Kale Salad with Roasted Chickpea Croutons

Many of us crave lighter meals in the summer. Long days spent outdoors in the heat mean that the last place I want to spend more time is indoors next to a hot oven. Kale salad to the rescue! I appreciate a lot of things about this kale salad — its lemon garlic tahini salad dressing, protein-dense white beans, and the crunch of roasted chickpeas to name a few.There are a lot of fun textures in this one which helps break up the monotony of mouthful after mouthful of kale. Don’t get me wrong — salads are my favorite food in the world because of the wide variety of ways that you can make them. But, if I don’t mix it up with my ingredients, I soon begin to feel like a rabbit / cow / horse / name your favorite vegetarian farm animal chomping away on greens. As a dependable, salad-for-lunch kind of human, I’ve learned a thing or two about combatting salad burnout. Become a texture queen! And may your first order of business be making (or eating) this meal.

I recommend starting with the roasted chickpeas and whipping up the tahini salad dressing and white beans while the chickpeas are roasting. Once they’re finished and cooled, toss it all together and enjoy.

kale salad and wine

Kale and wine can be a finicky match, so you’ve come to the right spot. Kale is a bitter, vegetal superfood that this recipe rounds out with earthy lemon tahini salad dressing, creamy white beans, and salty crunchy chickpeas. If you wanted to add an additional creamy element to the mix, throw in some sliced avocado. Play up the creaminess or match kale’s tang with the following pairings:

• California Chardonnay: this choice is all about maxing out the creaminess. New World, oaked, and lush. If you go with the classic buttery California Chardonnay, I recommend throwing in some sliced avocado to really play to the softness.
  • Suggested Regions: Napa Valley, Paso Robles, Lake County
• Sauvignon Blanc: Vegetal, grassy, bell pepper, and parsley. The zip will stand up to the bitterness of the kale and encourage the more neutral creamy flavors to stand up straight.
  • Suggested Regions: Sancerre (Loire Valley, France) or Fumé Blanc (USA)
• Grüner Veltliner: Austrian herbaceous wine with green pepper, lemon, lime, and grapefruit. Best served cold.
  • Suggested Styles:  Federspiel or Steinfeder from Wachau Region, Austria

Kale Salad with Roasted Chickpea Croutons

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Healthy kale salad recipe with earthy tahini salad dressing, crunchy roasted chickpeas, and creamy white beans.

• Author: Plant & Vine
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 5 servings
• Category: Mains, Vegan, Salad, Sides
• Method: Roasting, Chopping
• Cuisine: American, Vegan, Healthy

Ingredients

Roasted Chickpeas

• 1 can chickpeas
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

Tahini Salad Dressing

• 1/3 cup tahini
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Juice of 1-2 lemons
• 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup
• Pinch each sea salt + black pepper
• Hot water to thin

White Beans

• 1 15- ounce can white or butter beans, rinsed and drained
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped, plus more for topping

Salad

• 10 ounces kale, chopped, large stems removed
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• Pinch each sea salt + black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

1. To make roasted chickpeas, preheat oven to 390 F. Combine all chickpea ingredients in a bowl and stir until evenly coated. Place the chickpeas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for 20 minutes, then remove chickpeas from oven and roll around so different sides are exposed to heat. Roast for another 10-15 minutes. Let the chickpeas cool completely before using.
2. To make dressing, add tahini, garlic, lemon juice, maple syrup, sea salt, and pepper to a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine, and add hot water to thin until pourable. Tahini salad dressing should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
3. To make white beans, add drained beans to a small mixing bowl with lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, and fresh parsley. Toss to combine.
4. To prepare the kale salad, add kale to a large mixing bowl with lemon juice, olive oil, maple syrup, salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Use your hands to massage the kale (similar to kneading bread) until it starts to soften up a little bit, about 2-5 minutes.
5. To serve salad, add 3/4 of tahini salad dressing and all of white beans to large kale mixing bowl. Toss until evenly coated. Plate and top with roasted chickpeas. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top and season with cracked black pepper as desired.
6. Best served fresh. To store, keep salad dressing and kale separate until ready to eat.

Notes

*Recipe is a guide. Adapt ingredients and measurements as desired. Baking times may vary depending on oven settings. Inspired by Minimalist Baker’s Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing.

Keywords: kale salad, vegan kale salad, kale salad with chickpeas, kale salad with tahini dressing