This chickpea and kale salad is one of my favorite dinner salads! Massaged kale is paired with carrots, sun dried tomatoes, feta cheese, and creamy avocado.
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I've been making this main dish salad for years, but I tend to make it a little different every time, so it hasn't found its way to the blog until now.
I love how hearty, flavorful, and versatile it is. It's loaded with veggies and plant based protein, plus plenty of flavor thanks to fresh herbs and my homemade sun dried tomato dressing.
There are a few tips for making sure this main dish salad is the best it can be, so don't miss those in the post or in the recipe notes below!
Ingredients
- Chickpeas
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Coarse kosher salt
- Kale
- Carrots
- Sun dried tomatoes in oil
- Feta cheese
- Fresh dill
- Fresh chives
- Avocado
- Sun dried tomato dressing
How to make kale salad
- Place the rinsed and drained chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel and pat dry.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large cast iron or other oven safe skillet over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot add the chickpeas and 1 tablespoon pressed garlic. Shake the pan so everything sits in a single layer and transfer to the hot oven. Let cook, stirring once or twice, until brown and crisp, about 20 minutes.
- While the chickpeas are cooking, prepare the vinaigrette and the rest of the salad.
- Place the kale in a large bowl and add a few drops of olive oil. Using clean hands, massage the kale for a few minutes until dark and softened.
- Add the carrots, sun dried tomatoes, feta, dill, and chives. Toss to combine.
- When the chickpeas are done, add them to the salad along with half the dressing and toss again.
- Serve the salad topped with sliced avocado and extra dressing if desired.
Top tips
How to remove ribs and stems from kale
While the ribs and stems of kale are technically edible, they don't have the best texture. They're easy to remove by cutting around them, or I'll often just hold a piece by the stem and slide my other hand from bottom to top to remove the softer parts of the leaves.
Massage the kale
Kale is a pretty tough green. To make it softer and easier to eat, add a few drops of olive oil to the chopped kale and massage it for a few minutes with clean hands before adding the remaining ingredients.
How to cut carrots for salads
I like to use my Deiss julienne peeler (affiliate link) to create easy carrot strands for salads. If you don't own a tool like this you could cut the carrots into coins with a large knife, or shred them on the large holes of a box grater.
How to store chickpea and kale salad
I recommend storing the dressing separately from the rest of the salad if possible. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The chickpeas will lose some of their crispiness, but will still be delicious!
Tips for customizing this kale salad recipe
- Swap the feta for goat cheese
- If you don't have dill, try fresh basil or parsley
- Season the chickpeas with your favorite seasoning mix such as lemon pepper
- Swap the chickpeas for toasted pine nuts
- Instead of the homemade dressing, try a store bought Italian dressing, red wine vinaigrette, or balsamic vinaigrette
- Meat eaters can add cooked chicken, shrimp, or salmon
FAQ
I like to use curly kale because it's easy to find, but Tuscan kale (also known as dinosaur kale or lacinato kale) would also be great!
I think the best kale salad dressing is my sun dried tomato dressing. It's light, flavorful, and easy to make with ingredients I usually have on hand.
More salad recipes
- Spring Roll Salad
- Air Fryer Gnocchi Salad
- Vegan Potluck Barley Salad
- Sun Dried Tomato Pasta Salad
- Roast Pumpkin Salad
- Quinoa Taco Salad
- Cajun Salad
- Pesto Tortellini Salad
- The Best Easy Vegan Salad
- Pizza Salad
- High Protein Vegan Salad with Hummus
- Kale and Sweet Potato Salad
- Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
- Warm Kale and Quinoa Salad
- Salad Bar Salad
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 15 ounces canned chickpeas, garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little extra for the kale
- 1 tablespoon pressed garlic
- Coarse kosher salt
- 1 head kale, about 5 cups, stems removed and roughly chopped
- 2-3 carrots, julienned or shredded
- 4 ounces sun dried tomatoes in oil, chopped, oil reserved
- 6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
- 1-2 avocados, sliced
Sun Dried Tomato Dressing
- 5 tablespoons oil, from the jar of sun dried tomatoes, or olive oil if you don't have enough
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons raw honey
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Place the rinsed and drained chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel and pat dry.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large cast iron or other oven safe skillet over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot add the chickpeas and 1 tablespoon pressed garlic. Shake the pan so everything sits in a single layer and transfer to the hot oven. Let cook, stirring once or twice, until brown and crisp, about 20 minutes.
- While the chickpeas are cooking, prepare the vinaigrette and the rest of the salad.
- Place all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or mason jar and stir or shake until combined. I always eyeball the spices, but I recommend starting with ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes and adding more to taste.
- Place the kale in a large bowl and add a few drops of olive oil. Using clean hands, massage the kale for a few minutes until dark and softened.
- Add the carrots, sun dried tomatoes, feta, dill, and chives. Toss to combine.
- When the chickpeas are done, add them to the salad along with half the dressing and toss again.
- Serve the salad topped with sliced avocado and extra dressing if desired.
Notes
Tips for customizing kale salad
- Swap the feta for goat cheese
If you don't have dill, try fresh basil or parsley
Season the chickpeas with your favorite seasoning mix such as lemon pepper
Swap the chickpeas for toasted pine nuts
Instead of the homemade dressing, try a store bought Italian dressing, red wine vinaigrette, or balsamic vinaigrette
Meat eaters can add cooked chicken, shrimp, or salmon
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