Kale Chickpea Salad with Candied Pecans
Hearty, healthy, and packed full of flavor! Our Kale Chickpea Salad with Candied Pecans is a new favorite hearty green autumn salad with tart apple, salty feta cheese, sweet crunchy pecans, and an incredibly flavorful, light, and bright vinaigrette. It’s the perfect green salad for any fall or holiday table!
Welcome to the holiday season, friends! Bring on cozy clothes, cooler weather, and comforting food. Comforting food that can also be healthy! Our latest salad recipe is one of our new favorites that is packed with so much flavor and texture with an uber-healthy hearty base of nutrient-packed kale. This Kale Chickpea Salad with Candied Pecans is one that’ll be a welcome relief from all of the heavy comfort foods and sweets but is still satisfying and delicious.
Ingredients Needed
- Kale – This hearty healthy green is the perfect base for the rest of the flavors and textures of this salad. We love curly kale for this salad, but others like Tuscan or red are also delicious.
- Chickpeas – Just the right amount of added protein to make this autumn salad one that’s hearty enough to make a great lunch or light dinner.
- Green Apple – The tart crunch of this fresh apple complements all of the other flavors. While Granny Smith is our to-go, you can also use another tart apple like Pink Lady’s, or Braeburns.
- Shallots – Just a little to add the right amount of allium touch!
- Feta Cheese – This salty crumbly feta cheese highlights all of the great flavors of vinaigrette and ties the whole salad together.
- Vinaigrette – Olive oil (this is when you bust out the good stuff!), lemon juice, maple syrup, soy sauce, ground ginger, and garlic powder. Just enough to coat it all, but not be too overwhelming.
- Pecans and Brown Sugar – All you need to make these super fast and easy candied pecans, the perfect sweet crunchy finish to this salad!
Always Massage Raw Kale
Have you ever had a kale salad and been like “eehh, it’s too bitter,” that’s likely because one vital step for eating raw kale was missed: massaging the kale. It’s a super simple step but it makes all the difference when eating a raw kale salad because by “massaging” or rubbing some oil (fat) into the kale leaves, not only will it cut the bitterness of the kale, but it will make it much more tender to eat. How long do you massage it for? You’ll know. You’ll see a clear difference in the kale once it’s tender and all of the leaves are lightly coated with the oil.
Quick and Easy To Make
Is there anything better than a super fast recipe? This one comes together incredibly quick and easy! Once you have your massaged kale, add the chickpeas, shallots, apples, and feta cheese to a bowl and give it a good mix! That’s a bowl full of plant-based protein and vitamins and minerals!
Add the vinaigrette and give another good mix.
Easy Candied Pecans
What takes this autumn kale salad to the next level? These quick and easy candied pecans. Just a toast and a coat in some sugar water and these pecans add the perfect sweet crunch to this kale chickpea salad!
Done! Kale Chickpea Salad with Candied Pecans. A gorgeous autumn salad that’s packin’ a punch of flavor and nutrition.
Other Favorite Fall Salads and Sides
- Cranberry Walnut Kale Salad
- Chickpea Kale Greek Salad
- Chickpea Kale Curry Soup
- Maple Roasted Butternut Squash
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Pomegranate Salad
So if you want to add a little nutrition to your fall holiday tables, this Kale Chickpea Salad with Candied Pecans is one that’ll definitely do that but also leave everyone surprised at how flavorful and delicious such a healthy hearty salad can be!
Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
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Kale Chickpea Salad with Candied Pecans
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale
- 1 small Granny Smith apple sliced
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 15 oz can drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup shallot minced
- 1 cup feta cheese
- 3/4 cup pecans
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar + a pinch
- 1 teaspoon water
- pinch kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons olive oil the good stuff
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- pinches salt and pepper
Instructions
- Rinse kale and remove leaves from stems. Rip into small bite sized pieces and add to a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and with your hands, massage the oil and salt into the kale, mixing and turning the kale in the bowl until all of the kale is covered and kale is coated and tender.
- Add brown sugar to a small bowl, add water, and mix well.
- Heat a sauté pan to medium and add pecans. Toast for 1-2 minutes, stirring often, and then pour brown sugar over pecans and stir. Add a pinch of kosher salt and stir. Sprinkle another pinch of brown sugar on the pecans and then remove from heat and roughly chop on a cutting board.
- In a small bowl or pyrek with a pour spout, add all vinaigrette ingredients and whisk well. Set aside.
- Add feta cheese, chickpeas, shallots, and sliced apples to the bowl with the kale and mix well.
- Pour vinaigrette over kale salad and mix well.
- Add the pecans to salad and mix well. Serve and enjoy!
I like how easy, delicious, and healthy this salad recipe is. I love it!
Wow! Such an awesome salad with a twist! This kale chickpea salad looks absolutely delicious! Plus it’s a healthy meal for everyone to love and enjoy!