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Mediterranean Chickpea Salad with Kale & Beets

A hearty chopped salad that uses half the market table: finely chopped kale, shredded raw beets, and chickpeas in a lemony dressing loaded with basil, cilantro, and green onions.

Serving Suggestion

Serves two as a main, four as a side. It holds beautifully, so make it ahead for lunches.

Ingredients

  • kale stems stripped, leaves finely chopped
    1 bunch
  • beet peeled and shredded
    1 large
  • cooked chickpeas cooked from dried is best, but canned (two 15-oz cans) totally works in a pinch
    3 cups
  • green onions
    3, thinly sliced
  • basil
    ¼ cup chopped
  • cilantro
    ¼ cup chopped
  • lemon juice the juice of about one large lemon
    3 Tbsp
  • olive oil
    ¼ cup
  • garlic
    1 clove, grated
  • salt
    to taste

Instructions

  1. 1

    Put the finely chopped kale in your serving bowl. Chopping it small is what makes raw kale pleasant here, so err on the side of smaller.

  2. 2

    Add the lemon juice, garlic, and a good pinch of salt directly to the kale and toss well. Add the olive oil and toss again.

  3. 3

    Add the chickpeas, shredded beet, green onions, basil, and cilantro to the kale and toss well.

  4. 4

    Taste for salt and lemon. If you're hungry, dig in. If you want everything to really mellow together, let it sit 10 minutes first.

Notes & Variations

  • • Adding the water-based ingredients before the oil helps them coat the salad instead of being repelled by the oil. If you want a perfectly emulsified dressing, whisk it separately before adding it. You'll get a smoother, more even dressing, but you'll also have another bowl to wash.
  • • This is a base built for adding to. Crumbled feta, dried oregano, and plenty of black pepper are the first three things we'd reach for.
  • • A pile of diced cucumber is great in here, and so are halved cherry tomatoes — or even sun-dried tomatoes when fresh ones are gone.
  • • Cooked farro or pearl couscous stretches it into a grain salad, or use them instead of the chickpeas entirely.
  • • Swap the herbs freely: parsley, mint, or dill all fit the Mediterranean lane.
  • • It gets better as it sits, which makes it the rare salad you can dress at noon for a 6 o'clock potluck.
  • • Cooking chickpeas from dried is worth it when you have the time. If you live in the Seattle area, we love buying ours at 21 Acres.