This kale salad with chickpeas recipe is a great lunch any day of the week. Or double the recipe and serve it at your next gathering. The different textures and bold flavors make this salad a keeper!
Original post: April 2018 | Updated: May 2021
Why This Recipe Works
If you’ve been reading for a while, you know how much I love salads. They are one of my specialties and I love experimenting with different veggies and dressings. I occasionally get stuck on (obsessed with) a salad and stop thinking of other possibilities.
My Edamame Tomato Corn Salad is one of my all-time faves and it’s hard not to default to it every time I crave salad. This delicious kale salad with chickpeas is a close second, which is saying A LOT.
It is crispy with the most delicious texture and flavor and you’re about to fall in love!
Recipe Ingredients
Chickpeas – If you’re thinking, “What is the difference between chickpeas and garbanzo beans, Megan?” my answer back is, “Nothing!” The two names are used interchangeably
Kale – When prepping the kale, make sure to discard the stems discarded first. Wash the leaves and tear into bite-sized pieces so eating the salad doesn’t become a mouthful.
Avocado – If prepping this salad ahead of time, hold off on chopping the avocado and adding it until just before serving.
Sriracha sauce – This ingredient is optional if you want to hold back on the spice. If you love spice, sriracha sauce adds such a great little bit of zing and flavor.
Red wine vinegar – Any type of vinegar can work. If you don’t have this variety on hand, try apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar instead.
How To Make Kale Salad With Chickpeas
Step 1
Heat the olive in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garbanzo beans and sprinkle the paprika, salt and pepper over them. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until beans start to crisp (be careful not to overcook or they will get mushy).
Add the kale pieces to the skillet (sprinkle with additional paprika, if desired) and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, or until kale becomes nice and crispy.
Step 2
Transfer the beans and kale mixture into a serving bowl, along with the tomatoes, avocado and red onion.
In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, sriracha, vinegar, olive oil and cumin. Mix well and drizzle over the salad. Toss and serve!
Recipe Notes
- This salad comes together quickly for a lunch any day of the week. It would also be a beautiful and yummy dish to serve at a party, but double the recipe if you go that route!
- Make this salad ahead of time to preserve energy the day you’re serving it! The dressing CAN be mixed with the rest of the ingredients ahead of time. In fact, kale gets tastier when it marinates with dressing overnight. Don’t add the avocado until just before serving.
- Other veggies can be added, as well! Try adding green beans, zucchini, mushrooms or cucumbers.
FAQ About Kale Salad
Kale salad is a leafy salad typically mixed with a salad dressing and other vegetables. The kale replaces (or is added to) other leafy greens.
Kale is one of the most nutrient-dense and low-calorie foods on Earth, making kale salad a very healthy. Just make sure the other ingredients included in the salad are not loaded down with calories and fat.
Kale salad works best when its leaves are broken into very small, bite-sized pieces. It can easily be eaten with a fork, the way most other salads are consumed.
To make the kale in kale salad soft, mix it with salad dressing, place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. The dressing will create soft, delicious bites of kale.
More Delicious Salad Recipes
- Enjoy this comprehensive roundup of the best summer salads you will ever meet. From sweet and savory to pasta-packed, cheesy, meaty and everything in between!
- Best Chopped Salad is packed with delicious ingredients including candied pecans, red onions, avocado, tomatoes and more!
- Edamame Tomato Corn Salad is my favorite salad recipe of ALL TIME. This delicious salad is a crowd-pleaser, enjoyed any time of the year. Bring this to a party and it will be devoured immediately!
- Make your own Unwich at home, Jimmy John’s style! This is such a great way to ditch the carb- and calorie-loaded bread and enjoy a healthy salad in the form of a sandwich.
- This delicious little buffalo shrimp salad packs a punch! It is satisfying, flavorful, packed with texture and SUPER easy to make.
- This crunchy, veggie-packed Crunchy Bok Choy Salad is a great dish to bring to parties. It will quickly become a salad favorite!
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Kale Salad With Chickpeas Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 15 oz chickpeas drained
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 3 cups kale stems discarded, packed and torn into small pieces
- 10.5 oz cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 1 avocado peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion finely chopped
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp sriracha sauce
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin
Instructions
- Heat the olive in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garbanzo beans and sprinkle the paprika, salt and pepper over them. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until beans start to crisp (be careful not to overcook or they will get mushy).
- Add the kale pieces to the skillet (sprinkle with additional paprika, if desired) and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, or until kale becomes nice and crispy.
- Pour the beans and kale mixture into a serving bowl, along with the tomatoes, avocado and red onion.
- In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, sriracha, vinegar, olive oil and cumin. Mix well and drizzle over the salad. Toss and serve!
Notes
- This salad comes together quickly for a lunch any day of the week. It would also be a beautiful and yummy dish to serve at a party, but double the recipe if you go that route!
- Make this salad ahead of time to preserve energy the day you’re serving it! The dressing CAN be mixed with the rest of the ingredients ahead of time. In fact, kale gets tastier when it marinates with dressing overnight. Don’t add the avocado until just before serving.
- Other veggies can be added, as well! Try adding green beans, zucchini, mushrooms or cucumbers.
My husband and I both LOVE this recipe. I use it as a quick option to throw together for lunch quite often. The flavors just blend so well! Just enough heat and tanginess.
Thank you, Sara. I”m glad it was enjoyed!
I see the nutrition data, but it does not say how big a serving the nutrition is for.
Thank you.
Hi Richard, 1/8 of the salad! It serves 8 so that’s what it comes to. It’s a good heaping amount of deliciousness! I would guestimate with all the ingrediets 1/2-3/4 cup.
My husband and I are always looking for new, tasty, healthy ideas to add to our dinner choices. This recipe does not disappoint in any way. We loved it’s texture and colors and best of all the taste was fantastic. Thank you for this delicious salad recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it! It is important to change up the flavors so glad you tried this. Thanks for sharing!