Kale Caesar Salad with Garlic Chickpeas

5 from 4 votes

Kale Caesar Salad with Garlic Chickpeas

Kale caesar salad made with a creamy greek yogurt dressing and crispy garlic chickpeas. A delicious and healthier alternative to traditional caesar salad, packed with micro-nutrients and protein!

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Dinner, Salad

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 373kcal

Author: Denise Bustard

Ingredients

Garlic Chickpeas

19 oz can of chickpeas drained & rinsed; roughly 2 cups
1 tablespoon arrowroot starch or cornstarch
2 teaspoons garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil see note 1

Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing:

¼ cup Greek yogurt see note 2
¼ cup avocado mayonnaise or your favorite mayo
1 teaspoon anchovy paste see note 3
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic minced
Pepper

Chickpea Kale Salad:

1 bunch kale washed, shredded & dried; see note 4
¼ cup parmesan cheese shredded

Instructions

Garlic Chickpeas

Prepare - After draining and rinsing chickpeas, spread them out on a clean towel and blot with a second towel to dry completely.
Season - Once chickpeas are dry, stir them together with arrowroot starch, garlic powder and salt until evenly coated.
Cook - Heat oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add the chickpeas to the pan, and cook for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Kale Caesar Salad

Prepare - While garlic chickpeas are cooking, shred, wash, then and dry the kale. Remove if from the stem and tear into bite-sized pieces. Soak in cold water, the drain. Dry well using a salad spinner.
Take clean, washed kale, and massage in your hands for 2-3 minutes, until kale becomes soft and bright green (note 5).
Combine - Stir together the dressing ingredients, then toss the kale until evenly coated.
Serve - Top the kale caesar salad with garlic chickpeas and a few tablespoons of parmesan cheese

Video

Notes

if cooking in the air fryer, use 1 tablespoon of olive oil and follow directions here
greek yogurt adds a definite 'tang' to the dressing; if you want to avoid this, use regular, full fat plain yogurt
adds the oomf to this dressing-- do not skip. Anchovy paste is often found in the refrigerated seafood section of the grocery store
you can use almost any type of kale in this recipe, from curly kale to lacinato kale, even baby kale works well.
massaging kale helps to soften the texture and remove bitterness from the leaves

Storage + Meal Prep

This salad is best served fresh, however, you can prep some of the components 4-5 days ahead:

Shred, wash, dry kale
Store in a container lined with a paper towel in the fridge
Shake up the salad dressing and store separately in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks
To serve, stir together the dressing ingredients, then toss the kale until evenly coated. Top with garlic chickpeas and a few tablespoons of parmesan cheese!

Nutrition