Tender kale, tangy Caesar dressing, and crispy, crunchy chickpeas make the perfect vegetarian salad! This easy chickpea and kale salad has that sharp Caesar bite you know and love, but with even more protein and flavor than ever before. It's a game-changer for meal prepping and is packed with protein and fiber to keep you going all day!
I absolutely love Caesar salad. That dressing is so bold and sharp; it almost bites back!
However, most Caesar salad recipes aren't very nutritionally balanced. As a Registered Dietitian, I wanted to offer an alternative with a very similar flavor that will nourish you a little more.
Fortunately, it was super simple! Greek yogurt is naturally rich, creamy, and loaded with protein, making it the perfect alternative to egg yolks or mayo in other recipes. The rest of the dressing ingredients make it savory and vibrant in all the right ways.
My favorite part is actually the crispy chickpeas. They add such a nice crunch, giving you lots of different textures in every bite.
Serve it as a simple side salad with lasagna or spaghetti, or meal prep it as a hearty lunch to enjoy all week!
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Ingredients
Raw kale - Choose any type of kale you prefer, like curly, Red Russian, or Tuscan kale. They all work great! Be sure to remove the stems and leave just the kale leaves.
Pumpkin seeds - Toasted to bring out flavor and add extra texture. Sunflower seeds are an easy swap and are often a little cheaper, too.
Panko breadcrumbs - These breadcrumbs are really crispy and we'll toast them to add extra crunch to the salad.
Chickpeas - Chickpeas are a great source of plant-based protein and fiber, and taste amazing crisped up in the oven.
Avocado oil - To toast the chickpeas to make them nice and crispy.
Seasonings - Season the chickpeas with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste.
Healthy Caesar Salad Dressing
Plain Greek yogurt - Greek yogurt is naturally rich and creamy and is an easy stand-in for eggs or mayo in your Caesar dressing.
Dijon mustard - Adds a nice, sharp bite.
Worcestershire sauce - For a deeply savory note.
Fresh lemon juice - To brighten up the dressing.
Fresh garlic - This is classic in Caesar dressing and adds a sharp, savory heat.
Parmesan cheese - For a savory note and classic cheesy flavor.
Salt and pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Crispy Chickpea and Kale Salad
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Prep the chickpeas. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then transfer them to a large bowl. Coat the chickpeas with avocado oil, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper.
- Toast. Place the chickpeas on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes until crispy and golden.
- Make the dressing. Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend for a minute or until the dressing is very smooth. If it is too thick, add a splash of milk or water and blend again.
- Prep the kale. Chop the kale and add it to a large salad bowl.
- Toast the bread crumbs. Add the panko crumbs to a small pan and toast them over medium heat until they brown. Keep mixing the panko so they don’t burn.
- Assemble and serve. Add the toasted panko, crispy chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, and dressing to the kale and toss. Enjoy!
Variations
Change the dressing - This recipe works with a variety of different salad dressings, not just Caesar! Try this Creamy Cilantro Dressing for a really fresh, herby flavor.
Add more veggies - Caesar salads are typically focused on that creamy dressing and the crispy lettuce and croutons. Feel free to pile on the cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, artichoke hearts, red peppers, red onion, and any other veggies that sound good.
Add more protein - Try adding cubed rotisserie chicken, crumbled bacon, crispy baked tofu, or even a can of rinsed and drained white beans.
Sweeten it - For a slightly sweeter dressing, add a drizzle of maple syrup.
Substitutions
Gluten-free:
The only gluten-containing ingredient is the panko breadcrumbs, and fortunately, you can now buy gluten-free panko! It's an easy swap. Most Worcestershire sauce is gluten-free, but check the label to be sure.
Dairy-free:
The main things you'll need to change are the yogurt and parmesan cheese. Use dairy-free yogurt and vegan parm. You can also try adding nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor without the expensive cheese substitutes.
Vegetarian:
This recipe is nearly vegetarian, except real Parmigiano Reggiano is made with animal rennet. Use parmesan made with vegetable rennet instead. You'll also want to use a vegan Worcestershire sauce to avoid any fish.
Nutrition
This chickpea kale salad recipe was formulated to be a complete meal in a bowl. It has plenty of protein and fiber to energize you and keep you full for hours!
I recommend serving it either as a side dish alongside pasta, grilled meats, or your favorite entree, or enjoying it as a light lunch or dinner during the warmer months of the year.
Storage
Since kale is so hardy, it's one of the few leafy greens that can handle being marinated for a few days. This makes it ideal for meal prepping!
Just toss everything together (except the breadcrumbs, which can turn soggy in the dressing) and store it in an airtight container for 3-4 days. When you're ready to serve, add the breadcrumbs and enjoy.
Top tip
Let it rest. Massage the dressing into the kale leaves to help tenderize them and release their flavor. Then, let the dressing rest so the leaves can really soak up all that delicious flavor.
FAQ
Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, tend to crisp up best out of all canned beans, but you can also toast white beans, like cannellini beans. To save time, make the beans the day before and store the roasted chickpeas in an airtight container on the counter until you need them. So handy when you're cooking at the last minute!
No, you don't have to. If you're making this salad to meal prep, you will want to serve the dressing on the side to avoid wilting the lettuce or greens. To keep things easy, you can buy pre-chopped curly kale at the grocery store! It's a huge time-saver.
You don't have to, but it is recommended. Massaging the kale will help soften the leaves so they aren't quite as sharp and scraggly, plus it actually releases more of their flavor. The alternative is to simply coat the kale in the dressing and toss and pinch it with salad tongs for several minutes. Then, let it sit for at least 30 minutes to soften slightly, and enjoy.
Related
Looking for more delicious salad recipes? Try these:
Pairing Suggestions
Serve this salad alongside one of these dinner options, or enjoy it as a light meal on its own.
Did you try this recipe? I would love to see what you made! Tag me (@bewelltable) on Instagram and leave a 5 ⭐️ review below!
Caesar Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 5 cups kale chopped
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup panko crumbs
- 15- ounce can chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Healthy Caesar Salad Dressing
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ lemon juiced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then transfer them to a large bowl. Coat the chickpeas with avocado oil, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper.
- Place the chickpeas on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes un
- For the dressing - put all the ingredients into a blender and blend for a minute or until the dressing is very smooth. If it is too thick, add a splash of milk or water and blend again.
- Chop the kale and add it to a large salad bowl.
- Add the panko crumbs to a small pan and toast them over medium heat until they brown. Keep mixing the panko so they don’t burn.
- Add the toasted panko, crispy chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, and dressing to the kale and toss. Enjoy!
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