Lemon Kale Caesar Salad (Healthy, Roasted Chickpeas)

The best lemon kale caesar salad! This salad is full of finely shredded kale, buttery croutons, roasted chickpeas, parmesan cheese, and a delicious homemade caesar dressing.

Kale caesar salad

Traditionally, caesar salad is make with chopped romaine hearts! But, this recipe is made with kale! Kale is so tasty and is such a fun twist on a traditional caesar salad. With that being said, feel free to use any greens you prefer!

For this kale caesar salad, you’ll want to finely chop the kale. Kale has a tough texture, so finely chopping it helps minimize the toughness (plus it makes it much easier to eat)! Massaging the kale is another step needed to get tender and easy-to-chew lettuce. Massage the kale with a tablespoon or olive oil and lemon juice until soft and wilted. This step is key!

Let’s take a few minutes to break down the ingredients.

Ingredients in lemon kale caesar salad

With just 6 ingredients you can whip this salad. Here are the ingredients we are working with.

Kale is the base of this salad. Make sure it is chopped with most of the stems removed.

Olive oil and lemon are used to massage the kale. This will help break down the kale and make it nice to eat. Massaging the kale is a key step!

The canned chickpeas are roasted so they are crisp and crunchy. They add the perfect crunch along with the croutons. They are also a great source of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Parmesan cheese is a must in caesar salad! Use freshly grated or shredded parmesan.

Pick your favorite bread to make the croutons. I recommend using a rustic loaf! But any of your favorite breads will work. The croutons will be roasted with the chickpeas for the ultimate crunch.

Why you’ll love the lemon kale caesar salad

This salad is so delicious! Between the crunchy croutons and zesty lemon kale, you can’t go wrong. Here are a dew reasons why you’ll love it so much.

• Lemon kale caesar salad is so easy to make.

• It is tossed in a delicious healthy homemade caesar dressing.

• This recipe is loaded with buttery croutons and roasted chickpeas.

• Kale caesar salad makes the perfect lunch of dinner.

• It is the perfect base for a variety of protein add ins, like chicken or salmon!

What you’ll need for healthy homemade caesar dressing

Instead of buying caesar dressing at the store, make this homemade caesar dressing! It is incredibly easy to make, tastes much better than store bought, and doesn’t have any added processed ingredients. Since it only takes a few minutes to make

Plain greek yogurt and mayo make the base of this dressing.

Shredded parmesan cheese adds texture and flavor into the dressing.

Olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, anchovy paste and Dijon mustard are all key in making a classic caesar dressing.

Here are the seasonings we are working with: garlic powder, salt and pepper. They all add the perfect about of flavor and spice.

Why do you massage the kale?

The point of massaging kale is to help break down the tough structure. It helps give kale a softer texture and makes it much easier to eat. Also, the addition of olive oil and lemon juice gives the kale a nice zing! Massaging the kale only takes a minute or two and it is definitely necessary so don’t skip this step.

Also, if you don’t like a lot of lemon, start out by just adding about a teaspoon. You can always add more! Usually1/2 of a small fresh lemon will do.

How to make this kale caesar salad recipe

Follow the few steps below:

Firstly, roast the chickpeas and croutons. Grab a large baking sheet. Toss the chickpeas with olive oil, garlic powder salt and pepper. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes. Then add the buttered bread and bake for another 10 minutes.

Secondly, massage the kale. While the chickpeas and bread are roasting. Massage the kale with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and juice from 1/2 a lemon.

Then make the dressing. Add all the dressing ingredients into a medium size bowl. Mix until combined and refrigerate until ready to use.

Lastly, assemble the salads. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients: kale, chickpeas, croutons, and cheese. Then gently toss to coat the salad with the healthy homemade caesar dressing.

How to make croutons

Making croutons just requires a few simple steps. In this recipe, we are going to be making the croutons and crunchy chickpeas together.

• To start, toss the chickpeas with one tablespoon of olive oil and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.

• Bake at 425 for 20 minutes.

• Now it’s time for the croutons!

• Add the rustic buttered bread to the baking sheet along with the chickpeas.

• Bake for another 10 minutes.

• And bam, that’s it!

• You’ll have crispy croutons and crunchy chickpeas in under 30 minutes.

Variations and substitutes

Salad. While this recipe calls for kale, other mixed greens can be used as well. Feel free to try spinach, romaine or arugula. All of these leafy greens are delicious and will work well in this recipe.

Dressing. This recipe calls for a home dressing but feel free to use store bought to save time.

Parmesan. Freshly grated parmesan works best! Feel free to use shredded or grated.

Other recipes you’ll love

If you love this chickpea caesar salad, definitely give these other recipes a try:

Lemon Kale Caesar Salad

Blackened Steak Salad

Strawberry Farro Salad

Best Easy Meatball Recipe

Best Veggie Burger Recipe

Crispy Buffalo Tofu Salad

Did you make this recipe?

I hope you love this lemon kale caesar salad as much as I do! Please leave me a rating and a review down below. I can’t wait to see what you make! For more recipe inspiration follow me on Instagram and Pinterest. I would love for you to follow along and share what you make: tag me @braesbites. I love hearing from you!