This Chopped Kale Power Salad is packed with so many delicious ingredients. It’s healthy, filling, and so flavorful. It’s great for lunch and dinner and can easily be meal-prepped.
*This recipe was originally published on Jan. 3, 2016. Today, I have republished it with updated photos and text.
One of my favorite things to eat is salad loaded with goodies. This Chopped Kale Power Salad is the perfect example of what I love. It’s packed with kale, sweet potato, avocado, chickpeas, almonds, dried cranberries, and red onion. It’s also topped with a super easy lemon tahini dressing.
I originally developed this recipe quite a few years ago and continue to make it all the time. It’s great for lunch or dinner and can easily be made into a meal-prep lunch you can enjoy all week.
What Is a Power Salad?
When I hear the words “Power Salad,” I automatically think of a big salad packed with healthy veggies, protein, carbs, nuts, and even fruit. A power salad can be eaten for a substantial lunch or dinner, leaving you happy and full. It’s definitely not side-salad material 🙂
Why Your Body Will Love This Salad
- Immune Health – Dark leafy greens are high in antioxidants, which are known for helping to reduce inflammation in the body. Excess inflammation can lead to many illnesses, including cancer. They contain potassium, nitrates, and iron, which contribute to heart and blood health; vitamin K, magnesium, and calcium, which support strong bones; and Vitamin A and lutein, which support our eyes and vision.
- Chickpeas are super(food!) – Chickpeas contain saponins, which help fight cancer, and calcium, iron, and other nutrients that contribute to bone health. Chickpeas help the brain and nervous system function properly and contain vitamins A, C, E, folate, and magnesium.
- Hearth Health – The potassium and magnesium in sweet potatoes help reduce blood pressure and stroke risks and can help lower cholesterol. They’re high in antioxidants and Vitamin A, supporting the immune system and eye health.
Chopped Kale Power Salad Recipe Ingredients
- Kale – I love raw kale! I know many people don’t feel the same way, so if you’ve tried massaged kale in a salad and still don’t like it, you could substitute any other green you like. If you think you don’t like kale but have never tried it massaged in a salad, I urge you to try it, and it might surprise you!
- Chickpeas – I love adding chickpeas to my salads because they add protein, are a no-prep ingredient, and have a mild taste, so they won’t interfere with any other strong flavors.
- Sweet Potato – Roasted sweet potato is great in salads because it adds nutrients, makes the salad feel more filling, and its sweet flavor complements all the other power salad ingredients.
- Avocado – Avocado is great to add to anything because it is full of heart-healthy fats and has a nice creamy texture.
- Dried Cranberries – I love having some sweetness in my salad. Dried cranberries are great because they’re slightly chewy, a little sweet, and a little tart.
- Almonds – When I can, I prefer roasted nuts in my salads instead of croutons. Nuts are full of heart-healthy fats and add a crunchy element.
- Red Onion – I love raw onion in my salads! This salad has a rich, creamy dressing, and the onion does a nice job of cutting through that richness.
What Kind of Dressing Should I Use?
You can use whatever kind of dressing you like on this Chopped Kale Power Salad, but I highly recommend my super quick and easy homemade lemon tahini dressing. It’s creamy and tangy and goes perfectly with the other ingredients. All you need is tahini, lemon juice, and salt.
A Quick Note About The Tahini
I’ve found some tahini brands to be bitter, and different brands also vary in thickness. If you find yourself with more bitter-tasting tahini, you can add a little maple syrup to help counter it. Also, if you have a super thick or thin tahini sauce, you may need to add more or less liquid than my recipe suggests.
How To Make This Power Salad
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. On a large sheet pan, toss the diced sweet potato with 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bake the sweet potato until fork tender, 35-40 minutes, flipping once.
- Prepare the kale while the sweet potatoes bake. Add the chopped kale to a large bowl with 1 Tablespoon olive oil, the juice of half a large lemon, and a heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt. Use your hands to massage the kale and ensure everything is mixed together for about 1 minute. Set the kale aside until the sweet potatoes are finished baking.
- Make the dressing by adding all ingredients to a bowl and whisking until a creamy dressing is formed. Add the water slowly until the desired consistency is reached.
- There are two ways to assemble the salad: You can add all ingredients to the bowl with the kale and mix until combined. Add the desired amount of dressing to each individual serving. Or, you can add the kale mixture to separate bowls and evenly top with the remaining ingredients.
Have a question about this salad? Ask me in the comments, and I’ll get back to you ASAP!
Looking for more delicious and filling kale salads?
Print
Chopped Kale Power Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Chopped Kale Power Salad is satisfying, filling and delicious! It’s packed with tons of healthy ingredients and topped with an easy lemon tahini dressing.
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (you should get about 5–6 cups)
- 2 teaspoons + 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bunch of curly kale, washed, stem removed and chopped (you should get 7–8 cups)
- Juice of 1/2 a large lemon
- 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 large avocado, pitted and diced
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup chopped almonds
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
Lemon Tahini Dressing:
- 1/2 cup tahini
- Juice of 1 large lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3–6 tablespoons warm water, depending on how thick you want the dressing
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. On a large sheet pan, toss together the diced sweet potato with 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Bake sweet potato until fork tender, 35-40 minutes, flipping once.
