Kale Salad Roasted Chickpeas (Printable Version)

Tender massaged kale combines with crispy, spiced chickpeas for a healthy, flavorful dish.

# Components:

→ Roasted Chickpeas

01 - 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
02 - 1½ tablespoons olive oil
03 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
04 - ½ teaspoon ground cumin
05 - ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
06 - ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
07 - ½ teaspoon sea salt

→ Salad

08 - 1 large bunch (about 8 cups) curly kale, stems removed and leaves finely chopped
09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
11 - ¼ teaspoon sea salt
12 - 1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
13 - ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
14 - ¼ cup toasted sunflower seeds

→ Dressing

15 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
16 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
17 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
18 - 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
19 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# Preparation steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Pat chickpeas dry with a clean towel. Toss with olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne if using, and salt. Spread evenly on the prepared baking sheet.
03 - Roast chickpeas for 25 to 30 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through, until golden and crispy. Set aside to cool slightly.
04 - Place chopped kale in a large bowl. Add olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Massage with clean hands for 2 to 3 minutes until leaves soften and reduce in volume.
05 - Add grated carrot, sliced red onion, and toasted sunflower seeds to the kale, tossing gently to combine.
06 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup or honey, and freshly ground black pepper.
07 - Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly to evenly coat all ingredients.
08 - Top the salad with roasted chickpeas just before serving to maintain their crisp texture.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The kale becomes silky and sweet once you massage it, making you forget you're eating something so nutritious.
  • Those roasted chickpeas stay crispy until the last bite if you add them right before serving, turning a simple salad into something you actually crave.
  • It's genuinely vegan and tastes like you spent way more effort than you actually did.
02 -
  • Massaging the kale is not optional—it changes the entire texture and removes that aggressive bitterness that makes raw kale hard to love.
  • Drying those chickpeas before roasting is everything; moisture is the enemy of crispiness, and a quick towel-dry makes them infinitely better.
  • Add the chickpeas last; they soften as the salad sits, so holding them back preserves that contrast that makes each bite interesting.
03 -
  • Toast your own seeds in a dry pan for exactly two minutes if they're not already toasted—it wakes up their flavor and costs nothing.
  • The secret to an emulsified dressing is whisking the mustard and maple syrup into the vinegar first before adding oil slowly, which sounds fancy but takes less than a minute.
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