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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.
This salad is PERFECTION! All of the textures and flavors compliment each other beautifully. The dressing is a dream! Thank you for all of your amazing recipes!
Hey Debbie,
I am thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Why does it not mention what to do with the kale/Brussels?? Not eating them raw… I’m baking em!
Hey Zoe,
The kale and Brussels are both adding to the salad raw, you can follow the recipe as is:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made this today for lunch and it was so delicious! I loved the flavors and the dressing was so good! Excited to have it all week ?
Hey Beth,
I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great week:) xTieghan
This is such a tasty salad, I added shrimp and it was a HIT!!! I will definitely make it again
Hey Priscila,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week:) xTieghan
Finally made this tonight! I eyeballed everything for the dressing (probably used too much tahini because I love it) and subbed soy sauce for Worcestershire because I was out. Awesome salad… definitely will be making this regularly. I’m thinking of adding extra roasted halved brussels sprouts next time!
Hey Brooke,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week:) xTieghan
I love the mix of flavors in this salad. The greens are bitter, the dressing is tart, the sweet potatoes are smoky and sweet, the avocado is mild, and the chickpeas add a nice mellow crunch! The dressing is healthy and soooo tasty. I felt really good after eating this salad, but it was also filling. Win win!
Hey Lauren,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week:) xTieghan
Just made this tonight and it was delicious! I’m not usually a salad person but this was so filling and the dressing is amazing. I would probably put less lemon next time but I might have just had unusually juicy lemons. I also added some grilled chicken which went well! Excited to eat the leftovers throughout the week
Hey Noelle,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week:) xTieghan
This has become me and my boyfriend’s favorite salad! It is so easy to whip up. I put the Brussels sprouts and sweet potato in the air fryer for 20 mins instead of the oven and they come out perfectly!
Hey Jackie,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
This was yummy and easy to make. My husband doesn’t love brussels sprouts so I sliced them, tossed them with olive oil and roasted them for 15 minutes at the same temp as the sweet potatoes. That worked. He didn’t believe me when I told him that I put brussels sprouts in the salad. Also didn’t have tahini or almond butter, so I substituted mayonnaise. Becomes more like a classic caesar salad dressing. Looking forward to trying the tahini next time. Thanks, Tiegan.
Hey Valerie,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
I am LOVING this salad! My husband and I have now had it twice in the past 3 nights. Cannot recommend enough-super simple to throw together. We had to variate the first time and use a spring mix instead, still tasted amazing. Just followed the recipe to a T tonight, and I think it’s even more amazing!!! Love how the sweet potato and chickpeas warm up the kale but it still holds its own. Love!
Hey Julie,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for trying it out! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
This salad is amazing!!!! I roasted my shredded brussel sprouts with a little olive oil and garlic powder. It just added an extra crunch!
Hey Christia,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for trying it out! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
So Delicious!! My husband loved it too! We added some homemade gluten free croutons just for fun! All of your recipes are full of flavor and easy to make!!
Hey Tracey,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for trying it out! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
Tieghan,
I’m so grateful that I’ve discovered the world of half baked harvest! One of my girlfriends told me about you through Instagram and I have been following and making recipes ever since..asked for one your cookbooks this Christmas and absolutely love it. I find cooking so therapeutic and recently moved into a new home, so its been a lot of fun creating your meals! 🙂 I actually made this salad tonight, but with a honey mustard dressing and it was delicious (especially with the sweet potatoes)
Even my doggie gets an occasional sample hahaha
Thank you for being you! <3
Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year.
Hey Kara,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for trying it out! Thanks for your super kind message and following along:) Happy Sunday! xTieghan
SO. GOOD. Took a little longer than anticipated to make my first time through, but I’m sure with more practice the recipe will go faster. The hubs and I try to do 2 meat-free days per week and this salad is perfect for them. So many flavours and textures. Can’t wait to make it again!
Hey Sarah,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for trying it out! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
If you’re trying to make this vegan, what is a good substitute for the parmesan cheese in the dressing?
Hey Jessica,
You could use nutritional yeast in place of the parm. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan