This hearty Kale Chickpea Salad is healthy and nutritious with a touch of indulgence! Crisp dark greens, spiced chickpeas, crunchy almonds, and sweet mangoes come together in this versatile dish that can be enjoyed as a side dish with your favorite grilled protein, or as a light lunch.
My family enjoys it as a side with Mediterranean chicken, salmon patties, or paneer tikka, and leftovers make for a delicious power-packed lunch.
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This kale and chickpea salad is a regular on our table. It's a 10-minute vegan and gluten-free side dish that is filled with healthy and nutritious ingredients.
If you're like me and find kale a bit sharp and chewy, this recipe is for you! I toss the kale and slaw with the warm, lightly sautéed chickpeas, which takes the edge off, plus it gets seasoned right in the pan, so no extra dressing is required.
Another Kale Favorite: Crispy Kale Chips in Air Fryer
I finish this salad with mango chunks and slivered almonds, both of which enhance the overall flavor.
The sweet-spicy flavors end up pairing perfectly with seasoned chicken, meats, or paneer, and leftovers make for a hearty lunch the next day. Let's get started with this easy recipe!
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Ingredients- Notes & Substitutions
Kale and chickpeas are the stars of this recipe. Here are some other ingredients and possible alternatives to make this Mediterranean chickpea kale salad:
Chickpeas: Chickpeas add a creamy-spicy flavor to this salad, along with plant-based protein and a ton of fiber. Use canned chickpeas or make your own from scratch using this easy recipe for Instant pot chickpeas.
Alternatively, substitute chickpeas with black beans, kidney beans, or cannellini beans.
Kale: I use a 10-ounce bag of kale slaw that can be found in the salad section of most produce stores. It primarily contains kale along with an assortment of cabbage greens. Feel free to use baby kale, mixed dark greens, or baby spinach instead.
Mango: This is what adds a touch of indulgence to this salad. I look for ripe but firm mangoes, that can hold their shape and don't fall apart in the salad. Pick your favorite variety.
Check out this detailed guide on how to peel and chop mangoes. If you're not a fan of mangoes, you can easily switch that with a pear or a granny smith apple.
Soycutash: I love the contrast of flavors that soycutash brings, with sweet corn, crunchy edamame, and juicy peppers. I use a frozen mix, but you can use frozen corn or peas instead, or, skip it entirely.
Almonds: Slivered almonds add a crunchy finish here. Feel free to substitute them with almond chips or pine nuts. Skip them altogether for a nut-free kale salad.
Spices & Seasoning: Cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and red wine vinegar is all you need to add flavor to this dish. I prefer regular paprika, but feel free to use smoked paprika for a kick.
Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Kale Chickpea Salad
Here are the step-by-step instructions to make this delicious and healthy salad:
Cook Chickpeas: You can use half a 15-ounce can of chickpeas, or cook them from scratch. Soak ½ cup chickpeas overnight. Rinse and drain them and add them to the Instant pot. Add 1 cup water, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon baking soda, and pressure cook in the Instant Pot on Bean/Chili mode for 20 mins.
Check the detailed recipe for chickpeas from dried beans. Reserve ¾ cup for this recipe and refrigerate the remaining for later use.
Sauté cooked chickpeas with spices: Heat a frying pan on medium-high heat. Drizzle olive oil and add chickpeas along with salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika. Saute the chickpeas for about 30 seconds.
Add soycutash and sauté (optional): If adding frozen soycutash, add it now and saute for a minute, until it thaws. Turn off the heat.
Add kale slaw mix, salt and vinegar: Add the kale mix and vinegar, and mix well with the chickpeas. Let it rest in the pan for 30 seconds.
The residual heat from the chickpeas and soycuttash will soften the kale and season it.
Add mango & almonds: Add chopped mango and slivered almonds and mix well. Serve this salad at room temperature or store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Try a Variation
- Kale Chickpea Quinoa Salad: Add ¼ cup cooked quinoa to this salad and enjoy a delicious 100% vegan & gluten-free lunch.
