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?
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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
This salad was terrific! We did not use much of the dressing and thought it was perfect.
That’s great to hear, Jeryl! So glad you liked it 🙂
This salad is delicious! Everything you could want in a salad and the dressing is amazing! It’s my new favourite and kale is in season right now!
Awesome! I’m so glad you like it! It’s one of my favorites too 🙂
Amazing recipe literally addicted to it! ♥️
Thank you!! So glad you like it!
My son is dating a girl that is vegan and I know nothing about it. I thought I would try to make her a vegan salad and came across your recipe. My question is about the tahini. Is there more than one kind and which one should I get? Does it come in powder or is it creamy? I would love if you could take a picture of the jar so I can get the correct stuff. I’m not vegan but this salad looks good.
Thanks. Deb
Hi Deb, that’s so nice of you to want to make her a salad! I think there might be a few kinds of tahini but both jars that I have just say Tahini on them, one is unsalted but I don’t think that changes much. I think I’ve seen some that are with toasted sesame seeds rather than untoasted but most should just say “tahini”. You will be able to find it where you find peanut butter and will be creamy, not powdered. Most grocery stores should have it, but if you can’t find it check a health food store. I hope that helps!
I made this salad for two gatherings and both times it was a hit! People have continued to ask me to send them the recipe. Very quick and easy to prep, and very delicious!
That’s so great to hear, marissa!! Made my morning! Thanks! 🙂
So glad I stumbled upon this recipe – it’s great for making a week’s worth of lunch…just add the toppings and dressing the night before.
Awesome, awesome, awesome.
Thanks!
I’m so glad you like it, Alexandra! I agree, I love making a big batch and eating it for lunch each day! Thanks so much for the kind words 🙂
Just made this salad after being sick for weeks. It’s SO refreshing, savory, a touch of sweet and has the perfect amount of crunch! Idk if it helps with detox but I definitely feel more revived, energetic, and clean lol I can honestly just eat the massaged kale by itself (I’ve tried it before but you’ve got the perfect ratio down pact!) thanks for this delicious recipe, this is definitely going to be a staple of mine nown????
That is so nice to hear, Sarah-Joy! I’m glad you enjoyed it and that it made you feel better! Good to hear you are feeling better! 🙂
Do you have the nutritional information on this salad? Looks delicious, I am excited to try it! Thanks!
Hi Danielle, I don’t currently have the nutritional information for it, but I know there are a few sites you can use to input all the ingredients if you would like to figure it out. My Fitness Pal is one of them. Hope that helps 🙂
Oh amazing! Thank you!
I made this salad a couple days ago and I’m loving it! I divided it into 4 servings to take for lunch. I used quinoa instead of the beans and dried blueberries instead of cranberries. It was delicious enough that I didn’t need the sauce, but I’ll have to try that another time. Thank you so much for this!!
Thank you for the kind words, Whitney! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I love the use of the dried blueberries, they’re some of my favorites!
I made this salad last week and absolutely LOVED it. Shared it with a bunch of women at the gym. This is such a tasty salad and gives you so much energy. Thanks for sharing!
That’s awesome to hear, Jenn!! I”m so glad you all enjoyed it 🙂
Is there any way to get the nutrient values for the lunch bowls?
Hi Danielle,
Unfortunately I just haven’t gotten around to calculating the nutritional information for these bowls, but there are some websites out there that you can use to calculate it. Hope that helps!
Such a good salad! I added feta only because I had some in the fridge! Yum, yum, yum!
Thank you, Erin!! I really wanted to add feta to mine too but I’m pregnant and paranoid about eating it! I bet it tasted so good though!