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Starting the new year off with my Super Green Sun-Dried Tomato Herb Salad with Crispy Chickpeas. Shredded kale, baby arugula, sweet sun-dried tomatoes, carrots, and plenty of fresh herbs. All tossed together with a simple lemon vinaigrette, crispy chickpeas, toasted pine nuts, feta cheese, and avocado for a salad that’s plentiful, healthy, and filling. Enjoy this salad for dinner and save the leftovers for lunch the next day. It’s the perfect salad to kick-start clean eating in 2019.
Looking back and reflecting on 2018 I’ve realized what a truly amazing year it’s been. We saw so much growth and new opportunities in 2018. I feel like I was able to develop an even deeper connection with you guys through both the blog and Instagram. I’m so grateful to have done so much with you all. I also feel I have a better focus on what I’m trying to achieve, which is both motivating and exciting. So, with an incredible 2018 behind us, I am so excited for 2019. And I have a really good feeling that it will be just as amazing, if not better.
We have a fun announcement coming soon, more on the studio barn, and we’ll be looking to bring on some new team members in the very, very near future! I normally dread the month of January, but this year it holds so much excitement.
What are you guys looking forward to most this year?
Since it’s a new year, let’s start it off right with a big green salad that’s not only healthy, but delicious too.
Today marks the start of Healthy January 2019. And while I debated on whether or not to kick things off with a salad. I just couldn’t help myself, I was too excited about this salad to wait.
So salad it is.
This might come as a surprise, but I love a good salad. And when I say a good salad, I mean a salad that’s packed with greens, vegetables, fruits, cheese, avocado…the works. No boring salads around here.
I threw together a sun-dried tomato salad for Christmas dinner. I was so in love with the flavors and textures of that salad that I decided to re-create it for the blog. This salad is loaded with both kale and arugula, sweet sun-dried tomatoes, carrots, fresh herbs, and plenty of avocado.
The sun-dried tomatoes are KEY. It’s important to find a good brand of oil packed sun-dried tomatoes because I love using the seasoned oil for the salad’s vinaigrette. Not only does the seasoned oil add flavor to your vinaigrette, but it saves you from having to use extra olive oil (it should be extra virgin olive oil, I love this brand). I did a very simple lemon honey vinaigrette with a touch of red pepper flakes for heat. I love the lemon with the sun-dried tomatoes, Tuscan kale, arugula, and feta. It feels very Mediterranean.
For a good crunch, I added toasted pine nuts, and buttery crisped chickpeas. I cooked them with some fresh oregano and a little flaky sea salt…delish!
Also, can I just say that these chickpeas on their own are completely addicting? The secret is pan frying them in a small amount of butter (yes, I’m telling you to enjoy some butter in January, it’s ok, a good thing). The chickpeas become crisp on the outside but stay soft on the inside. And when finished off with sea salt?
Delicious.
I love pouring the warm chickpeas right over the salad and then tossing everything together. The heat from the chickpeas helps to break down the kale and really mends all the flavors together.
Finish with an avocado and feta cheese for the best wintry salad that’s full of deliciousness with every last bite. Promise, this salad is not too good to be true.
My suggestion? Make this for dinner one night this week. Then save the leftovers for lunch the following day. The salad keeps really well in the fridge, so it’s great for packing up and taking to work!
If you make this super green salad, 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 also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Super Green Sun-Dried Tomato Herb Salad with Crispy Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons raw pine nuts
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 (14 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and patted dry
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1 head Tuscan kale, shredded
- 4 cups baby arugula
- 4 carrots, thinly sliced into rounds
- 1 (8 ounce) jar oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, oil drained and reserved, tomatoes chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives
- 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 1-2 avocados, sliced
Lemon vinaigrette
- juice from 1 large lemon, (or 2 smaller lemons)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- 1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring often, until the nuts are lightly golden and toasted, 2-3 minutes. Slide the nuts onto a plate. 2. To the skillet, add the butter, chickpeas, oregano, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the chickpeas are crisped all over, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. 3. Meanwhile, in a large salad bowl, combine the kale, arugula, carrots, sun-dried tomatoes, dill, basil, and chives. 4. To make the vinaigrette. Whisk together the reserved sun-dried tomato oil (or 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil), lemon juice, vinegar, and honey. Season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.5. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad, tossing to combine. Top the salad with crispy chickpeas, feta, and avocado. Enjoy!
