A light and healthy kale Caesar salad. I nixed the croutons and made these deliciously crispy, garlic and herb roasted chickpeas instead. The entire thing is drizzled in a tahini Caesar dressing and sprinkled with a few shards of Parmesan cheese. So good!
You guys, I made the most amazing Caesar salad.
I’ve made it no secret that I’m a Caesar salad fan. This being my 4th version of my beloved salad should tell you something. You may remember, last year I posted a lighter Casear salad and ever since then the wheels were turning about how I could make it even lighter, healthy and nutritious.
So this Caesar salad is 100% kale all. the. way. Massaged with olive oil and salt to tenderize the leaves making them tender and easier to chew. And instead of croutons, I roasted up chickpeas (gluten free!!) and tossed them in a garlic herb blend and scattered them over top. BUT the killer part is the dressing.
There is not one ounce of mayonnaise used. It’s simply garlic, Dijon, some freshly squeezed lemon juice, tahini and a little bit of Parmesan cheese. It tastes AMAZING! And I promise you won’t miss the unwanted and unhealthy calories. PROMISE.
Simple ingredients that yield one amazing salad.
Preheat your oven to 400℉ (or 200℃).
To make this healthy kale Caeser salad, first drain and rinse, then pat dry one 15-ounce can of chickpeas. Toss with 1 tablespoon of oil and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt before roasting in your preheated oven for 40 minutes. Once they are crisp and golden brown, toss them with 1-1/2 teaspoon of this garlic and herb seasoning blend.
Note: To save time, you can also make them in the air fryer!
To make the tahini Caesar dressing, I grated in 1 medium clove of garlic into a bowl and then added in 3 tablespoons of tahini, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, olive oil and warm water each. Then I added in 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 3 tablespoons of freshly grated (crumbles) Parmesan cheese.
Easy-peasy.
Next wash and strip the leaves off of a large bunch of curly leaf kale. Next, Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle in a 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt.
Use your impeccably clean hands to gently massage the oil and salt into the kale leaves.
Use tongs and plate the kale leaves onto dinner plates. Then top with the crispy, roasted, garlic and herb chick peas, shaved Parmesan and drizzle the tahini Caesar dressing over top.
The tender kale leaves, crunchy chick peas, Parmesan cheese and the dressing are utterly delicious together. I could eat this salad all day every day and not feel bad about it.
I think you will absolutely LOVE this healthy kale Caesar salad!
Enjoy! And if you give this Healthy Kale Caesar Salad recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!
Healthy Kale Caesar Salad with Tahini Caeser Dressing
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKPEAS:
- 15 ounces chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted dry
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons garlic herb seasoning
FOR THE DRESSING:
- 1 clove of garlic, grated
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons warm water
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
FOR THE SALAD:
- 1 large bunch curly leaf kale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
MAKE THE CHICKPEAS:
- Preheat your oven to 400℉ (or 200℃).
- Place the chickpeas on a silpat lined, rimmed sheet pan and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Place on the middle rack of your preheated oven to roast for 40 minutes. Rotating the pan halfway to ensure even roasting. Transfer roasted chickpeas to a bowl and toss with garlic herb seasoning and set aside.
MAKE THE DRESSING:
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine, grated garlic, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, warm water, Dion, salt and 3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese. Whisk to combine and set aside.
MAKE THE SALAD:
- Rinse and strip the leaves off a large bunch of kale. Pat dry with a kitchen towel or spin-dry in a salad spinner. Work in batches chopping the kale and add it to a large serving bowl. Drizzle the chopped kale with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Use your impeccably clean hands to gently massage the oil and salt into the leaves.
- Serve massaged kale with roasted chickpeas, shaved Parmesan and the tahini Caesar dressing. Season with black pepper and a pinch or two of the garlic herb seasoning if desired.
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THANK YOU in advance for your support!
Hi. I just made your lasagna for a dinner party last night. It was amazing! I live in Ecuador so I had to improvise on a few things, but it turned out to be absolutely delicious. Even my husband, who very seldom gets excited about food, kept telling me how good it was.
Thank you so much. I just wanted to let you know that your dedication to cooking from scratch is definitely appreciated.
Diana Lovett
Hi Diana! I’m so glad the Lasagna was a hit! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment! I appreciate you! 🙂
This was delicious, even though I think the 40 min. for the chickpeas was too long. Mine were rather dark brown, but the kids loved the crunch. The kale was nicely delicate, when massaged with oil, in this manner. Thank you!
Delicious salad. SO satisfying and hearty. Got lots of compliments 🙂