- Prepare the kale while the sweet potatoes are baking. Add the chopped kale to a large bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil, juice of 1/2 a large lemon and a heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt. Use your hands to massage the kale and make sure everything is mixed together, about 1 minute. Set kale aside until sweet potatoes are finished baking.
- Make the dressing by adding all ingredients to a bowl and whisking until a creamy dressing is formed. Add the water slowly until desired consistency is reached.
- There are two ways you can assemble the salad: You can add all ingredients to the bowl with the kale and mix until combined. Add desired amount of dressing to each individual serving. Or, you can add the kale mixture to separate bowls and evenly top with remaining ingredients.
Notes
*If making a big batch for a party or for packed lunches it works best to mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. If having people over for lunch and serving them individually it might work better to evenly distribute the kale and then top with remaining ingredients.
*I would recommend always leaving the dressing separate and adding it on just before eating. This salad will keep well in the refrigerator for about 5 days.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Category: Salad, Gluten Free, Vegan
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
yummy, these salad looks awesome! I would take almonds over crutons in my salad any day!
Thanks, Heather! I totally would too! 🙂
Yessssss! A super nourishing salad that is still filling. Plus all that zip from the lemon tahini dressing. Izzy, this is perfect 🙂
Can someone tell me how many calories in a cup?
Hi Virginia, Unfortunately I don’t have a nutrition counter on my site at this time (I’m working on getting one) but I think there are other sites you could put the ingredients in and it will figure it out for you. Sorry about that!
Happy New Year, Izzy! I’m in denial about the end of Christmas too…we’ve still got our tree up 😉
This is such a beautiful, colorful salad! You can’t go wrong with avocado, sweet potato, and tahini. What a perfect way to start off the year!
This is such a gorgeous salad, Izzy! I love a little crunch in my salads too, so those almonds are such a perfect addition!
This salad was DELICIOUS and easy to make. Thanks for sharing!! I added quinoa for some extra protein. Loved the lemon tahini dressing….so flavorful. 5 stars!!
Hi Michele! I’m so glad to hear that you liked it!! I thought about adding some quinoa to mine too, I bet it was really good! I’ve been putting the dressing on everything lately! Thank you so much for the kind words! 🙂
This is just the most vibrant and gorgeous salad, Izzy! I’d love to kick my New Year off with it!
I love this salad!! So many great colors and flavors! I’ve been making tons of kale salads lately, eating them makes me feel so good. 🙂 Happy New Year!
This salad is gorgeous, Izzy! So bright and colorful. A perfect way to start the new year!
And I’m welcoming the healthier foods too, although I still haven’t taken down my Christmas decorations yet, lol!
Is there any nutritional info for this recipe….protein, calories, fat, etc?
Hi Pat, I’m sorry but I do not have any nutritional information for the recipe at this time. I think there are websites you can type the recipe into though and they will give you the nutritional information.
That salad looks amazing! Thanks! I plan to make it tonight. I recently made the switch from vegetarian to vegan, so I appreciate your recipes.
Thank you so much, CJ! I hope you enjoy it! I’m so glad you are enjoying my recipes 🙂
This may be healthier but it also looks incredibly hearty and full of flavor. I love that you added dried cranberries for a little chew and sweet. Our holidays went by too quickly too – but I hope you’re having a nice start to the New Year Izzy!
Love everything about this salad, Izzy. It is definitely a power salad – a perfect combo of crunch, smooth, salty and the lemon tahini dressing sounds delicious. I never use tahini in my salad dressings but that is going to half to change! Happy New Year to you – here’s to a healthy and happy new year!
Happy New Year, Izzy, and this salad will surely get me off to a healthy start! I love kale salads, and this is packed with so many delicious ingredients!
Christmas was so crazy busy around here, I’m secretly glad it is over. Ready for a new year and getting back to non holiday routine. I just love how pretty your salad is, and all those flavors sound perfect together. Wishing you a wonderful 2016!
It is such a busy season! I guess it is good that it doesn’t last too long! Thank you so much, Sherri! Wishing you a wonderful 2016 as well 🙂
Now that is a power salad! I don’t get super excited about salads very often, but I can get excited about this one, it looks incredible! And I am totally with you on the mixed feels about the holidays being over. I’m sad to see it go, but I am kind of looking forward to routine and some healthier eating now. Happy New Year Izzy!
Haha, thank you, Meghan! I’m glad to get back to my regular routines and eating habits as well! I hope your New Year is off to a great start!
What a way to kick off the new year! This salad is pure perfection…I’m loving all the crunch and the variety. Sweet potatoes are soooo tasty in salad and that tahini dressing sounds marvelous! Bravo!
Thanks so much, Julia! I could eat sweet potatoes and tahini all day long! I hope you are having a great New Year so far! 🙂
I’m SO ready for all things salad again and this kale salad is exactly what I want in my lunch life today! Roasted sweet potatoes are my favorite in salads and I just love all the healthy goodies you loaded into this gorgeous salad, Izzy! WANT!
Me too, Sarah!! We need to get together and have a salad potluck! I’ll bring my roasted sweet potato salad and you can bring your roasted beet salad!
I’m sad that the holidays are over but happy that I can get back on track with my eating habits! I feel like I’ve eaten ALL the sweets this season! This kale power salad looks delicious, Izzy! I love the pretty colors, too. Just the thing I need to give my diet a healthy kick!
Me too, Gayle! I just can’t stay away from all those goodies! I’m in need of a month long salad diet, haha!