Kale Chickpea Salad with Orange-Tahini Dressing Recipe

Kale Chickpea Salad with Orange-Tahini Dressing | Plantsy Vegan Eats

This January salad gives kale a little more staying power with chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and a creamy orange-tahini dressing. It is fresh enough for a reset month, but substantial enough to work as lunch or as a side with soup, roasted vegetables, or a simple grain bowl.

Yield: 4 servings | Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the Salad

• 1 large bunch curly kale, about 8 oz. (225 g), stems removed and leaves chopped

• 1 tbsp. (15 ml) fresh orange juice

• ¼ tsp. sea salt

• 1 can chickpeas, 15 oz. (425 g), drained and rinsed

• ½ cup (40 g) thinly sliced romaine or green leaf lettuce

• ⅓ cup (55 g) chopped sun-dried tomatoes

• ¼ cup (35 g) sliced black olives

• ¼ cup (30 g) sunflower seeds

• 2 tbsp. (10 g) vegan parmesan-style shreds, optional

For the Orange-Tahini Dressing

• ¼ cup (60 g) tahini

• 3 tbsp. (45 ml) fresh orange juice

• 1 tbsp. (15 ml) fresh lemon juice

• 1 tbsp. (15 ml) water, plus more as needed

• 1 tsp. maple syrup

• ½ tsp. Dijon mustard

• ¼ tsp. garlic powder

• ¼ tsp. sea salt

• ⅛ tsp. black pepper

For serving

• Extra sunflower seeds

• Extra sliced olives

• Extra black pepper

• Orange wedges

Directions

1. Add the chopped kale to a large serving bowl. Drizzle with the orange juice and sprinkle with sea salt.

2. Massage the kale for 1 to 2 minutes, until the leaves soften slightly and deepen in color.

3. Whisk together the tahini, orange juice, lemon juice, water, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Add another teaspoon or two of water as needed until the dressing is smooth and pourable.

4. Add the chickpeas, lettuce, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, sunflower seeds, and vegan parmesan-style shreds, if using, to the bowl with the kale.

5. Drizzle with the orange-tahini dressing and toss gently, or leave some of the dressing visible over the top to match the look of the salad.

6. Serve with extra sunflower seeds, sliced olives, black pepper, and orange wedges.

Make It Yours

For a January version, keep the kale and citrus dressing, then adjust the add-ins based on what you have.

• Use thinly sliced cabbage instead of lettuce, add shredded carrots for color, or fold in roasted sweet potato cubes for a more filling salad.

• Grapefruit, blood orange, or tangerine juice can replace some of the orange juice in the dressing.

• For extra crunch, use toasted pumpkin seeds, walnuts, or roasted chickpeas instead of sunflower seeds.