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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. 5 stars
    So good!!! We had it for dinner and there were no leftovers (as per usual with your recipes). Quickly cooked the brussel sprouts in some butter and it was delicious. Thank you!!!

    Reply

  3. 5 stars
    Such a tasty and beautiful salad! The dressing is very lemony, I used 1.5 lemons and still found it slightly too acidic and needed to add a bit of oil but that is a personal preference. The roasted yams and chickpeas are amazing on top, especially when still warm. The kids munched them up like candy. We ate this with steak but I would be quite happy eating the salad on its own. Thank you, can’t wait to try more of your recipes!

    Reply

    1. Hey Kristyna,
      I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Happy Friday! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Zoia,
      You can use soy sauce in place of the Worcestershire. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Catherine,
      I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Happy Friday! xTieghan

      Reply

  6. As the sole cooker of my covid-ridden family, this was a hit! I’m happy they got to get some good leafy greens in and antioxidants from the sweet potatoes. 🙂 The garlic and lemon came through beautifully in the dressing and they were able to taste it! I’d probably add a bit less lemon juice next time as we live in a citrus-producing region and all the juice from one packed a punch. Planning to make your lemon garlic orzo next – thanks for such cozy, nutrient-packed ideas xo

    Reply

    1. Hey Pacelli,
      I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Happy Friday! xTieghan

      Reply

  7. 5 stars
    I was looking for some healthy/easy meals to kick off the new year and this was perfect! I was shocked at how great the dressing turned out as I don’t tend to use tahini and have usually made Caesar dressing with eggs. It tasted very savoury and rich but didn’t feel super heavy. The addition of the sweet potato and chickpeas made this pretty filling, we added a little thick cut bacon to the top to make it more “Caesar-y” and it was delicious! Will for sure be making it again and again, especially the dressing 🙂 thanks!!!

    Reply

  8. Made this for lunch and it was outstanding!! Didn’t have tahini so just added a little extra parm (cuz who doesn’t love extra parm ?)! I also roasted my shaved Brussels, truly outstanding!!

    Reply

  9. 5 stars
    This is just delicious. I actually had a bag of roasted hummus flavoured chickpeas, so I didn’t need to roast my own. I forgot to buy brussels sprouts, so I will next time. The salad with the kale, roasted sweet potatoes, roasted chickpeas, and avocado and dressing is really tasty. I find extra virgin olive oil adds a bitterness to the dressing and I had to cut the bitterness with 1 TBSP of honey. Next time I will use regular olive oil in the dressing. Recipe made enough for 4 big salads – will be having leftovers tonight.

    Reply

  10. 5 stars
    Delicious combination, I enjoyed the roasted chickpeas as the crunch in the salad. I would recommend that the kale needs to have a light massage with some olive oil, salt and lemon juice to help it break down and be easier to eat raw.
    For the leftovers I added some shrimp marinated in coriander and garlic along with some rice noodles. Delicious warm salad version! Thank you for the inspiration!

    Reply

  11. 5 stars
    Ok….YUM! Made it for dinner tonight – as delicious as it is beautiful. Kale/brussel salads give your mouth a work-out, but so good and so healthy! Dressing is divine, and loved the roasted sweet potato & chickpeas. Will def make this again! Thanks Tieghan! 🙂

    Reply

  12. 5 stars
    So I didn’t make this particular salad but I made the dressing and to be honest I was skeptical at first because I love tahini but I didn’t think I’d like it in a Caesar type salad. This was the absolute best vegetarian Caesar dressing I’ve ever tested and I love that it didn’t have mayo in it. So so good.

    Reply

    1. Hey Nora,
      Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan

      Reply

  15. 5 stars
    Love this one! We prefer peeled, cubed sweet potatoes over the whole unpeeled circles but otherwise keep the recipe as is. So delicious! Def use a food processor to shred the Brussels as it’s a decent amount of work. I eat this as a main dish while hubby adds chicken to his

    Reply

    1. Hey Lisa,
      Thanks so much for trying the recipe. That is so great the recipe was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan

      Reply