Kale Salad Roasted Chickpeas (Print out)

Tender massaged kale paired with crispy spiced chickpeas and fresh veggies in a flavorful mix.

# What You'll Need:

→ Roasted Chickpeas

01 - 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
04 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
05 - 1/4 tsp garlic powder
06 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
07 - 1/2 tsp sea salt

→ Salad

08 - 1 large bunch (about 8 cups) curly kale, stems removed, leaves finely chopped
09 - 2 tbsp olive oil
10 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
11 - 1/4 tsp sea salt
12 - 1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
13 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
14 - 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds

→ Dressing

15 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
16 - 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
17 - 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
18 - 1 tsp maple syrup or honey
19 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Pat chickpeas dry with a clean towel. Toss with olive oil, smoked paprika, ground cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper if using, and sea salt. Spread evenly on the prepared baking sheet.
03 - Roast chickpeas for 25 to 30 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through until golden and crispy. Remove and let cool slightly.
04 - Place the chopped kale in a large bowl. Add olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and sea salt. Massage the kale with clean hands for 2 to 3 minutes until tender and reduced in volume.
05 - Add grated carrot, thinly sliced red onion, and toasted sunflower seeds to the massaged kale.
06 - In a small bowl, whisk together extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup or honey, and freshly ground black pepper until emulsified.
07 - Drizzle the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss to combine evenly.
08 - Top the salad with the roasted chickpeas immediately before serving to maintain their crispness.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Those roasted chickpeas are addictively crispy and somehow taste like they're breaking the rules of healthy eating.
  • Massaging kale for three minutes transforms it from intimidating to silky, and the dressing does the rest of the work.
  • It's the rare salad that tastes even better as leftovers because the kale soaks up all that tangy dressing.
02 -
  • Wet chickpeas will steam instead of crisp no matter how hot your oven is, so that towel step is not something to skip when you're in a hurry.
  • If you massage the kale more than four minutes it starts to fall apart, but less than two minutes and you're eating something that fights back in your mouth.
  • Add the chickpeas at the last possible second before serving or they'll absorb moisture and turn soft and chewy, which defeats their entire purpose.
03 -
  • Those chickpeas taste even better if you let them cool completely on the baking sheet before eating, the residual heat finishes the crisping process.
  • A squeeze of fresh lemon juice right before eating brings everything back to life, even if the salad has been sitting in the dressing for hours.
Go back