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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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Ingredients
- 2 small sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch circles
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder, use to your taste
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 (14 ounce) can chickpeas,, drained
- 1 large head kale, shredded
- 4 cups shredded brussels sprouts, or 1 additional head of kale
- 1-2 avocados, sliced
Parmesan Tahini Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- juice of 2 lemons
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 cloves garlic, grated
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
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.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
What a delicious salad. I loved the combination of all these flavours.
I never really was fond of kale but I never had it in a salad before. Now I’m a fan. And I’m discovering more wonderful recipees on your website.
Thanks so much, Marian! Love to hear you enjoyed this salad, I appreciate you making it!
Have a great weekend!
Making now with Kale from my garden! In Dubai, the Kale is peek right now! Soooo good!
Hey Elizabeth,
Love to hear this! Thanks for giving this recipe a go, so glad it was enjoyed!
Have a great weekend!☃️
Hi! Looking forward to trying this recipe! 🙂 Do you have any recommendations for a different dressing? My husband is picky with his salad dressing and prefers oil-based dressings (not creamy, no mustard)
Hey there,
Sure! Here are some salad recipes with dressings that he might enjoy. I think any of these dressings would work nicely on this salad:)
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/shredded-brussels-sprout-and-prosciutto-salad/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/autumn-harvest-honeycrisp-apple-and-feta-salad/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/roasted-butternut-squash-and-pomegranate-salad/
I hope this helps!
I discovered this salad from HBH about five years ago and it is hands down the best salad I’ve ever eaten. It’s my go to fall/winter salad to serve guests or just when I’m craving it! It ALWAYS gets rave reviews! Each ingredient brightens the kale in ways that I never would have put together!
Thanks so much, Robin! Love to hear this recipe always turns out well for you, I appreciate you making it so often! Have a great Monday!
This salad dressing has literally become a lifestyle. It’s good on everything (although especially nice with roasted sweet potato salad as you have it here). I meal prep a jar of the dressing and throw it on veggies and salads all week. It keeps forever too.
Thank you for sharing this, it’s honestly been a life upgrade for me!
Hey Cindy,
Happy Sunday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, love to hear it turned out well for you!
Absolutely love this recipe! New fav from hbh 🙂 make as a salad or a bowl. The dressing is delicious!
Hey Nicole,
Yay! Love to hear this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! Have the best weekend:) x
Would you think nutritional yeast could be in place of the Parmesan to make it vegan, or making a Parmesan with cashews and nutritional yeast instead?
Hey Sara,
Totally, nutritional yeast will work nicely for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
would arugula be ok instead of kale? or can you recommend another lettuce base?
Hey Becky,
Of course, arugula would be a great option for this recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions! x
I’ve been eating this monthly since 2020 Love this recipe thanks Tieghan!
Hey Natalie,
Amazing! Love to hear that this recipe always turns out nicely for you, I appreciate you making it so often! xx
I might eat this every day forever.
Lol thanks so much Vanessa!! Love to hear that you enjoyed this salad! Have a great Friday! xT
Made this last night on a whim. A coworker sent me the recipe, and I was so intrigued to try it. I did 1 teaspoon of the chipotle chili powder, but I would likely do less next time for my personal taste. Love that this salad holds up well in the fridge and it tasted just as delicious the next day! I loved the addition of the avocado, but I also enjoyed it without it. Super tasty, and I would recommend!
Hi Amy,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this dish turned out well for you, thanks for trying it and your comment! Happy Friday:)
Delicious recipe! Added to my collection! 😋💕
Hi Eli,
Amazing!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! Thanks for your comment! xx
Wow this was so yummy!! The sweet potatoes and chickpeas were the perfect balance to the kale. Will definitely be making again!
Thank you so so much for trying out the recipe! I appreciate it! xT
Any other tips for getting the chickpeas to be crunchy? I’ve never mastered that – they always end up being soggy throughout or crispy on the very outside and soggy within. Thanks!
Hi Caroline! I would say to try to make sure that you pat your chickpeas dry before trying to get them crispy! xT
Hello! If we are not fans of kale what other green do you recommend as a replacement!? Thank you!
Hi Rebecca,
Really anything else that you like will work, a simple spring mix or arugula would be great! I hope you love this recipe! xx