• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Simple Healthy Kitchen
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
    • Popular Recipes
    • Dinner
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
    • Juices & Smoothies
    • Salads
    • Sides
    • Slow Cooker
    • Soups
    • Vegan
  • What’s in Season?
  • Contact
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • What’s in Season?
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About
    • Recipe Index
    • What’s in Season?
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Dinner

    Kale Caesar Salad {with Parmesan Roasted Chickpeas}

    Last Updated June 20, 2020. Originally Published June 13, 2018 By Susan 3 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    kale and romaine lettuce Caesar salad with crunchy Parmesan roasted chickpeas on a white plate
    Romaine and Kale Caesar salad with crunchy Parmesan roasted chickpeas on a white plate with silver fork

    Kale Caesar Salad with Parmesan Roasted Chickpeas- This healthy Caesar salad is made with both Romaine lettuce and kale for an extra flavor and nutritional boost. Topped with a lightened- up dressing and crunchy Roasted Parmesan Chickpeas this salad is perfect for a light meal, to take to a summer BBQ, or for your 4th of July celebration.
    kale caesar salad with lightened up dressing on a white plate garnished with shredded Parmesan cheese

    Every day is a good day for a salad in my book (I just might have a salad addiction!).  When the weather starts turning warmer I’m REALLY craving light, crisp, super flavorful salads like this Kale Caesar Salad with Crispy Parmesan Roasted Chickpeas ( or this Strawberry Avocado and Feta salad or this Italian Salad). The combination of flavors  just screams summer fun! ( think BBQ's, Pool Parties, Picnics, Family get-togethers, etc.).

    A Few Recipe Tips:

    Massage the Kale!

    Yes, you read that correctly. It’s all about the massaging! Raw kale needs to be massaged.  I do realize that last sentence may sound a little strange but massaging the kale is a worthwhile extra step to making a super tasty salad.

    Kale can be quite tough, which is great when you’re going to be adding it to things like soups (like this Curried Cauliflower "Rice" Soup) or stews since it will hold up nicely, however, to bring out the best in kale that is going to be staring in fresh salads the extra step of massaging the kale is SO worth it!

    Roasted Chickpeas with Parmesan cheese in a white bowl with spoon. Ready to be added to salad for extra protein and crunch

    How to Massage Kale:

    1. Remove the ribs/stem in the middle of kale leaves by laying the leaf upside down on a cutting board and using a knife to cut along both sides of the rib
    2. Chop kale into bite size pieces
    3. In a large bowl add kale, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp lemon juice and a pinch of salt. “Massage” the kale with your fingertips similar to how you would knead bread. You’ll notice the leaves will start to darken and shrink in size and turn a bit silky (this is all good!) . Keep massaging for about 3-5 minutes. Taste the kale. It should start to have a slight nutty and  lightly sweet flavor. If it still tastes bitter keep massaging a little bit longer.

    The Dressing for Kale Caesar Salad:

    I’m keeping this recipe vegetarian and opting not to add anchovies or anchovy paste to the dressing. Of course you can add either if you would like. Can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

     The Crispy Parmesan Roasted Chickpeas:

    To maintain their maximum crunchiness these are best made the day you plan to serve the salad.

    I did a separate post on the chickpeas (they also make great snacks and soup toppers ) – you can read more here .

    kale caesar salad dressed with lightened up dressing and topped with crunchy roasted chickpeas in a white bowl ready to be served

    Want more healthy salad recipes?  You might also like:

    1.) Strawberry Spinach Salad

    2) Summer Melon & Prosciutto Salad

    3) Superfood Salad with Creamy Cashew dressing - it's packed with 7 superfoods!

    Kale Caesar Salad + Crispy Parmesan Chickpeas
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Kale Caesar Salad {with Parmesan Roasted Chickpeas}

    Kale Caesar Salad with Parmesan Roasted Chickpeas- This healthy Caesar salad is made with both Romaine lettuce and kale for an extra flavor and nutritional boost. Topped with a lightened- up dressing and crunchy Roasted Parmesan Chickpeas this salad is perfect for a light meal, to take to a summer BBQ cookout.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time45 mins
    Total Time1 hr
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 115kcal
    Author: Susan | SimpleHealthyKitchen.com

