This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.

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

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.

Ingredients

Parmesan Tahini Dressing

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.
View Recipe Comments

horizontal photo of Kale Caesar Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Crispy Chickpeas

Add a Comment

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

    1. Hi Samantha,
      Fantastic! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great weekend:) xxT

  1. 5 stars
    Loved this! I was worried that the kale would be too… metallic tasting (not sure how to describe it better, but it’s usually challenging if it’s not steamed), but I think the dressing really balanced it out nicely. Thank you for ANOTHER hit recipe!

  2. 5 stars
    This recipe is so tasty! My husband and daughter love it too. We made it twice already and it will be making a regular appearance in our meal plans. Found it on whisk, and now excited to try more of your recipes.

  3. I would really like to try making this recipe but I am unsure how to shred the kale and brussel sprouts. Any tips? Thank you!

    1. Hi Makalia,
      You can buy them pre-shredded at your local grocery store or you can shred the kale by chopping thinly with a knife and shredding the brussels in a food processor. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan

  4. 5 stars
    Im obsessed ! Super easy and straightforward and is a great meal. We love Caesar salads but this is a healthier but still delicious version. Will definitely be going into the rotation !

  5. 5 stars
    This was really excellent! I thought it might be too much seasoning on the sweet potatoes, but after they were roasted up it was just right. Adding this one to the rotation 🙂

    1. Hey Krystine,
      Fantastic!! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try. Have the best week! xTieghan

  6. This was delicious! I knew my husband wouldn’t eat it so I made it for myself. I had 1 bunch of lacinato kale, so I augmented it with arugula. What a wonderful combination of ingredients! Thank you.

    1. Hey Alene,
      Wonderful! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for making it. Have the best weekend! xT

  7. 5 stars
    Hi Tieghan- This looks amazing, but can you suggest a substitute for the Chipotle powder? We don’t used smoked spices so smoked paprika is out- maybe regular Chili powder?

    1. Hey Jenny,
      Sure, regular chili powder would also work well for you. I hope you enjoy this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

  8. 5 stars
    I did a HBH Christmas dinner last year and decided to do it again this year. WOW am I delighted—and so were my guests. I have made this salad four times since Christmas and I’m bringing it to our NYE party tonight! I can’t get enough.

    1. Hi Katy,
      Awesome! I love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! Happy New Year!? xTieghan

  9. 5 stars
    This will certainly be on rotation in our household. Trying to go plant based is a challenge but I’m certainly loving your recipes that are. Thank you for this one, and yes it did taste just like a Caesar Salad dressing.

    1. Hi Joanne,
      I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for trying it out! Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan

  10. 5 stars
    My wife and I love this recipe. We probably make it once a month. Such a fun combination of delicious things. We passed it on to the rest of the family (along with several other of your recipes) and they all love it too.

    1. Hey Ian,
      I am thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for giving it a try. I hope you have an amazing week! xTieghan