two to three minutes before mixing it in with the other ingredients.

Add the massaged kale to the other ingredients. Mix well. Taste, and add salt and pepper as needed.