Kale, Tempeh, & Roasted Chickpea Salad

The past few months I have been  h o o k e d  on one meal; this kale, tempeh, and roasted chickpea salad. I’m not the kind of person who likes to eat the same thing over and over; I like a lot of variety in my meals day to day and week to week, but somehow this salad has become the exception. Alex & I have been making this salad for dinner 2 – 3 times a week since I made the recipe in March.

Why is this salad so good?

1) It’s insanely nutritious!
If you haven’t tried tempeh it is a  g a m e  c h a n g e r. It’s basically tofu’s healthier more tasty cousin. It’s also got prebiotics in it which aid in digestion and if, like me, you struggle with gut issues tempeh is your new best friend. The chickpeas are also little protein powerhouses, which is great, and kale (as we all know) is full of vitamins like A, B6 and C.

2) It’s Hearty (aka. Meat-Eater Approved)

Alex is basically a carnivore. He loves meat so much. The past year and a half of living together has taught us to find vegetarian recipes that are hearty and filling so that we don’t have to make separate dinners each night. This salad is so hearty and filling – even after the gym Alex is full when he eats this dinner!

3) You Can Prep in Advance

One thing I’ve always struggled with when trying to ‘eat healthier’ and incorporate more salads into my diet is finding the time after work to make a salad. It can take a ton of time to do this from scratch and during a busy week that’s just not always feasible. With this salad you can ‘batch cook’ and make the roasted chickpeas on a Sunday and use them to throw into this salad (or snack on) throughout the week. If you do that, the total prep time for this salad is less than 10 minutes.

Alright let’s get to the recipe:

Kale, Tempeh & Roasted Chickpea Salad

serves 2

Prep Time (if chickpeas aren’t pre-roasted): 40 minutes
Prep Time (if chickpeas are pre-roasted): 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of Kale (washed and torn into pieces)
• 85g of Tempeh (we use Lightlife smoked tempeh strips, & 85g is half a package)
• 1/2 Can of Chickpeas (drained) ** Use the full can if prepping in advance and use the chickpeas throughout the week for this recipe or as a healthy snack
• 1 teaspoon of Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon of each of the following spices: garlic powder, salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne
• Salad Dressing (store bought Caesar works great, or try my homemade lemon tahini recipe – shared at the bottom of this post)

Steps:

1. Roast Chickpeas:

This can be done up to 5 days in advance.
Preheat your oven to 425 F. Drain and rinse your chickpeas. Lay out on a clean dish towel and dry. Toss in a bowl with a teaspoon each of olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, cumin and cayenne. Toss chickpeas until coated. Pour chickpeas onto a baking sheet, spreading them out as much as possible. Place in oven and roast for 20 minutes

Tips for crispy chickpeas:
*ensure they are completely dry before tossing/coating them. The dryer they are the crispier they will get!
**ensure they are as separated as possible on the baking sheet
***instead of removing from the oven at the 20min mark, turn the oven off and let them cool inside the oven for up to 15 minutes before removing

2. Prepare the Kale:

Wash your kale and dry it before ripping into bite size pieces. Leave as is, or if you aren’t a fan of Kale’s crunchy texture/bitter taste, try massaging the kale leaves with a teaspoon of olive oil, focusing on the crisp ends and stem.

3. Cook the Tempeh:

Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add your tempeh (as is or ripped into smaller bite size stripes). Heat for 3 minutes, flip your tempeh, and heat for 3 minutes more. Remove from heat.

4. Combine all Ingredients:

Toss your chickpeas into your kale salad (we do 1/3 cup each) and top with tempeh slices. Add dressing and enjoy!

Nutritional Info:
per serving

Calories: 580 cal
Protein: 38g
Net Carbs: 47g
Carbs: 64g 
Fat: 25g
100% of your daily intake of Vitamin A, C, & Calcium!

The salad dressing I do with this salad is a homemade lemon tahini dressing. It takes just a few minutes to whip up and tastes delicious!

Lemon Tahini Salad Dressing (serves 2)

Ingredients:
– 1 tablespoon tahini
– 1 teaspoon lemon juice
– 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
– 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
– warm water (as needed)
– salt to taste

Steps:
1. Combine all ingredients (except hot water) in a small bowl. Add hot water one splash at a time and whisk. Add warm water until desired consistency is reached.