Name: Honey Mustard Chickpea Kale & Avocado Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 1 15.5 ounce can chickpeas; 2 tablespoons avocado oil; 1/2 teaspoon sea salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon paprika; One super big bunch or 2 smaller bunches is about the right amount for this recipe – washed and cut into ribbons; 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced; about 1 1/2 cups worth of shredded carrots; 1/2 cucumber, sliced in half moons; 1 avocado, diced; 1/3 cup roasted sunflower seeds; 1/4 cup dijon mustard; 1 tablespoon grainy mustard (or an additional teaspoon of dijon); 1/3 cup honey; 1/3 cup white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar; 1/3 cup olive oil; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 1 clove of garlic, grated or finely chopped; 3/4 teaspoon sea salt

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This honey mustard chickpea kale & avocado salad is a super delicious & hearty kale salad! Made with kale, crispy oven roasted chickpeas, a rainbow of veggies, avocado, and roasted sunflower seeds. Full of crave-able texture and tons of flavor! Gluten free, vegetarian, and dairy free with a vegan option.

Overhead shot of a large white bowl filled with thinly sliced kale, sliced red pepper, shredded carrots, cucumbers cut into half moon slices, diced avocado, and roasted sunflower seeds. On a white background surrounded by a bowl of crispy chickpeas, a bowl of shredded carrots, and a plate of sliced cucumber.

Something about a hearty veggie filled kale salad draped in a punchy homemade salad dressing that I will always love with my whole dang heart.

It’s the perfect starting point for any summer meal, or really any day you have a craving for some colorful veggies.

And this colorful chickpea kale salad recipe is not just any kale salad – it’s a massaged kale salad!

Which might sound a little strange if you’ve never made one before, but let me tell you – massaged kale salads are 100% where it’s at.

By massaging the kale with the homemade honey mustard salad dressing before tossing with the rest of the fresh ingredients you not only break down some of the fibers in the kale, which makes it more tender, you also infuse the kale with all of the yummy flavors in the dressing.

Why you’ll love this honey mustard chickpea kale & avocado salad

This honey mustard chickpea kale & avocado salad is an incredibly tasty + not-at-all-boring salad.

Made with sturdy lacinto kale, thinly sliced cucumber, shredded carrots, sweet red bell pepper, crispy oven roasted chickpeas, crunchy sunflower seeds, and a bright and punchy homemade honey mustard dressing.

It is:

Hearty + filling
Full of fresh ingredients
Brimming with texture
Sweet and punchy
Satisfying
Easy to make
Gluten free, vegetarian, and dairy free!

Close up over head shot of honey mustard dressing being poured over kale salad with crispy chickpeas.

Close up overhead shot of kale salad with crispy chickpeas tossed all together. On a light background.

Honey Mustard Chickpea Kale & Avocado Salad Ingredients

This avocado kale salad recipe is made with a simple variety of veggies, chickpeas, and sunflower seeds. Here’s what you’ll need to get started.

Kale – One super big bunch or 2 smaller bunches is about the right amount. I chose lacinto kale (aka dinosaur kale) for this recipe, but any type of hearty kale will work.
Red bell pepper – Brings some sweet crunchy freshness.
Thinly sliced cucumber
Avocado – Adds such a delightfully creamy note to the salad.
Roasted sunflower seeds – For that yummy textural crunch.
Chickpeas – The chickpeas are roasted until crispy in the oven with salt, pepper, a few spices, and avocado oil. They add another hearty layer of crunch and flavor to the salad. If you don’t have time to make roast the chickpeas from scratch, you could also grab a bag of crispy chickpeas from the grocery store to use instead!
Homemade honey mustard dressing – One of our favorite homemade dressings.

An assortment of bowls and plates filled with ingredients for a hearty kale salad - a bowl of kale, a plate of sliced cucumber, a bowl of honey mustard dressing, a bowl of sliced red pepper, a bowl of sunflower seeds, and a cut avocado. On a light colored background.

Side angle shot of a small glass pyrex of honey mustard dressing with a wooden spoon. On a light background surrounded by several ingredient bowls.

How to make this salad

While it might sound like a lot of prep and chopping, I promise you this kale salad is worth it. And since it’s made with hearty vegetables it will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, making the effort even more worthwhile.

The homemade honey mustard will make more than you use for this recipe, but it’s great to have stashed in the refrigerator for meals throughout the week.

As you know I’m always a fan of having a few fridge sauces at the ready to make weekday meal prep a little more hands off.

Here’s the step-by-step instructions:

Step 1: Make the crispy roasted chickpeas

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Drain the chickpeas and pat as dry as you can on a cutting board in between several pieces of paper towels.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and add chickpeas – move to the oven to further dry for about 5 minutes. Take out and carefully (they’ll be hot!) toss with avocado oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Move baking sheet back into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until browned and crispy.

