Crunchy Kale Chickpea Salad with Caesar Vinaigrette
This Kale and Chickpea Salad combines crunchy fresh veggies with the creamy tang of Caesar Vinaigrette. It’s a vibrant symphony of textures and flavors that showcases how simple ingredients can create an irresistibly satisfying meal.
What you’ll love about this recipe:
- Simple Shopping List: All you need are 8 ingredients, and most of them are likely sitting in your pantry already!
- Palate Party: It’s astounding how something so simple can explode with complex flavors – crunchy, tangy, and a delightful burst of fresh herbs.
- Textures Galore: This simple salad has so many different textures, from crunchy celery to creamy chickpeas to soft artichokes. Every bite is interesting, and it’s a great way to introduce peopel to the flavor of kale.
Savor Simplicity: An Easy Kale and Chickpea Salad That’s Packed with Flavor
I love the comfort of a well-made, nutrient-rich salad!
This kale salad recipe is a tribute to the simple pleasures of home cooking, where simple ingredients combine to make something thats truely greater than the sum of it’s parts. It’s just the kind of inviting and satiating salad that is sure to find its place in your heart!
I’ve been making variations on this chickpea salad for years – along with my mayo free potato salad, it’s my favorite recipe to take on picnics and bring to potlucks.
It’s simple, nutritious and always a crowd pleaser, even among self-proclaimed kale haters.
The salad has evolved over the years, but the base always remains the same – chickpeas, artichoke hearts, cucumber, red onion, and red bell pepper. More recently, I’ve been inspired by the Confetti Crunch Salad from Whole Foods and I’m really into adding tons of celery. it adds so much crunch!
This simple salad is so versatile — it works as a main meal or as a side dish. It’s equally as delicious chilled as it is room temperature, so it’s great for cookouts and potlucks!
It stays crunchy in the fridge for days, so it’s perfect for meal prep lunches, too! I can’t get enough.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Celery: This veggie plays a key role in delivering a delightful crunch, balancing out the textures. Choose firm, vibrant green stalks. If your celery has leaves attached, even better! Add them right into the salad — they have an amazing flavor!
Red Bell Pepper: For a pop of brilliant color and more sweet crunch. Choose red peppers as they’re at their sweetest and ripest stage. Remember, red peppers are sweeter than green peppers, which.aren’t as tasty in this recipe. If you can’t find a red pepper, you can swap in yellow or orange, or chop up some jarred roasted red peppers.
Fresh Kale: Known for it’s robust flavor and nutrient content, kale adds a hearty texture to the dish. Pick deep-colored, sturdy leaves without any signs of wilting or browning. I like making this with Curly Kale because it has a tender texture and a slightly less butter, more peppery flavor. That said, Lacinato Kale (also known as Tuscan Kale or “Dinosaur Kale”) is also a great option! The only thing I’d avoid is baby kale, which has an entirely different texture.
Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans): For an added punch of protein and a comforting earthiness to this salad. You can use canned chickpeas for convenience, just give them a rinse and they’re good to go!
Fresh Herbs: A mix of fresh herbs like oregano and mint adds dynamic flavor to the salad. Experiment with different herbs to find your favorite combo!
Caesar Vinaigrette
This dressing finishes off this raw kale salad. Make your own, or use store bought! I like Newman’s Own or Marzetti for grab-and-go options.
To make your own, you’ll need olive oil, Worchestershire sauce, garlic, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, grated Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper.
Or opt for a creamier salad with my Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing.
Recipe Tips
- To soften the kale leaves and remove some bitterness, massage them awith a little salt before adding the other ingredients. It’s a trick I learned in cooking school and it’s a real game changer if you think you don’t like kale!
- Rinse canned chickpeas to reduce sodium content and improve the flavor.
- Let the salad chill out in the fridge for an hour or so to let all of the flavors meld together. The chilling step is crucial – the salad completely transforms in that hour and goes from being kind of blah to being totally awesome.
Variations and optional add-ins
This salad is so versatile, and once you have the base down, it’s fun to make it your own with your favorite twists. Try:
- Using crispy chickpeas instead of fresh ones for a different textural experience
- Add sunflower seeds or pistachios
- Stir in feta cheese crumbles or blue cheese
- Swap the chikpeas for white beans, cannellini beans, black beans, or even frozen and thawed edamame
- Don’t like Caesar dressing or need a vegan option? Try a lemon tahini dressing, Greek dressing, or my basic vinaigrette. In a pinch a drizzle of olive oil and apple cider vinegar is also delicious!
More hearty salad recipes you’ll love:
- Brussels Sprouts Salad with Maple Vinaigrette
- Cauliflower Tabbouleh Salad
- Harvest Kale Salad with Pomegranate + Apples
- 5-Minute Summer Corn Salad with Curry and Lime
- Lobster Farro Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
- Millet and Chicken Greek Salad
Ingredients
- 4 stalks celery
- 1 red bell pepper
- ½ seedless cucumber
- ½ small red onion
- 1 cup (packed) kale leaves
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 can (8.5 ounces) artichoke heart quarters roughly chopped
- 1 Tablespoon freshly chopped oregano
- 1 Tablespoon freshly chopped mint
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon creamy Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the celery, pepper, and cucumber into bite sized pieces. Thinly slice the onion. You should end up with about 1 cup celery, 1 cup cucumber, and 1/4 cup onion.
- Discard the tough kale stems. Slice the kale into shreds, then roughly chop.
- Add the kale to a large bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Using clean hands, massage the kale until it begins to soften and releases some butter green liquid. Pour off the liquid, then add the chopped vegetables, artichoke hearts, chickpeas, and herbs to the salad.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and Parmesan cheese. Season the dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
