Kale Salad with Spiced Chickpeas and Sunflower Seeds

I’ve been working on this recipe for a few weeks now, and I’m happy to report that I’ve finally nailed it. As I’ve said before, I love a snappy salad with plenty of sass, and this one has plenty to go around. 
A few things I want to mention about this recipe:

• Massaging the kale helps to tenderize it a bit. 
• While the chickpeas are more spiced than spicy, if you like your flavors on the milder side you can try using half the recommended amount. 
• You might end up with extra dressing, but it’ll be OK in the fridge for a couple days. 
• I like mine on the thicker side of things, and it’s also great as a dip with raw veggies. 
• Add a cup of cooked quinoa to make the salad even bigger and heartier. 
• This recipe yields 4 entree salads or more as a side.

Kale Salad with Spiced Chickpeas and Sunflower Seeds 
For the salad: 
1 bunch green curly kale, washed, stalks removed and leaves sliced
1 cup shredded red cabbage (from ¼ head)
1 cup grated carrot (from 2 carrots)
½ cup raisins
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Half a lime, juiced

For the spiced chickpeas and sunflower seeds:
2 cans chickpeas, drained and toweled off
2 tablespoons olive oil
1½ teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup raw, shelled sunflower seeds

For the dressing: 
½ cup avocado (from 1 avocado)
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
2-3 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Start by preparing the salad. In a large bowl, add kale, cabbage, carrots, raisins, salt, olive oil and lime juice. Massage ingredients for a minute and then set aside.

Next, prepare the chickpeas and sunflower seeds. In a medium bowl, combine chickpeas with olive oil, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, coriander and salt, until chickpeas are evenly coated with seasoning mixture. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 18 minutes. While chickpeas are in the oven, toss sunflower seeds in the same bowl used for the chickpeas to pick up any remaining spices. After baking chickpeas for 18 minutes, add sunflower seeds to baking sheet and bake for 2 more minutes before removing baking sheet from the oven.

Once the chickpeas are in the oven, make the dressing by blending the avocado, Greek yogurt, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, olive oil and cumin in a food processor. Thin the dressing with water to desired consistency by adding 1 tablespoon of water at a time.

Toss salad mixture with dressing until coated to your liking (I used ½ cup) and divide evenly among plates. Top each plate with spiced chickpeas and sunflower seeds.