Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing
Kale tahini salad is hearty, filling and perfect for lunch or dinner. This kale salad with lemon tahini dressing and crispy roasted chickpea uses simple, pantry ingredients that are budget friendly and easy to keep on hand. This kale chickpeas salad is also great for meal prep!
Servings 2
Calories 496kcal
Equipment
- Air fryer optional
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale (about 6 cups)
- 1 cup sliced tomatoes cherry or grape
Roasted chickpeas
- 1 can chickpeas 15 oz can
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Lemon Tahini Dressing
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1 medium lemon, juiced
- 3 tbsp water
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Start by making the chickpeas. Drain and rinse them. Add chickpeas to a bowl with olive oil and spices. Stir well Air fryer - roast at 375F for 15 minutes (22 minutes for 2 cans). Let chickpeas rest for 5 minutes in air fryer basket before opening. Oven: roast at 450F for 25 minutes. Turn off oven and let chickpeas rest in oven 15 minutes.
- Finely chop the kale - wash and dry the kale. Remove the thick stem then finely chop the kale.
- Slice the tomatoes in half (or in bite size pieces).
- Make the dressing by combining the ingredients in a bowl and stirring well until all tahini is well combined. Let sit 5 minutes to thicken.
- Add kale and tomatoes to bowl. Pour dressing over the salad and toss 1-2 minutes to coat the kale well.
- When chickpeas are done roasting (and cooling slightly) add them to the salad and serve.
Video
Notes
- Serve 2 as a meal or 4 as a starter/appetizer.
- Remove the thick stalk/stems (sometimes called ribs) from the kale before chopping. The stems are fibrous and will make your salad hard to chew. Even if you buy pre-shredded kale from the store, check it for the thick stems and remove them.
- The trick to the crispiest chickpeas: Turn off the oven or air fryer and leave the chickpeas to rest for 5-10 minutes. This helps to crisp the chickpeas and dry out any leftover moisture without the chickpeas burning. Check out all my tips on making the best air fryer chickpeas or roasted chickpeas in the oven.
- For the best texture, chop the kale into thin pieces and take a minute or two to mix the kale with the dressing. The kale being finely chopped and the acid from the lemon juice will help to soften/tenderize the kale.
- To ensure your kale is very tender, squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the kale and massage the kale for 1-2 minutes with your hands to start to break down the kale.
- If you prefer a slightly sweeter dressing, add 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup or honey to the dressing
Nutrition
Calories: 496kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 29g | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 4g
