Whip up a quick kale and chickpea salad, tossed with a zesty lemon dressing in just 10 minutes for a quick side salad or a stand-alone meal.
Key Ingredients
This kale salad recipe is one of my go-tos. The ingredients are simple, and the whole thing comes together in 10 minutes, no cooking required! It’s a dish that tastes even better as it sits, making it perfect for meal prep. Here’s everything you need to get started.
- Kale: Curly kale is the fresh base for the kale and chickpea salad, but chopped Tuscan kale also works.
- Oil: Massage the chopped kale leaves, red bell peppers, and onions with a little bit of extra-virgin olive oil.
- Vegetables: Slice a red bell pepper, red onion, and a cucumber into bite-sized pieces.
- Chickpeas: Chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) make up the bulk of the salad. I use canned chickpeas, but dried chickpeas work; just set aside enough time to soak and cook them before adding them.
- Dressing: Process plain hummus, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, dried dill, and kosher salt into a creamy lemon garlic dressing.
Additions and Substitutions
One of my favorite things about this kale and chickpea salad is how easy it is to customize. You can mix and match ingredients to make it your own. Use what you have in your fridge and pantry, add a variety of textures, and switch things up based on your mood.
- Experiment with salad dressings. Use your favorite store-bought dressing or try one of mine: sherry shallot dressing, miso vinaigrette with nutritional yeast, or basil balsamic vinaigrette.
- Load up on veggies. Mix in sliced cherry tomatoes, shaved Brussels sprouts, peppery arugula, or thinly sliced fennel. You can even swap the kale for a store-bought salad mix or use my arugula and spinach salad as the base.
- Go nuts. Add crunch with toasted pecans, walnuts, pistachios, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds.
- Top with cheese. Finish the salad with goat cheese, gorgonzola, feta, or shaved asiago for extra richness.
- Make it hearty. Stir in some quinoa, wild rice, farro, or couscous to make it more filling.
Prepare the Kale
To get the best texture and flavor from your kale, it helps to prepare it properly. Follow these simple steps to soften the leaves and make them ready for the kale and chickpea salad.
1. Wash the raw kale and strip the leaves from the stems.
2. Roughly chop the kale into bite-size pieces and pat them dry with paper towels or give them a whirl in a salad spinner to remove any excess water.
How to Make Kale and Chickpea Salad
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Massage the kale, red pepper, and crisp red onion with olive oil in a mixing bowl. Transfer everything to a serving bowl, then add the cucumbers and chickpeas. Toss to combine.
Step 2: Add the dressing ingredients to a food processor or small blender and process until smooth. Add a little warm water, as needed, until it has a pourable consistency.
Step 3: If you’re serving immediately, pour the dressing over the salad and stir to coat. If you’re meal prepping, keep the dressing separate and add it right before serving.
If you enjoy this kale chickpea salad, try one of these salad recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Kale and chickpea salad is a simple salad you can make for lunch, quick weeknight dinners, and weekly meal prep. And it’s the perfect dish to bring to your next potluck or picnic.
The chickpea salad is also an ideal base for a protein bowl you can top with marinated tofu, fried salmon bites, or thin-cut chicken breast.
Storage
Store the kale and chickpea salad and dressing separately for the best results. Keep the salad in an airtight container for 2-3 days, while the dressing will stay fresh for up to a week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the salad in advance?
Absolutely, make a double batch of the salad ingredients to enjoy throughout the week. Just be sure to store the dressing separately so the greens don’t get soggy.
More Recipes with Chickpeas:
Kale and Chickpea Salad
- 1 bunch kale, washed, stemmed, and roughly chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ Persian cucumber, quartered and sliced
- 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup hummus
- lemon juice, 1 lemon
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- warm water, as needed
- Massage the kale, red pepper, and crisp red onion with olive oil in a mixing bowl. Transfer everything to a serving bowl, then add the cucumbers and chickpeas. Toss to combine.
- Add the dressing ingredients to a food processor or small blender and process until smooth. Add a little warm water, as needed, until it has a pourable consistency.
- If you’re serving immediately, pour the dressing over the salad and stir to coat. If you’re meal prepping, keep the dressing separate and add it right before serving.