Easy Kale and Chickpea Salad

Salads are boring? Not this one! This Kale and Chickpea Salad is made with fresh kale, roasted chickpeas and pumpkin, paired with a delicious mustard dressing.

You really don’t need a bunch of ingredients and fancy cooking techniques to be able to make a delicious salad. Generally, whenever you make a salad you want to make sure that it has different textures, a crunchy element and a delicious dressing. Following those basic principles will go a long way in helping you create salads that are actually delicious, instead of boring and bland. For our Easy Kale and Chickpea Salad recipe we create different textures by using raw kale (with a bite), oven roasted pumpkin (soft), and oven roasted chickpeas (crunchy). Topping the salad with some toasted pumpkin seeds is optional, yet super delicious and it adds even more crunch.

Looking for more delicious salad recipes? We’ve got you covered. Check out all of our salad recipes on our salad category page. From our Vegan Orzo Salad with Pesto to a quinoa, black bean and mango salad. There’s something for everyone!

• Kale – incredibly healthy and a wonderful ingredient for salads and so much more.
• Chickpeas – roasted in the oven with some spices, the chickpeas are the crunchy element in this salad.
• Butternut squash or pumpkin – roasted in the oven until soft and wonderfully sweet.
• Spices – cinnamon, ground cumin, smoked sweet paprika and oregano.
• Extra virgin olive oil – the base for the dressing.
• Mustard – adds loads of flavour and a little bit of a kick.
• Maple syrup – some sweetness to balance out the mustard.
• Orange juice and lemon juice – for a little extra acidity as well as some natural sweetness.

• Whenever you are roasting vegetables in the oven and you want them to become soft and naturally sweet, make sure that they are cut somewhat evenly. This ensures that every piece will need roughly the same amount of time in the oven.
• Massaging kale is always a good idea. It’s therapeutic. Seriously though, massaging kale with your hands and the help of a little bit of olive oil or the dressing will help break down the tough fibers in the kale which will make it much more pleasant to eat.

• Kale – can sub with spinach.
• Chickpeas – can sub with lentils (yes, you can also bake crispy lentils in the oven).
• Pumpkin/butternut squash – can sub with sweet potatoes.
• Add carbs – add some cooked rice or quinoa to the salad to make it a more filling meal. You can also use any stale leftover bread.

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