Tahini Chickpea Kale Salad
on May 15, 2023, Updated Aug 13, 2024
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This delicious tahini chickpea kale salad features avocado and creamy lime tahini dressing for a mouthwatering combo that’s packed with nutrition.
This salad not only tastes amazing but it’s also rich in vitamins, minerals and more plant-based goodness, plus, you’ll need just a few simple ingredients to make it.
Why make this salad?
- Nutritional Powerhouse: Kale, avocado, chickpeas and hemp seeds provide a variety of nutrients including plant-based protein, healthy fats and plenty of fiber.
- Quick and Easy: This recipe is easy to prepare, making it perfect for busy weeknights or those new to cooking.
- Versatile and Customizable: This salad is easy to adapt to your preferences and dietary needs by swapping ingredients or adding extras.
Looking for more like this? This Tuscan kale salad, sweet potato kale salad, lentil kale salad, butternut squash quinoa salad, wild rice kale salad and kale quinoa chickpea salad will be right up your alley.
Ingredient Notes
The complete list of ingredients with measurements is located in the recipe card below.
- Tahini: Good tahini should be smooth, creamy, easy to drizzle and have an earthy, slightly sweet flavour. You may have to try a few brands in your area to find one you love.
- Chickpeas: You can use canned chickpeas or cook your own from scratch.
- Kale: This can be substituted with baby spinach, romaine or arugula.
- Hemp Seeds: These are optional for added nutrition. Substitute them with pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds if you like.
- Lime: You can substitute lemon.
- Maple Syrup: Substitute with honey or agave syrup.
Variations & Additions
- Dressing Alternatives:
- Protein: Enhance the nutritional profile by adding edamame, baked tofu or marinated tempeh.
- Roasted Vegetables: Add roasted veggies like sweet potato, zucchini or bell peppers.
- Fresh Additions: Add up to 1 cup cucumber, grapes, apple, olives, radish, grated carrot, tomato or red onion. These pickled red onions would be good too.
- Fresh Herbs: Mix in or top with 2-3 tbsp minced parsley, basil or cilantro.
- Dried Fruits: Mix in or top with 2-3 tbsp raisins, currants or dried cranberries for sweetness.
- Cheese: Crumble some feta cheese or vegan parmesan over the salad.
- Grains: For a heartier salad, mix in or serve over cooked quinoa, wild rice or brown rice.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Before you Start: Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Step 1: Roast the Chickpeas
Here’s how to make the roasted chickpeas:
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas and place them on a dish towel.
- Fold the towel over them and roll them around until they’re nearly dry. You can also pat them with paper towel rather than a cloth. The drier they are, the crispier they’ll come out. If some of the skins come off, that’s ok, just pick them out.
- Place the chickpeas on a baking sheet and drizzle with the oil, salt and pepper. Roll them around to coat.
- Roast the chickpeas for 30-35 minutes until golden.
- Let them cool on the pan. They will get crispier as they cool.
Quick Tip: If you have leftover roasted chickpeas, let them cool completely on the pan then store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Step 2: Make the Dressing
Make the salad dressing by adding all the ingredients to any container and whisking together until smooth and creamy.
Step 3: Massage the Kale
Wash the kale then remove the leaves from the tough stems. Discard the stems and finely chop the leaves. Add the kale to a large bowl with 1/2 tsp oil. Massage and squeeze the kale with your hands until it’s dark green and softened.
Step 4: Assemble the Salad
Divide the kale, avocado, chickpeas and hemp seeds between 4 bowls, drizzle each with the dressing and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can prepare the tahini dressing ahead of time. Simply store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Before using, give it a good stir and adjust the consistency by adding a bit of water if needed.
Yes, for sure! I like kale for its robust texture, you can substitute it with other leafy greens such as spinach, arugula, Romaine or mixed salad greens.
Absolutely! Feel free to adjust the seasoning in the tahini dressing according to your taste preferences.
If you prefer a more garlicky flavor, increase the amount of garlic powder. You can also substitute 2 cloves grated garlic for garlic powder, if you prefer.
For a tangier dressing, add more lime or lemon juice. Similarly, if you prefer a sweeter or saltier taste, adjust the amount of maple syrup or sea salt accordingly.
Storing and Prep
- Best served fresh but the assembled salad can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days. If you leave the avocado off until serving it will keep 3-4 days.
- To prep in advance, make the chickpeas and tahini sauce and store up to 5 days.
- The kale can also be washed, chopped and stored ahead of time for quicker assembly.
- Short on time? Skip roasting the chickpeas and just use canned chickpeas.
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Tahini Chickpea Kale Salad
Ingredients
For the Tahini Dressing
- 5 tbsp tahini, 75 g
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 3 tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice
- 3 tbsp water, or more to adjust consistency
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
For the Roasted Chickpeas
- 1 19 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
For the Kale Salad
- 6 cups finely chopped kale
- 1/2 tsp olive oil
- 2 avocado, peeled, pit removed and sliced
- 8 tbsp hemp seeds
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.
- Prepare the chickpeas by draining them and giving them a thorough rinse. Place them on a dish towel, fold it over them and roll them around until they’re near completely dry. The drier they are, the crispier they will get. If some of the skins come off that’s good, you can pick those out. For the crispiest chickpeas, remove all the skins.
- Place the dried chickpeas on a baking tray and drizzle them with the olive oil, salt and pepper, rolling around so they’re all coated. Roast for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Let them cool on the pan.
- To make the dressing, add all the ingredients to a container and whisk until smooth and creamy, slowly adding more water to adjust the consistency if needed.
- Finely chop the kale and drizzle it with the olive oil. Massage it with your hands for about a minute until it’s all dark green and softens.
- Either create 1 large salad by mixing everything together in a serving or mixing bowl or my preferred method, divide the kale between 4 servings or bowls, top with equal amounts of the sliced avocado, chickpea and hemp seeds and drizzle each with the dressing until you’ve used it all up. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally pubslihed on August 1, 2018.
Wow! That dressing is the BEST! This salad was a total hit & I truly enjoyed it. Thank you for the delicious + easy recipe!
This looks amazing – it combines two of my favorite foods! These photos are gorgeous too 🙂
Thank you! That means so much because I love your photos! 🙂 This is basically all of my fave foods.
Deryn,
Making this right now for our dinner this evening as a side with a sweet potato lentil shepherds pie.
Wonderful! Let me know how it goes!
Delish!
It’s been awhile since I’ve made roasted chickpeas or a tahini salad dressing….so I can’t wait to try this! 🙂
It’s a good one!! Hope you like it!