Chickpea Kale Salad with Lemon Cashew Dressing
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This chickpea kale salad is a hearty mix of kale, crispy chickpeas, carrots, nuts, seeds, and hemp hearts, drizzled with a creamy, tangy lemon cashew dressing.
Looking for a delicious salad that is filling enough for lunch or dinner?
This kale chickpea salad combines wholesome ingredients for the perfect balance of textures and flavors, finished with a lemon and cashew butter dressing that’ll have you licking your plate clean.
Every bite is an experience, and everything comes together in minutes!
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Struggling with limited vegan condiments for your salads? Check out these easy recipes for vegan ranch dressing and mayo!
Why You’ll Love This Chickpea Kale Salad Recipe
- This chickpea kale salad recipe is ready in just 12 minutes with simple ingredients!
- This chickpea kale salad is versatile as a side dish but satisfying enough to serve as a main dish.
- This chickpea kale salad is perfect when you’re bored of the usual lettuce salad! It doesn’t taste veggie-forward, and the lemon cashew dressing brings everything together beautifully.
Ingredients And Substitutions
For the chickpea kale salad:
Olive oil – For getting the chickpeas nice and crispy. You’ll also need oil to toast the almonds.
Chickpeas – Canned and dry chickpeas will both work for this salad’s plant-based protein, but canned is definitely better for busy days.
Garlic, smoked paprika, and maple syrup – They impart the chickpeas with lots of savory, smoky, and sweet flavors. You can definitely experiment here and try other spices to give your salad depth of flavor. Tandoori masala will be great!
Baby kale – The nutritious base of this wholesome veggie salad. Baby kale is great for salads because it’s tender and mildly flavored. Even those who aren’t fans of greens will surely enjoy this cashew kale salad.
Slivered almonds, hemp hearts, sunflower seeds, and carrots – For added textures, flavors, and nutrients! If you want this chickpea kale salad as a hearty main dish, load it up with roasted vegetables like beets, sweet potatoes, and cherry tomatoes. Dried cranberries can also bring a satisfying sweetness to this salad.
For the lemon cashew dressing:
Cashew butter – No need to go through the hassle of soaking raw cashews for this kale chickpea salad recipe’s deliciously creamy dressing. Just grab your trusted brand of cashew butter. But if unavailable, feel free to use tahini.
Olive oil – Adds body and richness to the dressing.
Liquid aminos – Soy sauce also works for an umami boost.
Garlic – Any dressing can always benefit from fresh garlic.
Fresh lemon juice – Bright, zesty lemon juice is perfect for this spiced kale and chickpeas salad.
Tips For Making This Recipe
Bake the Chickpeas
Want a more hands-free way to cook your crispy chickpeas? Season the drained chickpeas and place them on a baking sheet with garlic cloves. Drizzle them with oil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the oven preheated to 375°F. Remove the garlic, and bake the chickpeas for another 15 minutes until golden brown.
Serve your Kale Chickpea Salad Warm
For a warm kale salad with chickpeas, quickly saute your kale in olive oil for 2 minutes on low heat before assembly.
Try a Different Dressing
While the cashew lemon dressing pairs perfectly with this kale salad, a simple lemon vinaigrette can just be as delicious. Mix lemon juice with mustard, garlic, and your choice of herbs and seasonings to adjust the taste.
Chickpea and Kale Salad Recipe FAQs
Can I use dried chickpeas instead of canned?
Sure! Rinse the dried chickpeas and place them in a pot. Add enough water to cover them by at least 1 to 2 inches, then boil them on low for 2 hours.
Do I have to use baby kale?
Baby kale is great for salads because the leaves are already quite tender without massaging. But if you don’t mind the additional prep work, feel free to use curly kale for this chickpea kale salad recipe.
How to soften kale for salad?
Sprinkle the chopped kale leaves with a bit of salt and massage them with some olive oil until they tenderize.
Why won’t my chickpeas get crispy?
The crispy chickpeas are one of the highlights of this kale cashew salad, but they won’t get beautifully crispy if they’re not drained and dry before you cook them.
How do you store leftover green salad?
You can store your leftover kale salad with cashew dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. But for the make-ahead, it’s best to store the salad ingredients and dressing separately and combine everything just before serving to maintain their textures.
More Delicious Vegan Salad Recipes
- Jerusalem Salad
- Green Bean Salad
- Vegan Potato Salad
- Vegan Street Corn Salad
- Copycat Cafe Rio Veggie Salad with Vegan Creamy Cilantro Dressing
I found this recipe for Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing that I HAVE to try!
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Chickpea Kale Salad with Lemon Cashew Dressing
Ingredients
For the chickpea kale salad:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp slivered almonds
- 8 cups baby kale
- 2 tbsp hemp hearts
- 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 1 carrot, peeled and shredded
For the lemon cashew dressing:
- 1/3 cup cashew butter
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp liquid Aminos
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 lemons, juiced
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Toss in the chickpeas and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until crispy and golden brown, stirring occasionally.
- Add the paprika and maple syrup and cook for another minute, stirring frequently.
- Place kale in a large bowl and toss with the toasted chickpeas.
- Add some oil and slightly toast the slivered almonds in the same pan you toasted the chickpeas in.
- Top the kale salad with the toasted almonds, hemp hearts, shredded carrots, and sunflower seeds.
- To make the cashew dressing for kale salad, just blend all the ingredients until smooth and drizzle over the kale and chickpea salad. Mix and enjoy!
Notes
- Want a more hands-free way to cook your crispy chickpeas? Season the drained chickpeas and place them on a baking sheet with garlic cloves. Drizzle them with oil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the oven preheated to 375°F. Remove the garlic, and bake the chickpeas for another 15 minutes until golden brown.
- For a warm kale salad with chickpeas, quickly saute your kale in olive oil for 2 minutes on low heat before assembly.
- While the cashew lemon dressing pairs perfectly with this kale salad, a simple lemon vinaigrette can just be as delicious. Mix lemon juice with mustard, garlic, and your choice of herbs and seasonings to adjust the taste.
The spiced chickpea kale salad with lemon cashew dressing looks appetizing and the best part is it can be prepared in short time, Do you have any other recipes that can be produce in less that 10 mins?
Cheers!
That lemon cashew dressing sounds and looks delectable. I love trying new dressings. Thanks for linking up with Delicious Dishes Recipe Party!