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This Kale Caesar Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Crispy Chickpeas is not your average salad. Sweet potatoes and chickpeas tossed with olive oil, smoky chipotle, and paprika, then roasted until lightly charred, crispy, and delicious. Everything is tossed together with a creamy, lemony parmesan tahini dressing, hearty winter kale, shredded brussels sprouts, and avocado. This salad is easy to throw together, colorful, healthy, and filling. Enjoy this for dinner and save the leftovers for lunch the next day. It’s the perfect wintry salad to kick-start clean eating in 2020.

overhead photo of Kale Caesar Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Crispy Chickpeas

By now I think you all know how I feel about salad. I despise a boring salad (i.e lettuce and very little else). But I LOVE a GOOD salad (i.e one with greens…carbs and cheese). And if it’s a salad with warm roasted vegetables…well, that scores major bonus points with me. Enter this kale Caesar salad, it’s everything you could ever want a winter salad to be. It has texture, color, a mix of warm roasted vegetables, fresh greens, cheese, and the best creamiest dressing.

And yes, it’s still healthy and so perfect for January.

I’ve been excited to share this salad since the day I first made it…all the way back before Christmas. We’re slowly getting to the end of the recipes I made while my family was in town for the holidays. This salad was inspired by every member of my family…with the exclusion of four of my brothers, of course. Those boys don’t love salad of any kind, so I made this recipe mostly with the girls of the family in mind. I knew everyone (myself included) would devour this recipe in minutes. It’s all the things we love.

overhead photo of Sweet Potatoes and Crispy Chickpeas on baking sheet

The salad details.

Start by roasting up the sweet potatoes and getting the chickpeas extra crispy.

I tossed the potatoes with spicy chipotle powder and smoky paprika for a sweet and spicy flavor. I love this combination of sweet potatoes and spicy, smoky chipotle. But if you prefer a less spicy salad, simply reduce the amount of chili powder or omit it all together. You’ll want to give the potatoes a head start on cooking since they take longer than the chickpeas, but once the potatoes have softened a bit, add the chickpeas right to the same baking sheet and roast until crispy.

The chickpeas end up soaking up some of the spices from the potatoes causing them to come out perfectly seasoned and extra crisp.

While the sweet potatoes and chickpeas roast, toss the salad together. It’s a simple mix of shredded kale and finely shredded brussels sprouts. I love using hearty kale and shredded spouts for winter salads. Not only do they hold up incredibly well to dressings (making them perfect for meal prepping), but they feel heartier. The salad ends up being more filling than your typical green salad.

If you don’t love brussels sprouts, you can just use all kale. Either way, the salad will still be great.

parmesan tahini dressing

Now, on to that creamy parmesan dressing…

It’s truly one of my favorite dressings…bold statement, but true.

The classic Caesar dressing contains anchovies and raw egg yolk, but this dressing has none of that. I know that technically this is really not a Caesar salad, but hear me out. The flavors are spot on…better if you ask me.

So what’s the key? A combination of creamy tahini (sesame seed paste), Dijon mustard, and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce (did you know that one of the main ingredients in Worcestershire is anchovies?). The tahini adds the creaminess that the raw egg yolk would add, while the Dijon and Worcestershire sauce add all the savory, salty flavors that the anchovies would add. Promise, it’s just as delicious…better actually.

Bonus? No raw eggs means you don’t have to worry about any kind of stomach issues while enjoying this Caesar. I know from experience how not-fun it is to eat a Caesar salad that’s delicious going down…but not so delicious coming back up. Yes, been there, done that.

side angled close up photo of Kale Caesar Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Crispy Chickpeas

Meal prepping?

This is your salad! The kale and sprouts hold up wonderfully once this salad has been tossed, I’d say a good day or two. If you want to make the salad last even longer, leave the dressing off, then add just before serving.

The vegetables can be roasted a few days ahead of time and eaten chilled or warmed. Either is great, but you know I love them warm.

As I mentioned, this is not your average Caesar salad. In fact, some of you may argue that this is not a Caesar salad at all since the dressing does not include raw egg yolk or anchovies. Trust me, I debated calling this a Caesar, but in the end, I found the favors to be so similar. So I’m sticking with it.

It’s surely not a classic Caesar, but it surely is delicious. Which is what’s most important in my book…so ENJOY.

