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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 small sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch circles
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder, use to your taste
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 (14 ounce) can chickpeas, drained
- 1 large head kale, shredded
- 4 cups shredded brussels sprouts, or 1 additional head of kale
- 1-2 avocados, sliced
Parmesan Tahini Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- juice of 2 lemons
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 cloves garlic, grated
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
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.
This post was originally published on January 9, 2020
This was fantastic! I used garam masala and several other spices on the veggies, for taste and also added antioxidant power, but otherwise followed the directions. It’s SO good. I’m looking forward to leftovers for lunch today! Thank you!
Thank you so much Jenni! I hope the leftovers are just as good! xTieghan
Made this tonight and it was amazing! The combination of the spicy chickpeas and sweet potatoes with the creamy/tangy dressing was perfect.
Thank you so much Megan! I am so happy to hear that! xTieghan
Love this recipe! My husband and I made it 3 times in the last 2 weeks. The dressing is the perfect alternative to a heavy caesar!
Thank you so much Sydney! xTieghan
Hi! I was wondering if it would change the dressing a whole lot if I didn’t add the Parmesan? Could I add nutritional yeast instead? Thanks!!
Hi Jordan! I would use nutritional yeast. Great idea! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Absolutely loved this salad! My 3 year old did too! Going to make it a staple at our house and love how it can be stored for meals the next day!
Yes! So glad you both enjoyed this, Susan! Thank you! xTieghan
This recipe is amaaaazing. I always crave a good Caesar salad and this is even better and healthy. Crushed it. Thank you HBH!
Thank you!! I am really glad this turned out so well for you Jessica! xTieghan
Well since I forgot to get avocado, and I used arugala instead of kale, I wasn’t sure how it would turn out. delicious!! The dressing is sooo good.
Thank you so much Ashley! xTieghan
This salad was sooooo good, and easy to make with a sick husband and toddling toddler on a Sunday night. I have been a fan of your cauliflower chickpea salad for a while, but this salad is my new favorite. It will be a staple in our home. Thanks for your amazing recipes. I use them every week.
I love to hear that! Thank you for continuing to try my recipes, Nicole! So glad you enjoyed this one! xTieghan
How long will just the dressing hold up? This whole recipe was amazing but I really loved the dressing
Hi Heather! The dressing will last for 1 week in the fridge. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Tieghan, another winner. Made this tonight, and my husband and I loved it. Great flavors! Hubby especially liked the dressing. Did thin the dressing with some water as it was quite thick. Ext time I will add the chickpeas earlier as they took a long time roasting which made the sweet potatoes a little too crunchy. Will definitely make this again.
Amazing! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe Paulina! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
I saw you make this on your stories this week and look awesome! I’m going to meal prep it on Sunday for my sister and mom but was just wondering do you think I should leave the dressing on the side and toss right before they eat it or do you think the kale and Brussels are study enough that it should hold up well?
Hi Kate! Yes, you can certainly leave the dressing on the side and toss right before you eat. That works great!! I would do the same thing. 🙂 Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Love this salad! It was the perfect salad for a cold winter night. Caesar salad is my favorite but my husband isn’t much of a fan. We both enjoyed this recipe. It will be a frequent dish!
That is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much for trying this recipe Heather! xTieghan
Even with the cold rain coming down this salad with its bright yam circles looked comforting. Made it for dinner tonight and both my husband and I found it tasty. I found the lemon in the dressing just a bit overwhelming and would probably not use two full lemons next time. I added a little agave syrup to cut through some of the tartness. Having said that we still found it super tasty. I also found that the chickpeas did not become crunchy but that was okay as the salad itself is super crunchy. Not sure what I did wrong. Will make this salad again for sure (maybe add some toasted pumpkin seeds! Thanks for the great recipe.
This recipe was so easy and SO good! The dressing is the best part- it tastes just like Caesar but is vegan. Thank you so much for creating and sharing!
Thank you Laura! xTieghan
OK this dressing was so so delicious. I am 100% making it again. How long can I store it in the fridge if I make a double batch?
I gotta say, I was a little skeptical because I love Caesar dressing, but I had faith in your recipe. Definitely did NOT disappoint. YUM!
Hi there!! The dressing will keep for at least 1 week in the fridge and can easily be doubled too! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am so happy you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan