A Crispy Chickpea Kale Caesar Salad that is hearty, healthy and a meal all on its own. Dark leafy kale and romaine lettuce matched with amazing roasted sweet potatoes and crispy chickpeas, chopped walnuts, and red onion all topped with an amazing creamy tahini dressing. Vegetarian, easily vegan, gluten-free and a perfect meal-prep recipe!
Most people that know me, know how much I love a big, hearty, healthy salad. Pretty much every day for either lunch or dinner. Especially this new favorite kale caesar salad.
I just find it easier to plan my meals if there is a daily salad on the menu. Plus, it helps me get more veggies in and allows me to be super creative.
Well, this Crispy Chickpea Kale Caesar Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes did not disappoint. It has everything and then some, that you want in a creamy, filling, hearty salad that stands on its own as a complete meal. Oh, and it can easily be made vegan. Yes!!!!
Why you will love this salad
- Filling, hearty and nutritious
- Perfectly crispy roasted chickpeas and sweet potatoes that are just AMAZING!
- Crazy good creamy tahini dressing that you will want to put on everything!
- Simple make-ahead meal and perfect for meal prep. I could eat this every day.
- Crisp kale and romaine are the perfect bed of greens in this salad
- It’s vegetarian and packed with lots of plant based protein
Ingredients to make this kale caesar salad
How to make this amazing kale caesar salad
- Roast the sweet potatoes and chickpeas. Chop up the sweet potato into 1- inch cubes and place onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss to coat and roast at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, turn the sweet potatoes over and push them to one side of the baking sheet. Mix up the chili powder, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pour the chickpeas onto the other half of the baking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil, and sprinkle them with the seasoning mix. Use your hands to lightly toss the chickpeas to coat them in the oil and spices.
- Return the pan to the oven and roast the chickpeas and the sweet potatoes for 20 more minutes. Then remove and let cool for a few minutes.
4. While the potatoes and chickpeas are roasting, you can prepare the rest of the salad. Add the sliced kale and romaine to a large salad bowl or platter. Drizzle with a little olive oil and lightly massage for a minute or so. Then add in the diced red onion, chopped walnuts, diced avocado and the roasted chickpeas and sweet potato.
Make the creamy tahini dressing
Ingredients for the dressing
- Olive oil
- Dijon mustard
- Mayonnaise or plain greek yogurt
- Lemons (2)
- Tahini paste
- Manchego or parmesan cheese
- Maple syrup or honey
- Garlic
- Worcestershire sauce
- Dried parsley
- Dried basil
- Salt and pepper
5. Add all dressing ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine into a creamy dressing. It’s so good!!!!!
6. Finally, drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss the salad to evenly coat the rest of the ingredients. You will not need to use all of the dressing. I use about 1/4-1/2 cup of the dressing for the whole salad or you can plate it and then dress each portion individually.
You can store the remaining dressing in a mason jar or airtight container for up to 3 days.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Switch up the greens. You could swap the kale with spinach or even add in some sliced cabbage in place of the romaine lettuce. Arugula would also be great in this salad.
- Make this recipe vegan. Simply swap the manchego cheese in the dressing with 1/4 cup cashews that have been soaked overnight in some water and leave out the greek yogurt or sub with vegan mayo.
- Want more toppings? Almonds, cranberries, or shredded carrots would all be great and add some additional taste and texture.
- Add some more protein. Grilled chicken, crispy tofu, or sliced hard-boiled eggs would add a nice bump in protein to this salad.
- Parmesan cheese or feta cheese can be used in place of the manchego cheese in the dressing.
- This salad can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Add th sliced avocado when ready to eat.
Other salad recipes you may enjoy!
Kale Brussel Sprout Salad with Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette
Easy Autumn Crunch Pasta Salad
Easy Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing
Did you try this recipe? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below.
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Crispy Chickpea Kale Caesar Salad
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 50
- Yield: 6 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A Crispy Chickpea Kale Caesar Salad that is hearty, healthy and a meal all on its own. Dark leafy kale and romaine lettuce matched with amazing roasted sweet potatoes and crispy chickpeas, chopped walnuts, and red onion all topped with an amazing creamy tahini dressing. Vegetarian, easily vegan, gluten-free and a perfect meal-prep recipe!
Ingredients
For the roasted sweet potatoes
- 2 small sweet potatoes – cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the crispy roasted chickpeas
- 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
For the Salad
- 4 cups of curly kale-sliced thin
- 2 cups romaine lettuce-sliced thin
- 1/2 cup diced avocado – about 1–2 avocados depending on their size
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- Shredded parmesan cheese for serving – optional
For the creamy tahini dressing
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons plain green yogurt or mayo (I like to use vegan mayo)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons tahini paste
- The juice of 1-2 lemons-about 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cloves garlic-peeled and minced
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/3 cup grated manchego cheese, parmesan cheese or feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
Instructions
Roast the Sweet Potatoes and Chickpeas
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the cubed sweet potato onto the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of kosher salt and black pepper. Toss to coat. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Mix up the chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Move the sweet potatoes to one side of the pan flipping them over as you move them. Then pour the chickpeas onto the same pan on the empty side. Drizzle the chickpeas with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle them with the seasoning mix. Toss them with your hands to coat everything in the oil and seasoning. Return the pan to the oven and continue to roast for another 20 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes.
Assemble the salad
- While the potatoes and chickpeas are roasting you can prep the rest of the salad. Place the shredded kale and romaine into a salad bowl or large rimmed dish, lightly drizzel with olive oil and massage for one minute.
- Add the diced avocado, red onion, and chopped walnuts to the bowl with the kale and romaine.
- Make the dressing: Add all dressing ingredients to the bowl of a food processor or blender and pulse for 30-45 seconds to combine and emulsify into a creamy dressing.
- Add the roasted chickpeas and sweet potato to the salad. Drizzle some of the dressing over the salad and lightly toss to coat all of the ingredients in the dressing.
- Top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese if desired.
- Serve cold or at room temperature and enjoy!
Notes
- Switch up the greens. You could swap the kale with spinach or even add in some sliced cabbage in place of the romaine lettuce. Arugula would also be great in this salad.
- Make this vegan. Simply swap the manchego cheese in the dressing with 1/4 cup cashews that have been soaked overnight in some water and leave out the greek yogurt or sub with vegan mayo.
- Want more toppings? Almonds, cranberries, or shredded carrots would all be great and add some additional taste and texture.
- Add some more protein. Grilled chicken, crispy tofu, or sliced hard-boiled eggs would add a nice bump in protein to this salad.
- Parmesan cheese or feta cheese can be used in place of the manchego cheese in the dressing.
- This salad can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Add th sliced avocado when ready to eat.
- Category: Healthy Salads
- Method: Roasted
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Kale Caesar salad, kale salad, tahini dressing, vegetarian salad recipes, crispy chickpeas
Are there any other cheeses that would work well in this recipe?
Hi Donna, Thank you for your comment. Parmesan cheese would also work. I will add that in the recipe notes section.
Absolutely delicious recipe. The dressing is just perfect. Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★