Chickpea Kale Apple And Goat Cheese Salad

The start of a new year is always a great time to reboot my healthy eating habits, but I also like to be realistic and prepare things for myself and family that I know we’ll enjoy eating and that’ll actually fill us up. This Chickpea, Kale, Apple, and Goat Cheese Salad is just that; not only is it a salad that’s so delicious and easy to make, it’ll also definitely fill you up! I love a salad with lots of “stuff” in it in general so I don’t get bored with it, especially if it’s an entree salad. I love the bits of sweetness from the apples and the crunch from both the apples and pecans. The goat cheese adds a nice tangy and creamy component to the salad, the chickpeas add to the ‘filling’ factor, and the bacon is just plain ol’ delicious, but can be omitted to make this salad even better for you. I love the hearty aspect of kale, especially paired with this simple lemon vinaigrette, but you can also substitute with a more delicate green like arugula and it’ll be just as good! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

lemon vinaigrette

2 tbsp shallots, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 small lemon, juiced

1½ tsp honey

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

salad

1 bunch kale, ribs removed and torn into bite sized pieces

1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained

6 slices crispy bacon, diced

1 small gala apple, cored and sliced into matchsticks

⅔ cup lightly toasted pecans

⅔ cup crumbled goat cheese