Kale salad recipe with roasted chickpeas (2024)

With roasted chickpeas and a creamy cashew salad dressing, this salad is a full meal on its own.

Satiating chickpeas, garlicky dressing, and the vegetables of your choice make it a winner of a lunch or dinner.

Kale is an ideal leafy green for meal planning.

Because it’s a hearty green, it doesn’t wilt in the same way that spinach or romaine does. You can even dress it ahead of time.

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The roasted chickpeas give the salad an extra boost of staying power.

They are best hot out of the oven or air fryer.

But I still enjoy them cold out of the refrigerator too.

Keep in mind, though, they won’t have the same crispness and crunch post-refrigeration.

For the salad dressing, I recommend creamy cashew salad dressing.

It’s a full-bodied dressing that really stands up to the strong flavor of kale.

The dressing is filled with the tastes of garlic and cilantro.

But if you’re not a cilantro fan, feel free to leave it out, or serve it with vegan ranch dressing instead.

Step by step instructions

Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

Start by making a batch of roasted chickpeas in the oven or air fryer with seasonings.

Then make a batch of creamy cashew dressing in a high speed blender.

Finally, use your hands to massage chopped kale in a large mixing bowl, along with a couple Tablespoons of dressing.

The kale will soften and reduce in the bowl.

Once the kale looks soft, add your favorite chopped vegetables.

Finally, finish it with more cashew dressing.

You can make this salad your own by adding any of the following:

• Peanuts, cashews, or pistachios
• Coconut bacon
• Dolmas
• Olives
• Vegan feta cheese
• Vegan croutons
• Air fryer tortilla strips