Smokey Kale Salad

Oh I am thrilled that there are people who come up with these incredible recipes. The dressing is amazing!!!  WOW.

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 lb. sweet potatoes peeled and chopped
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• Pinch of pepper
• 15 oz. can of black-eyed peas, rinsed
• ¼ cup your favorite vegan BBQ sauce
• 1 large bunch of kale, torn off of the ribs into bite-sized pieces
• Drizzle of olive oil
• ¼ cup roasted pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)

Smoky Ranch Dressing

• ½ cup raw cashews
• Hot water
• ⅓ cup soy milk
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. chopped white onion
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
• ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1/2 tsp maple syrup
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In one bowl toss the chopped sweet potato with the 2 teaspoons of oil, salt and pepper; then spread it out into a single layer on half of the baking sheet.
3. In another bowl, stir the black-eyed peas and BBQ sauce together, then spread the mixture out on the other half of the baking sheet.
4. Once the oven is to temperature, place the baking sheet inside and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender.
5. While that is roasting, stir together the soy milk and vinegar to create a "buttermilk" mixture, in a small bowl.
6. Then cover the raw cashews with very hot water and soak them for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse the cashews and place them in a blender, along with the rest of the dressing ingredients, including the "buttermilk". Blend until very smooth.
7. Once the dressing is made, set it aside and place the torn kale pieces into a bowl with a light drizzle of oil. Massage the kale for a minute, and divide it between four salad bowls.
8. When the black-eyed peas and sweet potatoes are done in the oven, divide each mixture between the four bowls, starting with the black-eyed peas. Next, drizzle the desired amount of dressing on top, then sprinkle a tablespoon of roasted pepitas on each salad.
9. Serve immediately.