Low-carb Kale Chickpea Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing is a meal-prep-friendly recipe that makes it easy to get your greens. Plus, it's vegan, gluten-free, and easy to make. Serve as a side salad, a main meal, or as a light lunch.
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This is my insurance salad! I make this kale chickpea salad weekly to ensure that I get my greens every day of the week. It lasts in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and tastes even better the next day. Plus, it pairs well with almost any meal.
The lemon vinaigrette is so versatile and can be made without any sweetener as desired. It's tangy and bright and takes just a few minutes to whip up.
This chickpea kale salad recipe was inspired by my healthy Best Cabbage Salad with Crispy Chickpeas, as well as this protein-packed Kale Quinoa Salad with White Beans.
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👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
- Kale is a nutrition powerhouse. It's loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Plus, it holds up much better than its leafy counterparts without becoming soggy, which is why this salad is my go-to for meal prepping.
- Chickpeas also called garbanzo beans, are high in plant-based protein, fiber, and iron. Chickpeas are a type of legume, a family of plants that also includes peanuts, soybeans, lentils, and peas. Use canned chickpeas or cook your own.
- Red onion adds a kick to this salad. To reduce their bite, soak the sliced onion in water for 5 minutes and drain before seasoning.
- Lemons contain about 50 milligrams of vitamin C, which is over half the amount of vitamin C needed in your daily diet. Vitamin C helps with the absorption of iron from the kale.
- Garlic adds flavor to the Lemon Vinaigrette dressing. To reduce its bite, feel free to soak the minced garlic in the lemon juice for 5 minutes before proceeding to make the dressing.
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Dijon mustard or stoneground mustard
- Sesame seeds are packed with essential nutrients including calcium, iron, and heart-healthy fats.
- Sumac (optional) is a seasoning commonly used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines. It's made from the dried and ground berries of the sumac plant. It has a tangy lemony flavor and adds a citrusy element to this Kale Chickpea Salad recipe.
- Maple syrup is optional but recommended to balance the citrusy flavors of the dressing.
- Dried or fresh herbs for the dressing - thyme, mint, or tarragon (optional)
- Paprika and garlic powder to season the crispy chickpeas (optional)
See the recipe card for quantities.
🥬 Substitutions
- Kale - use curly or lacinato kale (dinosaur kale)
- Red onion - substitute with chopped jarred sun-dried tomatoes preserved in oil, or artichoke hearts as desired
- Maple syrup - omit for a sweetener-free dressing
- Sumac - omit as needed or use lemon pepper instead
- Dried herbs - add dried thyme, oregano, or Italian seasoning to the lemon vinaigrette dressing
- Sweet potatoes - roast bite-size pieces of sweet potato at the same time as the chickpeas to make this a more substantial sheet-pan meal
Try my Vegan Roasted Chickpea Bowl for an easy and delicious balanced dinner. For more healthy meal-prep-friendly salads, visit my Vegan Salad Recipes page.
📖 Instructions
Step 1. Dry the chickpeas with a clean dish towel or paper towel. Place them onto a large rimmed nonstick baking sheet. Bake them for 10 minutes at 400ºF.
Step 2. Toss the plain baked chickpeas with olive oil. Bake them for about 10 minutes more, or until crispy, at 400ºF.
Step 3. Season them with salt and desired spices such as paprika and garlic powder.
Step 4. Meanwhile, massage the kale with olive oil and salt. Set aside for 10 minutes to soften.
Step 5. Toss the red onion with the sesame seeds, salt, and sumac (if using).
Step 6. Whisk the lemon juice, zest, garlic, black pepper, salt, dried herbs, and Dijon mustard. Then add the olive oil and whisk well to incorporate.
Step 7. Toss the massaged kale, seasoned red onion, crispy roasted chickpeas, and lemon vinaigrette in a large bowl.
💡 Expert Tips
- Follow these steps for making the crispiest chickpeas: 1. Dry the chickpeas with a paper towel or dish towel 2. Bake them plain 3. Toss them with olive oil 4. Bake them again 5. Season with salt and desired seasonings
- Massage the kale with olive oil and salt ahead of time. This tenderizes the kale, making it much more enjoyable to eat.
- Storage: Refrigerate any remaining Kale Chickpea Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
Massaging kale with olive oil and salt breaks down some of the tough, fibrous parts. This makes for a more tender salad that's easier to chew and digest. It is also an opportunity to infuse more flavor into the kale leaves.