- Try Kale Chickpea Feta Salad: Crumble about ½ cup feta cheese and toss it just before serving.
- Kale Chickpea Avocado Salad: Cube 1 large avocado and toss it in just before serving.
What to Eat with Kale and Chickpea Salad
This kale and mango salad pairs well with a variety of grilled (or air-fried) plant and meat-based proteins. Here are some serving suggestions:
- Jamaican Jerk chicken or with Indian Tandoori Chicken
- Grilled Lamb Chops or Mediterranean Chicken
- Fish Tikka or Paneer Tikka
- Salmon Patties or Quinoa Veggie Patties
How to Store or Make Ahead
This salad stores well and can be made 2-3 days ahead of time for meal prep. Store it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. You can enjoy this cold, or reheat this gently in the microwave for 30 seconds or so.
I don't recommend freezing this salad.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Greens: Use your favorite dark greens in this recipe. Kale slaw mix, baby kale, mixed greens or baby spinach, all work great here.
- Chickpeas: I prefer homemade chickpeas as they are more creamy in texture. But feel free to use canned chickpeas for convenience. Substitute with other beans if you like.
- Fruit: Mango and kale make a great pair, but feel free to swap that with a pear or a granny smith apple.
- Nuts: Slivered almonds add a nice crunch to this salad, but skip them to make a nut-free kale salad.
- Spices: Use smoked paprika instead of regular to add a smoky flavor to the salad. To add subtle heat to the dish, add a pinch of cayenne while sautéing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. kale is often eaten raw in salads. It can also be lightly sautéed, like in this recipe.
Due to its nutrient-dense, low-calorie, and high-fiber content, kale is considered to be good for weight loss.
To make kale less bitter for salads wash and rinse it well. You can either drizzle some salad dressing and massage it into the kale leaves gently, or saute kale leaves in a touch of olive oil and seasoning for about 30 seconds.
Kale is a very versatile dark green that goes well with a variety of vegetables, fruits, and proteins. You can combine it with cucumber, fennel, and carrots to make a salad or add kale leaves to a burger or wrap. You can also air fry kale to make kale chips.
More Salad Recipes
📖 Recipe
Kale Chickpea Salad
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup cooked chickpeas : canned chickpeas or dry chickpeas pressure cooked
- ½ cup frozen soycutash or corn or peas : optional
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt , adjust to taste
- 10 ounce bag of Kale salad mix or baby kale or mixed greens
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup mango peeled and cubed
- 2-3 tablespoons dry toasted slivered almonds
Instructions
- To pressure cook chickpeas, soak them overnight. Rinse and drain them and add them to the Instant Pot. Add 1 cup water, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon baking soda, and pressure cook for 20 mins. Reserve ¾ cup for this slaw and refrigerate the remaining for later use. If using canned chickpeas, rinse and drain them. Keep aside.
- Heat a frying pan on medium-high heat. Drizzle olive oil and add chickpeas along with salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika. Saute the chickpeas for about 30 seconds.
- If adding frozen soycutash, add it now and saute for a minute, until it thaws. Turn off the heat.
- Add the kale mix and vinegar, and mix well with the chickpeas. Let it rest in the pan for 30 seconds. The residual heat from the chickpeas and soycutash will soften the kale and season it.
- Add chopped mango and slivered almonds and mix well. Serve this salad at room temperature or store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
- Greens: Use your favorite dark greens in this recipe. Kale slaw mix, baby kale or baby spinach all work great here.
- Chickpeas: I prefer homemade chickpeas as they are more creamy in texture. But feel free to use canned chickpeas for convenience. Substitute with other beans if you like.
- Fruit: Mango and kale make a great pair, but feel free to swap that with a pear or a granny smith apple.
- Nuts: Slivered almonds add a nice crunch to this salad, but skip them to make a nut-free kale salad.
- Spices: Use smoked paprika instead of regular to add a smoky flavor to the salad. To add a subtle heat to the dish, add a pinch of cayenne while sautéing.
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