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 was amazing. I was skeptical given the wide variety of ingredients, but it came together amazingly well. Even our picky two year ate it up! Was excellent with fresh dill and basil from the garden.
Thank you so much Jonathan!! xTieghan
This is a GREAT recipe!! The sun-dried tomatoes and flavored EVOO make the salad really special. And I learned a new trick with sautéing the chick peas on the top of the stove. Thanks for the recipe
Thank you for trying this! I am so glad you enjoyed it! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! This is a great recipe! I love sun-dried tomatoes and the vinaigrette in this salad is so delicious. All of the fresh herbs also give it such a light, fresh taste. It’s a really well balanced salad in terms of flavor and I always enjoy eating it! I’ve recently tried it with sugar snap peas instead of carrots and I think that was a real hit as well! Your salads are always the best and I’ve enjoyed many of them many times over!
Hi Caroline! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! Thank you so much! xTieghan
So good!!! I’ve been looking for a salad recipe to switch up my boring salads and this hit the mark! I added leftover grilled salmon, but it’s also awesome just as is!
What a delicious addition with the grilled salmon! Thanks for sharing with us Kristen. We’re so happy you enjoyed it.
Really delicious and hearty. Easy to make.
Thank you Ali! xTieghan
How long before should I prepare the chickpeas? should it be served warm, in a party dinner?
HI! You can serve the chickpeas warm or at room temp, but I do love them warm. They can be made a few hours ahead of time and tossed with the salad, they should stay crisp. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Wow. Another great recipe. Had this for lunch today. Really like using the oregano when crisping the chickpeas. The dressing was perfect. Used what I had on hand, so for the kale and arugula I used spinach and 1 or 2 other switches but will definitely make this again tomorrow. Very tasty and healthy. Thanks!
Thank you Nancy! xTieghan
My girlfriend made this last night and holy smokes, I think it is my new favorite salad! I added some black olives and a touch of Sriracha (because I’m addicted to both) and just couldn’t get enough. Love the chickpeas and pine nuts. The flavor of everything is just…chef’s kiss. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much Nik! That is so amazing! xTieghan
This salad was awesome! I made it a couple of weeks ago and can’t wait to make it again.
I am so glad you loved this recipe! Thank you El! xTieghan
I made this last night, and had the leftovers for lunch today — and it was awesome. I just used baby kale and left out the carrots, and it was still excellent. I would recommend being sure you roast the chickpeas until they are nice and crispy — it does add something special to this salad.
Thank you so much Melinda!
Wow!!! I am not a salad girl but this was amazing! I added cucumber and pepper rings plus some chicken.
I could eat this weekly. My hubby said it’s too three salads he has ever eaten!
Thank you SO MUCH for this. Can’t wait to try everything you have.
Hi Amie! I am so glad you loved this salad! Thank you!
This was soooooo good! I made it for a dinner party and everyone loved it!
Thank you so much Rebecca! I am so happy to hear that!
Such a great salad! I was missing few ingridients but still salad was fantastic, can’t wait to try it according to recipe. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Thank you so much Agne!
I’m looking for recipes that will work for salads in a jar. I think I can make this work by leaving the kale out until i’m ready to eat it. Do you think it will work? This recipe looks so good.
HI! I think that this will be great in a salad. Just keep the kale on the top of the jar. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
I got to make this for a dinner party yesterday, and we all loved the salad! It was delicious and hearty. We were all eager to pack leftovers for today’s lunch :). Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you so much Marilu!