Vegan Blue Cheese and Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas, Avocado and Pomegranate

Serves: 4 as a main or 6 as a side
Time: 15 minutes

Description: This hearty winter salad showcases Wild Root's Tangy Blue cheese in two delicious ways. Half the block is blended into a creamy blue cheese dressing, while the rest is cubed and scattered on top of the salad. Wild Root's Tangy Blue provides an authentic blue cheese flavour that pairs perfectly with earthy kale, crispy spiced chickpeas, and fresh pomegranate. The filling nature of the kale base makes this salad perfect for cold weather and can be portioned up for quick mid-week lunches.

Ingredients:

For Blue Cheese Dressing:

• 1 block Wild Root Tangy Blue (half for dressing, half cubed for salad)

• Juice of 1/2 lemon

• Salt and pepper

• 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley leaves

• 125ml plant-based milk

• 1 tbsp olive oil

For the Crispy Chickpeas:

• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed thoroughly

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 tsp paprika

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp thyme

• Salt and pepper

For the Salad:

• 180g kale

• 1 avocado, cubed

• 1/4 pomegranate

• Fresh parsley

Method:

1. Add a tbsp of olive oil to a large frying pan, once hot, add the drained and rinsed chickpeas. Add all the remaining herbs and spices and season to your taste. Stir together so all the chickpeas are coated and cook on a medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.
   
   
   

2. Whilst your chickpeas are cooking, make your dressing. Add half a block of Tangy Blue to a blender along with all the remaining dressing ingredients, apart from the parsley. Blend until smooth and then stir through the chopped parsley. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
   
   
   

3. Prepare your salad toppings: cube your avocado and sprinkle with a little salt and lemon juice, cube the remaining Tangy Blue and remove pomegranate arils. Set aside.
   
   
   

4. In a large salad bowl, add the kale and a tsp of olive oil, and massage the oil into the kale until it is shiny and softened. Add half the dressing and stir through, making sure all the leaves are coated.
   
   
   

5. Pour the chickpeas over the kale, add the avocado and the Tangy Blue, sprinkle with pomegranate arils and fresh parsley and lastly drizzle with the remaining blue cheese sauce.