    Ingredients

    For the Crispy Parmesan Roasted Chickpeas

    • 1 15 oz. can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
    • 1 Tbsp olive oil
    • ½ tsp garlic powder
    • ½ tsp grated lemon zest
    • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
    • 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

    For the Salad

    • 4 cups chopped fresh kale stems removed
    • 1 Tbsp Olive oil
    • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
    • pinch of salt
    • 4 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
    • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

    For the Caesar Dressing

    • 1 Tbsp olive oil
    • ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
    • 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
    • 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice approx. the juice of one medium lemon
    • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
    • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
    • ¼ tsp garlic powder
    • Salt & pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 375F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
    • Drain and rinse chickpeas. Pat chickpeas with paper towels to dry and remove any loose skins (the drier the chickpeas are before cooking the crispy they will be after cooking).
    • In a large bowl toss chickpeas with oil, garlic powder, lemon zest and salt & pepper.
    • Arrange in a single layer on baking sheet and bake until crisp and light brown ( approx. 45-50 mins) tossing halfway through cooking. Remove from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
    • While chickpeas are roasting prepare dressing by combining all dressing ingredients in a medium bowl and thoroughly mixing. You may need to add a small amount of water to thin dressing to desired consistency. Refrigerate dressing until ready to serve.
    • De-stem the kale and tear or chop into bite size pieces. Place the kale, olive oil and lemon juice and a pinch of salt into a large mixing bowl. "Massage" the kale ( with your fingertips) for approx. 3-5 mins. This process helps to tenderize the kale, making it softer and sweeter. Set kale aside.
    • When ready to serve salad, combine kale , Romaine lettuce, Parmesan cheese and desired amount of dressing. Plate greens and top with crispy Parmesan chickpeas.

    Notes

    Nutritional Info for Crispy Parmesan Roasted Chickpeas
    Serving size: ⅙ of recipe Calories: 98.9 Fat: 3.4 g Saturated fat: 0.7 g Carbohydrates: 13.6 g Sugar: 0.0 g Sodium: 210.4 mg Fiber: 2.6 g Protein: 3.7 g Cholesterol: 1.3 mg

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving (w/o chickpeas) | Calories: 115kcal | Carbohydrates: 7.1g | Protein: 7.6g | Fat: 6.8g | Saturated Fat: 1.8g | Cholesterol: 4.6mg | Sodium: 202.2mg | Fiber: 2.4g | Sugar: 2.7g
    Share on Facebook Pin Recipe
    Tried this recipe? Pin it for later!Mention @shkitchen or tag #simplehealthykitchen!

     

    Share on pinterest
    Pinterest
    Share on twitter
    Twitter
    Share on facebook
    Facebook
    Share on reddit
    Reddit
    Share on tumblr
    Tumblr
    Share on stumbleupon
    Stumbleupon
    Share on yummly
    Yummly
    Share on email
    Email
    Share on print
    Print
    « Crispy Parmesan Roasted Chickpeas
    Quick & Easy Lo Mein Recipe {Instant Pot or Stovetop} »

    About Susan

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Katherine S

      January 19, 2021 at 7:46 pm

      Hi there, I just wanted to tell you how much I love this caesar recipe!!! I've made it atleast 5 times now and its delicious. I especially love the roasted chickpeas-my 3 yr old daughter loves to grab these once they've cooled and eat them as a snack.

      Reply
      • Susan

        January 22, 2021 at 7:23 am

        Hi Katherine! Thanks so much! I'm glad to hear you and your daughter are enjoying the salad and I really appreciate you taking the time to comment.

        Reply
    2. Grace

      January 09, 2021 at 12:18 pm

      So good!! I used no fat Greek yogurt and it was amazing.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi I'm Susan!

    Thanks for stopping by Simple Healthy Kitchen- a food blog featuring simple healthy meal ideas that can be prepared in 30 min. or less, using seasonally fresh ingredients. Read More…

    GET THE LATEST RECIPES

    Visit our sister site- Healthy Instant Pot Recipes

    Footer

    GET THE LATEST RECIPES !

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

    As Seen On:

    Logos of publications Simple Healthy Kitchen has been seen on. Listed are Buzz Feed, NBC News, Country Living, People Food and Woman's Day

    • Home
    • About
    • Recipes
    • What's in Season?
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy & Disclosures

    Copyright © 2023