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This Kale Caesar Salad is one of my favorite ways to serve kale. It’s tossed in a delicious vegan Caesar salad dressing, that gets its creaminess from tahini, and it couldn’t be easier!
Why Use Kale in a Caesar salad?
Kale is a nutritional powerhouse loaded with iron, vitamin K, and antioxidants, but its chewy texture and dark-leafy-green-flavor can sometimes be a bit intimidating.
That’s why I’m so excited to share this vegan Kale Caesar Salad, because it’s making me crave kale on a near-daily basis.
The Easiest Caesar Salad Dressing (No Eggs!)
This untraditional Caesar dressing gets its creaminess from raw tahini, a paste made of ground raw sesame seeds (in most cases, no oil is added).
Sesame seeds are naturally high in calcium, and their mild flavor blends seamlessly into this garlicky dressing. Paired with fresh garlic, a splash of lemon juice, and a hefty pinch of salt and pepper, this dressing can be stirred together in minutes and compliments the flavor of raw kale perfectly.
Making Chickpea “Croutons”
This salad gets another nutritional upgrade by using garlic roasted chickpeas as a grain-free swap for croutons. Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, are packed with plant-based protein and fiber, which can help keep your blood sugar levels stable and aid in weight loss.
Chickpeas, like many other pulses, may also help balance cholesterol levels and protect again heart disease, while providing essential nutrients like iron, zinc, folate, and B vitamins.
The chickpeas take 45 minutes to roast to crispy perfection, they take only a few minutes of hands-on preparation so you won’t have to spend too much time in your kitchen. Just toss in a bit of olive oil and garlic, pour them into a pan, and bake!
You can make them as soft or as crunchy as you like. (Start checking on them around the 30-minute mark if you don’t want them to be too crisp.)
Ingredients
Garlic Roasted Chickpeas
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or one 15-ounce can, drained)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Kale Caesar Salad
- 1/4 cup raw tahini
- 4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/2 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound lacinato kale (about 6 cups)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. To prepare the Garlic Roasted Chickpeas, toss the cooked chickpeas with olive oil, garlic, and salt in a large bowl, then pour them into a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange them into a single layer, then bake until crisp, about 30 to 40 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through the cooking cycle.
- While the chickpeas are baking, prepare the dressing. Stir together the tahini, lemon juice, water, garlic, mustard, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Stir until smooth and adjust any seasonings as you like.
- To assemble the salad, remove the tough stems from the kale leaves, and cut the kale into small pieces. Toss the leaves with the dressing and let them marinate while you wait for the chickpeas to be done.
- When the chickpeas are done roasting, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle them generously over the kale salad and serve. Leftovers can be stored separately in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Keep in mind that roasted chickpeas don't have the best texture when chilled, so if you want to make this in advance, you may want to use plain drained and rinsed canned chickpeas, instead.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically generated using an online nutrition calculator, and is an estimate, not a guarantee. For more accurate results, be sure to check the labels on your ingredients at home.
For more pulse-based recipes, you might enjoy:
- Vegan Flourless Black Bean Brownies
- Lentil Potluck Salad
- Lentil, Kale & Quinoa Stew
- Instant Pot Red Lentil Curry
- Black Bean & Sweet Potato Enchiladas
- Black Bean Gingerbread Bars
- White Bean Maple Pecan Blondies
So good!
What makes this a ‘Caesar’ salad? Because it contains lemon juice, mustard and garlic? You may want to call this a caesar- like dressing, but it is Not a caesar dressing.
The flavor reminds me of Caesar salads I grew up eating. (Which probably didn’t have any anchovies in them, either.) But, feel free to find another recipe if you need a more traditional version. There are millions of variations out there!
what makes it so high in sodium?
The nutrition information is automatically calculated, so I can’t see where the numbers are coming from, but my guess is that the nutrition calculator might have used a can of chickpeas that was high in sodium. I always buy no-salt canned beans, and rinse them well, and you can control the rest of the sodium by how much salt you add to the recipe.
We made this last night and the whole family enjoyed it. The crunchy chickpeas were a nice touch. Sliced tomatoes on the side helped balance the flavors. We’ll definitely make this again.
I added nutritional yeast and anchovies and it was sheer perfection <3
Love this salad. Your recipe helped me perfect mine! I add capers and some of the brine to the dressing. I also love experimenting with the spices on the chickpeas. Smoked paprika has become a favorite. And sometimes I sprinkle some nutritional yeast on the salad for some cheesy flavor. I also like massaging the dressing into the kale!
Hi! Can you make the dressing a few days ahead?
I love this recipe. It’s a great flavor combination.
Love your site!!! And so does my family!! They aren’t Vegan like me, yet, but your recipes have garnished lots of enthusiasm to eat like mom! Thank you! Quick question on the Tahini, can I use store bought Tahini, is that what is meant by “Raw Tahini”?
Ok so I don’t love kale and the last time I used tahini in a recipe I swore never again but I decided to give this a try and I am OBSESSED!! It all works together so well. I love it even more the next day after the kale has softened in the dressing a bit. I keep the chickpeas separate so the stay crunchy. Such a quick and easy meal I will make over and over again!!!