Looking for other winter salads? Try my winter pomegranate salad or my super green sun-dried tomato herb salad.

side angled photo of Kale Caesar Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Crispy Chickpeas with spoon drizzling dressing over salad

If you make this kale Caesar salad with sweet potatoes and chickpeas, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Watch the How To Video:

Kale Caesar Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Crispy Chickpeas

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 515 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Watch the How-To Reel

Ingredients

Parmesan Tahini Dressing

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
    2. On a large rimmed baking sheet, combine the sweet potatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, chili powder, paprika, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Toss well to evenly coat. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, add the chickpeas and remaining oil. Toss with the sweet potatoes and return to the oven for another 20 minutes, until the chickpeas are crisp and the sweet potatoes tender.
    3. Meanwhile, in a large salad bowl, combine the kale and brussels sprouts.
    4. To make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
    5. Toss the roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas in with the salad. Add the dressing and toss to combine. Top the salad with avocado and additional parmesan. Serve and enjoy! The salad keeps well for 3-4 days in the fridge, add the avocados just before serving.
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horizontal photo of Kale Caesar Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Crispy Chickpeas

This post was originally published on January 9, 2020
4.36 from 864 votes (699 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 4 stars
    I made this the evening it was published. Followed the recipe to a T, using the chipotle chili powder though made it so very spicy! I can handle spice, but for a salad the spice was overpowering. Perhaps a different variety of chili powder next time, such as ancho chili powder. Loved the other flavors, the crunchy chick peas and the dressing is a keeper! Well done Tieghan.

    Reply

  2. 5 stars
    One of the best salads we’ve had in awhile! So plentiful, flavorful, and beautiful!!! Loved every bite, so easy to make and the dressing was outstanding!

    Reply

  3. 5 stars
    Made this tonight and it was delicious. The seasoned sweet potatoes were excellent and the dressing…so good! Thank you!

    Reply

  4. Hi. I have organic dry chickpeas as I do not use cans. How do I go about roasting? Should I boil like I do for hummus and then roast or too mushy?

    Reply

    1. Hi Sandy,

      Yes, you should boil the chickpeas, then roast them. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

  5. I tried this yesterday. Amazing. I had to add a little oil to the dressing because it was think. But that could be because I put to much parm in it. The potato’s trumped out somewhat crispy which made the, so good. Will eat this again today.

    Reply

  6. 5 stars
    Made this tonight for my family for dinner! They all loved it! I used both white and orange sweet potatoes (b/c I love both kinds). I needed to make my sweet potato slices thicker though — I went on the thin side, because I didn’t know, and I lost a few to turning black :P! It wasn’t a total loss though – truly it was only like 5. But everyone very much loved it! I made my turkey/provolone/broccoli slaw wraps to go along with it. I kind of want to make the roasted sweet potatoes again for something else — I found myself eating those and the chickpeas while I was preparing other things – my goodness they are delicious!!
    Thanks so much!! Love ALLL your recipes!

    Reply

  8. Love the idea of hot potatoes and chickpeas for a Winter salad ?

    Super excited to try your Caesar style dressing, have never found *the one* – Hopeful! Xx

    Reply

    1. Hi Tracy, no I do not peel the sweet potatoes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

  10. 3 stars
    Albeit I followed directions, there was ambiguity about how much lemon juice. Juice from 2 lemons? My tree lemons are very juicy, so if one were to measure it out, would it be 2 T lemon juice? 1/4 C lemon juice? The dressing I ended up with was heavy on the lemon, so I’m undecided on the outcome.
    The other components of the salad we’re good; I’m Looking forward to clarification on the desired amount of lemon juice. Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hi Isabel, I like to use 3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice, but you should use the lemon juice to your liking as everyones taste are different. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

  11. sub for tahini? I don’t have but I have all the other ingredients and I so want this salad to break my fast today
    I have pb, almond butter, sesame oil, sesame seeds….

    Reply

    1. Hi Karen! I would use almond butter. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

  12. Subs for tahini? I have everything here in the house but tahini. I have PB, almond butter, sesame seed oil, sesame seeds…
    I want this salad so bad but don’t want to schlep to grocery! Thanks in advance!

    Reply

    1. Hi Karen! I would use almond butter! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

  13. 5 stars
    I love everything, EVERYTHING, about this salad, especially the spiced sweet potato rounds. AMAZING. As always, thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  14. All these winter salads look amazing! Do you have any replacement ideas for the kale? Not sure if I can get it here… And do you cook the brussels sprouts before cutting them up for the greens? Can’t wait to try it!

    Reply

    1. HI! You can use any leafy green you love most. No need to cook the brussels sprouts, use them raw. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

  15. This salad looks delicious and I cannot wait to try it. I LOVE your recipes and your artistic and beautiful photos only serve to motivate me further to make your recipes. Thank you so much for sharing your talent and expertise!

    Reply

    1. Aw you are too kind! I am so glad you have been enjoying my recipes and I hope this salad turns out amazing for you! Thank you Toni! xTieghan

      Reply