Arugula Kale Salad with Crunchy Chickpeas
If you’re anything like me, finding motivation to incorporate greens into your diet can be tricky. For a while, I was truly at a loss – I could only get myself to eat greens when I included them in a smoothie. And then…. I found this recipe (or, I guess, you could say this recipe found me!).
Everything about this salad – from the crunch of the pine nuts and carrots to the way the sun-dried tomatoes melt in your mouth – is unbelievable. The dill, feta cheese, and avocado create an incredible creamy, rich taste and blend so well with the chickpeas and lemon vinaigrette dressing.
This salad is perfect for meal prep, large events, or a quick dinner that you need to whip up while short on time. You can also experiment with the protein and beans: chicken, turkey, black beans, and tofu all work incredibly well here. However, I would not recommend leaving out the chickpeas, even if you add another protein.
Please let us know if you make this – and how you enjoyed it! We love seeing you all put your own creative spin on our recipes.
Arugula Kale Salad with Crunchy Chickpeas
Equipment
- 1 Large skillet
- 1 Large salad bowl
Ingredients
Salad Base:
- 3 tbsp raw pine nuts
- 1 tbsp salted butter
- 1 (14 oz) can chickpeas drained and patted dry
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano chopped
- 1 head Tuscan kale shredded
- 4 cups baby arugula
- 4 carrots thinly sliced into rounds
- 1 (8 oz) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes oil drained and reserved, tomatoes chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh dill roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh chives roughly chopped
- 6 oz feta cheese crumbled
- 1-2 avocados sliced
Lemon Vinaigrette:
- 1 large lemon juiced (or 2 smaller lemons)
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring often, until the nuts are lightly golden and toasted, 2-3 minutes.
- To the skillet, add the butter, chickpeas, oregano, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the chickpeas are crisped all over, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large salad bowl, combine the kale, arugula, carrots, sun-dried tomatoes, dill, basil, and chives.
- To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the reserved sun-dried tomato oil (or 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil), lemon juice, vinegar, and honey. Season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Pour the vinaigrette over the salad, tossing to combine. Top the salad with crispy chickpeas, feta, and avocado. Enjoy!