Roasted Chickpea Kale Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This cozy kale salad is made with sun-dried tomatoes and hearty roasted chickpeas. Then it's tossed in a quick & easy lemon-tamari dressing! (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free.)

This cozy kale salad is made with flavorful sun-dried tomatoes and warmly spiced roasted chickpeas! Then it's topped with a simple lemon-tamari dressing.

It's incredibly simple, yet filled with delicious, savory flavors and fun textures. Plus it works great as a side dish, main dish, or even for meal prep and holidays. (Think Christmas with the beautiful dark green and red!)

I love topping my salad with the optional diced avocado and sunflower seeds, but you can leave these out if desired.

Ingredients for Kale Chickpea Salad

For this recipe, you'll toss together in a large bowl:

• Fresh kale: I use one large bunch lacinato kale (also called dino or dinosaur kale). But curly kale works great too! We'll lightly massage the kale leaves (stems removed) to help tenderize it before tossing it in the dressing.
• Sun-dried tomatoes: I use dry tomatoes that come in a package without oil, but oil-packed tomatoes work great too.
• Roasted chickpeas (garbanzo beans): We'll make an easy batch of these Smoky Roasted Chickpeas. They're tossed in a flavorful mixture of tamari, maple syrup, smoked paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. We'll roast these on a rimmed baking sheet in the oven. I love the warmth, texture, and plant-based protein they add to the salad!
• Lemon juice: You will need about 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice for this recipe, which is about one lemon.
• Tamari: Or substitute soy sauce but I use tamari for gluten-free. Coconut aminos could also work. Be sure to use low sodium if desired.
• Fresh garlic clove

Customizing

Vegetables: Add other veggies like thinly sliced red onion, roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes, avocado, beets, etc. (Or garnish it with sunflower seeds or slivered almonds.)

Roasted chickpeas: Change up the spices on the chickpeas if desired. You can also add salt and black pepper to taste. I use an oil-free roasting method by placing parchment paper on the sheet pan. However feel free to drizzle a tablespoon of good quality extra-virgin olive oil on the chickpeas before roasting.

Dressing: Instead of the lemon-tamari dressing, try a creamy tahini dressing instead! Whisk together 1/3 cup tahini, 3 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1-2 cloves minced garlic, and about 1/4 cup water to thin to desired consistency. Add as much dressing as you prefer to the salad.

Make it cheesy: Add crumbled vegan feta cheese or Vegan Parmesan Cheese before serving.

Storing

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I find it's best enjoyed within 2-3 days. The roasted chickpeas do soften and lose their crispiness when stored. (But they're still tasty!)

For more inspiration, also browse all salad recipes or chickpea recipes.

Roasted Chickpea Kale Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

A cozy kale salad with sun-dried tomatoes, crispy chickpeas, and lemon-tamari dressing. Great topped with sunflower seeds and avocado!

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Author: Kaitlin - The Garden Grazer

Course: Main Dish, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, Vegan

Servings: 5 side servings

US CustomaryMetric

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 1 large bunch lacinato kale (about 6 cups chopped)
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes*
• 1 batch smoky roasted chickpeas

For the dressing:

• 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. tamari
• 1 clove garlic

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Instructions

• Make the smoky roasted chickpeas.
• While chickpeas are roasting, chop kale into bite-sized pieces, stems removed. Add to a large bowl, and massage with your hands for a minute to tenderize.
• Make the dressing: Finely mince garlic. Place in a small bowl with lemon juice and tamari. Stir to combine. Then pour dressing over kale and toss/massage it to thoroughly coat.
• Dice sun-dried tomatoes and add to bowl.
• Top with roasted chickpeas (and sunflower seeds and avocado if desired).

Notes

*Sun-dried tomatoes: For an oil-free version use dry-packed tomatoes. Otherwise you can use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes.

Toppings (optional): Sunflower seeds, diced avocado, slivered almonds, vegan feta cheese, etc.

Other additions: Try adding thinly sliced red onion, roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes, roasted beets, etc.

Alternate tahini dressing: Whisk together 1/3 cup tahini, 3 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1-2 cloves minced garlic, and about 1/4 cup water to thin to desired consistency. Add as much dressing as you prefer to the salad.

Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)

Nutrition Facts

Roasted Chickpea Kale Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Amount per Serving

Calories

108

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

2

g

3

%

Saturated Fat

 

1

g

6

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Potassium

 

465

mg

13

%

Carbohydrates

 

18

g

6

%

Fiber

 

5

g

21

%

Sugar

 

3

g

3

%

Protein

 

6

g

12

%

Vitamin A

 

1270

IU

25

%

Vitamin C

 

22

mg

27

%

Calcium

 

62

mg

6

%

Iron

 

2

mg

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Sodium: This is omitted as I cannot provide an accurate number. I encourage you to calculate your own to provide a much more precise reading based on the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts you're using.

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If you are enjoying this Roasted Chickpea Kale Salad recipe with sun-dried tomatoes, also check out:

• Mushroom Gravy
• Almond-Garlic Green Beans
• Maple-Cinnamon Butternut Squash
• Roasted Beet and Kale Salad

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