While chickpeas roast, prep the dressing and the salad.

Step 2: Prepare the dressing

Combine all salad dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth and emulsified.

If you don’t have access to either a blender or a food processor you can also whisk the dressing together in a small bowl, or shake in a jar to combine.

Step 3: Prep the salad ingredients

While the chickpeas are roasting in the oven you should have time to prep the kale and the rest of the veggies.

Wash and de-stem kale, and cut into about 1 inch thick ribbons. To save time you can stack several leaves on top of each other, and roll them up into a round bunch, and thinly slice all the way across.

How to massage kale for the yummiest kale salad

Add kale to a large bowl and drizzle with about 1/3 cup of honey mustard dressing. Using clean hands, massage dressing into kale leaves, until the kale has softened slightly and soaked up some of the flavors of the dressing. If you’re not going to serve right away, you may want to stash the kale in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve – this will keep it fresh.

Once the kale is prepped, move on to the red pepper, carrots, cucumber, and avocado. To save time I suggest using the shredding blade on your food processor for the carrots, or buy pre-shredded carrots at the store. I would recommend saving the diced avocado until just before you toss the salad to prevent oxidation.

Step 4: Assemble the chickpea kale salad

When the chickpeas are done, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. They will continue to crisp up a bit as they cool.

When ready to serve, add the rest of the salad ingredients to the massaged kale, reserving a few of the chickpeas to garnish if desired, and toss to combine.

Top with crispy chickpeas and an extra sprinkle of sunflower seeds. Serve with a little more dressing on the side for those who want it and enjoy!

Overhead shot of a large white bowl filled with kale, shredded carrots, and thinly sliced red pepper on a light background

Overhead shot of a large white bowl filled with kale, shredded carrots, thinly sliced red pepper, and thinly sliced cucumber, on a light background

Super close up shot of chickpea and kale salad with shredded carrot and roasted sunflower seeds

A few notes on this recipe

We absolutely LOVE this homemade honey mustard salad dressing, but if you don’t have all of the ingredients or you’re not a fan of mustard, feel free to substitute another flavorful dressing for this salad.
To save time consider using pre-shredded carrots, or skip roasting the chickpeas yourself and serve with a store bought version!
Any of the veggies in this kale salad recipe could be swapped for whatever you like / have on hand.
To make this recipe vegan substitute the honey with maple syrup.
You will likely have some extra honey mustard dressing after making this recipe. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to several weeks and is delicious on any salad, or as a dip for veggies!
This kale salad will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. If you’re planning on making it and eating it over a several day period, I recommend keeping the chickpeas, sunflower seeds, and avocado separate to add just before serving.

Other delicious salad recipes!

Honey Mustard Chickpea Kale & Avocado Salad

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Author: Nyssa Tanner
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x
Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

Ingredients

Scale

For the chickpeas

1 15.5 ounce can chickpeas
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika

For the salad

One super big bunch or 2 smaller bunches is about the right amount for this recipe – washed and cut into ribbons
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
about 1 1/2 cups worth of shredded carrots
1/2 cucumber, sliced in half moons
1 avocado, diced
1/3 cup roasted sunflower seeds

For the dressing

1/4 cup dijon mustard
1 tablespoon grainy mustard (or an additional teaspoon of dijon)
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, grated or finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon sea salt

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Drain the chickpeas and pat as dry as you can on a cutting board in between several pieces of paper towels.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and add chickpeas – move to the oven to dry for about 5 minutes. Take out and carefully (they’ll be hot!) toss with avocado oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Move baking sheet back into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until crispy and browned.
While chickpeas roast, prep the dressing and the salad.
Combine all ingredients in your blender or food processor and process until smooth and emulsified. If you don’t have access to either a blender or a food processor you can also whisk the dressing together in a small bowl, or shake in a jar until well combined.
Wash and de-stem kale, and cut into about 1 inch thick ribbons. To save time you can stack several leaves on top of each other, and roll them up into a round bunch, and thinly slice all the way across. Add kale to a large bowl and drizzle with about 1/3 cup of honey mustard dressing. Using clean hands, massage dressing into kale leaves, until the kale has softened slightly and soaked up some of the flavors of the dressing. If you’re not going to serve right away, you may want to stash the kale in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve – this will keep it fresh.
Once the kale is prepped, move on to the red pepper, carrots, cucumber, and avocado. To save time I suggest using the shredding blade on your food processor for the carrots, or buy pre-shredded carrots at the store. I would recommend saving the diced avocado until just before you toss the salad to prevent oxidation.
When the chickpeas are done, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. They will continue to crisp up a bit as they cool.
When ready to serve, add the rest of the salad ingredients to the massaged kale, reserving a few of the chickpeas to garnish if desired, and toss to combine.
Top with crispy chickpeas and an extra sprinkle of sunflower seeds. Serve with a little more dressing on the side for those who want it and enjoy!