To get your chickpeas extra crispy, make sure they are dry before cooking. Cook them on high to dry them out even more before adding oil. Toss them in oil and cook them again until crispy. Then add the desired seasonings while they are still hot.
Dry the canned or cooked chickpeas well before roasting. Remove the skins by rubbing them between the layers of the towel if you have the time. Place them in an air fryer basket and cook them at 400ºF for about 10 minutes, or until they are crispy and golden brown. Season them with the desired spices while they are still hot.
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Kale Chickpea Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For the chickpeas:
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas drained, and rinsed
- Drizzle of olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Dash of paprika (optional)
- Dash of garlic powder (optional)
For the salad:
- 1 pound kale (about 5 large stalks) tough stems removed, chopped
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
- ¾ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon sumac (optional)
For the lemon vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
- Sprinkle of lemon zest
- 1 clove garlic minced or pressed
- Black pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme or tarragon, or ½ tablespoon fresh mint or thyme (optional)
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup or to taste (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard or stone ground mustard
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Optional toppings:
- Sunflower seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Hemp hearts
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Instructions
- Roast chickpeas: 1. Dry the chickpeas with a clean dish towel or paper towel. Place them onto a large rimmed nonstick baking sheet. Bake them for 10 minutes at 400ºF. 2. Toss the plain baked chickpeas with olive oil. Bake them for about 10 minutes more, or until crispy, at 400ºF.3. Season them with salt and desired spices such as paprika and garlic powder.
- Meanwhile, massage the kale with olive oil and salt. Set aside for 10 minutes to soften.
- Season the red onion. Toss the sliced onion with the sesame seeds, salt, and sumac (if using).
- Make the lemon vinaigrette dressing: Whisk the lemon juice, zest, minced or pressed garlic, black pepper, salt, dried herbs, maple syrup, and Dijon mustard. Then add the olive oil and whisk well to incorporate.
- For serving: Toss the massaged kale, seasoned red onion, crispy roasted chickpeas, and lemon vinaigrette in a large bowl.
Notes
-
- Soak the sliced red onion in water for 5 minutes to reduce its bite, or substitute with chopped marinated sun-dried tomatoes, or artichoke hearts as desired
- Follow these steps for making the crispiest chickpeas: Dry with a towel; bake plain; toss with olive oil; bake again; season with salt and desired seasonings.
- Massage the kale with olive oil and salt ahead of time. Tenderized kale tastes best in salads.
- Storage: Refrigerate any remaining Kale Chickpea Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate. Nutritional values may vary depending on factors such as product types and brands used.
Gena C says
Delish! The lemon vinaigrette is outstanding! We're not vegan as a rule but we do frequently eat plant based. I had chicken defrosted so I added it. I will definitely make it again as a vegan dish.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad you enjoyed this dressing so much! Thank you for commenting.
Diane says
Delicious salad! It comes together so easily, I will definitely make it again.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Glad you are enjoying it! Thank you.
S says
Would you dress the salad and then store in fridge for 5 days or keep the dressing separate for leftovers? Thanks!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Either is fine, but the chickpeas stay crispier if you dress it for serving.
Andrea says
Soo good! Great way to get my green veggies in. I used about half of the kale because a pound wouldn’t fit in my bowl. Aaand I wish I had made twice the amount of chickpeas because they were so good. Looking forward to leftovers, since I have a really busy weekend ahead of me. Thanks!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe. I love the leftovers too! Thank you and have a great weekend:)
Alex Gutierrez says
I had to improvise because I didn’t have red onion and I have a somewhat picky young adult. I used yellow and orange bell peppers and added avocado and a bit of feta. Sorry to butcher this salad but it actually turned out awesome. I love that lemon and oil dressing. I had fresh thyme and mint on hand. The chickpeas add substance causing me to feel full. Thank you
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Love the substitutions! Butchering allowed in this case:) Thank you for leaving a comment.
Barbara says
Mega simple and delicious!!!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it.
Adrienne says
Simple and delicious! My husband said he could eat this every day. Salting the onions ahead of time gave the salad a nice onion flavor without the harsh bite.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I'm so glad you are both enjoying it. Thank you!
Denise McEniry says
This salad is delicious and the instructions are clear, many thanks!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I'm so glad the instructions are easy to follow. Thank you for leaving a comment. Have a great week.
Debbi D says
In the video did you blanch the red onion? Or just rinse? Wondering if it help digestion?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi. I just added this to the blog post. It helps reduce the bite quite a bit so it's not as sharp.