Lebanese Cuisine, Main Dishes, Mediterranean Cuisine, Salads
Chickpea Shawarma Kale Salad Vegan Recipe
This delicious vegan chickpea shawarma kale salad recipe is perfect for anyone looking for a tasty and easy-to-make gluten-free and sugar-free meal. The homemade pickled onions recipe is a highlight of this dish, adding a tangy and zesty flavor to the salad. This recipe is also highly customizable, making it perfect for anyone looking to add their own personal touch to the dish. In this article, we’ll provide a step-by-step guide on how to make this delicious salad.
Ingredients & Substitutions For This Vegan Chickpea Shawarma Kale Salad Recipe
The Chickpea Shawarma Kale Salad is a delicious and healthy dish that features a variety of ingredients. One of the key components of this salad is the shawarma chickpeas, which are packed with flavor and spice.
To make the shawarma chickpeas, you will need cooked chickpeas, olive oil or avocado oil, lemon juice, and a variety of spices including coriander, garlic powder, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes if you want it spicy! These ingredients are combined and mixed thoroughly to create a flavorful and aromatic seasoning for the chickpeas.
The salad component of the dish features a variety of fresh and nutritious ingredients, including chopped kale, diced cucumber, diced tomato, finely chopped parsley, and pickled onions. A little olive oil is added to the kale for massaging, which helps to soften the leaves and make them easier to eat. To add an extra burst of flavor, nutritional yeast can be added to the top of the salad.
Finally, the Tahini Lemon Sauce is a tangy and flavorful addition to the dish. Made with tahini, lemon juice, garlic powder, sea salt, and maple syrup (optional), this sauce can be adjusted to your desired consistency with water.
Overall, the combination of shawarma chickpeas, fresh vegetables, and a tangy tahini lemon sauce makes for a delicious and nutritious meal.
Helpful Tools
- Skillet
- Whisk
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
How to Make This Chickpea Shawarma Kale Salad
- If you haven’t already, prepare the pickled red onion using our Quick & Easy Pickled Onions Recipe.
- Massage the kale with 1/2 tsp of olive oil to soften. Once done, set it aside.
- Chop the cucumber, tomato, and parsley into small pieces.
- Whisk the tahini sauce ingredients together until smooth.
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chickpeas, lemon, and spices and heat through for about 5-10 minutes.
- While the chickpeas are cooking, divide the kale, chopped veggies, and pickled onions between 4 bowls or containers.
- Once the chickpeas are heated through, divide them between each bowl or container.
- Finally, top each bowl with the tahini sauce and, if desired, sprinkle one to two tbsp of nutritional yeast for a more cheesy flavor.
- Serve the Chickpea Shawarma Kale Salad with pita and hummus for a complete and satisfying meal.
Overall, this recipe is easy to follow and can be customized to suit your taste preferences. With a combination of fresh veggies, flavorful shawarma chickpeas, and a tangy tahini sauce, this salad is sure to become a favorite in your household.
Tips & Tricks
Here are a few tips and tricks that can help you make the best chickpea shawarma kale salad possible:
- To save time, use canned chickpeas instead of cooking them from scratch.
- For a spicier salad, add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to the shawarma chickpeas.
- To make this salad ahead of time, store the kale and chopped veggies in one container and the chickpeas in another. Top with tahini sauce just before serving.
- For a more filling meal, add quinoa or another grain to the salad.
FAQ: Vegan Chickpea Shawarma Kale Salad Recipe
This vegan salad is highly customizable, and you can enhance its taste by adding flatbread such as naan and olives to the dish. Plus, the homemade pickled onions add a tangy twist to the recipe.
You can incorporate a vegan cheese option or sprinkle nutritional yeast to add a cheesy flavor to this delicious salad.
Store the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. To keep the salad fresh, it’s recommended to eat it within the first two days. Keep the dressing separate until ready to eat to avoid the salad from getting soggy.
No, it’s optional. You can omit it if you don’t have any or if you don’t like the taste.
Vegan Chickpea Shawarma Kale Salad
Ingredients
Shawarma Chickpeas
- 2 19 oz cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp coriander
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp cardamom
- ½ tsp ginger
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp paprika
- salt, pepper and hot chili powder to taste
Salad
- 4 cups chopped kale (plus a little olive oil for massaging)
- 1 diced cucumber
- 1 large diced tomato
- ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
- ¼ cup pickled onions (see notes)
- ¼ cup diced black kalamata olives
Tahini Lemon Sauce
- ¼ tbsp tahini
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the pickled red onion if you haven’t already. See our Quick & Easy Pickled Onions Recipe
- Chop the cucumber, tomato, and parsley. Massage the kale with 1/2 tsp of olive oil to soften. Set aside.
- Whisk the tahini sauce ingredients together until smooth.
- Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the chickpeas, lemon, and spices pan fry until crispy, about 5-6 mins.
- Divide the kale, chopped veggies, and pickled onions and cooked chickpeas between 4 bowls or containers. Toss with the lemon tahini dressing.
- Serve right away, or leave the dressing on the side and for meal prep. Serve with whole wheat pitas and hummus to make a more filling meal. Enjoy!
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Chickpea Shawarma Kale Salad is a healthy and delicious meal that can be enjoyed any time of the day. With a combination of fresh veggies, flavorful shawarma chickpeas, and a tangy tahini sauce, this salad is sure to satisfy your taste buds. Plus, with a few helpful tools and tips and tricks, this recipe is easy to make and customize to your liking.
Love the flavour of this salad, I ended up putting this mixture into a pita wrap and was so tasty 😋
Thank you so much for trying out my recipe! And yes it also tastes great in a wrap format if you a looking to make this a little more filling.
Fresh and delicious, the addition of your pickled onions was great! Thank you
Hi Kris,
Thank you so much for the review! So happy you liked my pickled onions as well 😊