Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing & Roasted Chickpeas

by Monique

This Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing & Roasted Chickpeas is restaurant quality good. It’s the kind of easy vegan salad you will most certainly crave!

Finished salad on a white plate with garlic and lemon in the background.

I absolutely love this recipe! A Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing & Roasted Chickpeas filled with all the good stuff. It will keep you full and satisfied. Perfect for a quick dinner or a great healthy vegan lunch idea.

The crispy chickpeas are perfectly spiced and the kale is tender and crunchy. While the avocado adds creaminess. The tomatoes and cucumbers add a pop of freshness and the tahini dressing is savory with a hint of sweetness. The combo is pure heaven in a salad.

This easy vegan salad is my go to recipe for weekly meal prep. It makes lunch so effortless and mighty nutritious!

The best part? If could be yours in less than 30 minutes!

Ingredient Notes:

  • Kale – Lacinato Kale works best for this recipe. It is also sometimes referred to as Dinosaur Kale.
  • Bell Pepper – I like Red best however, use what you have on hand.
  • Cherry Tomatoes – Grape will also work, look for a deep red color for the best flavor.
  • Cucumber – Any kind you like will work.
  • Avocado – You will definitely want a ripe avocado for this salad.
  • Chickpeas – I look for a low sodium or no salt added variety. These are also referred to as garbanzo beans.
  • Spices – These add a great savory flavor to the chickpeas.
  • Olive Oil – You can use any neutral tasting oil you have on hand.
  • Salt & Pepper – I use a fine sea salt & fresh cracked black pepper.
  • Tahini – You will want runny natural tahini for this recipe.
  • Garlic – Mince it super fine or use a garlic press. If you do not have any fresh garlic on hand you could use ⅛ tsp. garlic powder instead. However, fresh will produce a better flavor.
  • Lemon – Fresh is best and adds a great brightness to the dressing. You’ll want to use a smaller sized lemon or half a large.
  • Maple Syrup – Use pure natural maple syrup. You could sub this with agave if needed.
Ingredients for Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing & Roasted Chickpeas.

How To Make:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Wash and dry your chickpeas and spread them out onto a large sheet pan.

Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with your seasonings (paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper) toss to evenly coat in your olive oil and seasonings.

Chickpeas seasoned on a sheet pan uncooked.

Place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes stirring or shaking the pan halfway through to ensure they crisp up evenly.

Cooked chickpeas on a sheet pan.

While your chickpeas are cooking prep your veggies.

Wash and dry you kale and cut out the stems (the hard part in the middle). Chiffonade your kale as you would with fresh basil and place into a large salad bowl. You want the kale to be cut into very thin ribbon like strips. Take your hands and massage your kale for just a minute or two.

Slice bell peppers, quarter cucumbers, half tomatoes and add to the salad bowl with the kale. Mix to incorporate all of the ingredients together.

Salad in bowl undressed.

Now make your dressing. Either use a garlic press or mince garlic finely. In a small bowl whisk tahini, lemon, maple syrup and garlic together. Slowly add in your water to desired consistency. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Keep in mind the dressing will thicken in the refrigerator so if you plan to make this ahead you can use the full amount of water. It will appear thin at first but thicken as it sets.

Dressing in a bowl with whisk.

Now add your avocado to the salad bowl. Next, add about half of the dressing to start and toss your salad to incorporate everything together.

Dressed salad in a bowl.

Plate your salad and top with your roasted chickpeas. Drizzle with additional dressing if desired.

Enjoy!

Over head, finished salad on a plate.

Tips For Success:

  • Chiffonade isn’t that complicated. Chiffonade is just a fancy word for cut into thin strips or ribbons. You will simply take the kale (after removing the hard center) and roll a few leaves together like a pinwheel or cigarette. Then slice them into thin strips.
  • Massage that kale. Kale at first can be a pretty tough green. I find I enjoy my salad much more when I take the time to properly prepare my kale. Massaging the kale helps to tenderize it as well as make it easier to digest.
  • Chill your dressing if you have time. If you have time to chill your dressing go for it. In my opinion cold dressing is just better in general.
Can I Make This Oil-Free?

Yes! To make this recipe completely oil-free, simply cook the chickpeas on parchment paper without any oil. Still toss them in the seasonings and follow the instructions as described. Keep in mind the chickpeas will not get quite as crispy without the oil. However, they will still be tasty!

How To Store?

This is an excellent meal prep option and I tend to make this salad and eat it for an easy lunch throughout the week. If you plan to store this recipe, I recommend not dressing your salad or adding the avocado. Simply dress your salad and add some avocado when you are ready to enjoy it.

Store dressing and salad separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Close up, finished salad on a plate.

Other Recipes You May Like:

If you try this recipe make sure to let me know! Leave a comment, rate it and if you take a photo use #feeninforgreens on instagram. I love seeing photos of your recreations!

Finished salad on a white plate with garlic and lemon in the background.

Kale Salad with Roasted Chickpeas & Tahini Dressing

This Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing & Roasted Chickpeas is restaurant quality good. It's the kind of easy vegan salad you will most certainly crave!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Entree, Salad
Cuisine Gluten-free, Vegan
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
 

  • 1 large bunch of Lacinato Kale
  • ½ large bell pepper sliced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
  • ½ large cucumber quartered
  • 1 small avocado diced (or half a large)

Roasted Chickpeas

  • 1-15 oz can chickpeas
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • ¼ tsp. paprika
  • ¼ tsp. onion powder
  • ¼ tsp. garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp. sea salt
  • ¼ tsp. pepper

Dressing

  • ¼ cup tahini
  • 1 small lemon juiced
  • 1 tbsp. pure maple syrup
  • 1 clove garlic minced finely
  • up to ¼ cup water
  • salt & pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Wash and dry your chickpeas and spread them out onto a large sheet pan.
  • Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with your seasonings (paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper) toss to evenly coat in your olive oil and seasonings.
  • Place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes stirring or shaking the pan halfway through to ensure they crisp up evenly.
  • While your chickpeas are cooking prep your veggies.
  • Wash and dry you kale and cut out the stems (the hard part in the middle). Chiffonade your kale as you would with fresh basil and place into a large salad bowl. You want the kale to be cut into very thin ribbon like strips. Take your hands and massage your kale for just a minute or two.
  • Slice bell peppers, quarter cucumbers, half tomatoes and add to the salad bowl with the kale. Mix to incorporate all of the ingredients together.
  • Now make your dressing. Either use a garlic press or mince garlic finely. In a small bowl whisk tahini, lemon, maple syrup and garlic together. Slowly add in your water to desired consistency. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
  • Now add your avocado to the salad bowl. Next, add about half of the dressing to start and toss your salad to incorporate everything together.
  • Plate your salad and top with your roasted chickpeas. Drizzle with additional dressing if desired.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

  • Massaging your kale helps to make it a little more tender and easier to digest, I would highly recommend not skipping this step.
  • To make this oil-free use parchment paper and follow the instructions as listed minus the oil. Keep in mind the chickpeas will not get as crispy. 

Nutrition

Calories: 325kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 10gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gSodium: 431mgPotassium: 663mgFiber: 10gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1060IUVitamin C: 38mgCalcium: 86mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Tag @feeninforgreens and use #feeninforgreens

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2 comments

Kinsey September 8, 2020 - 6:45 pm

5 stars
This is one of my favorite salads from Feenin for Greens! Healthy and delicious!

Reply
Monique September 18, 2020 - 9:46 pm

Thank you, happy you enjoyed it!

Reply

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