Crisp Kale and Arugula Salad with Parmesan Chickpeas

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by Maggie Turansky


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This salad celebrates the textural differences of hearty kale with delicate rocket – or arugula for those living in the USA. One of the great features of this salad is that it can serve as both a side dish that feeds four or a meal that feeds two!

I toss spicy arugula and earthy kale with parmesan roasted chickpeas and toasted pine nuts. The results are a flavourful salad that works well with a variety of vinaigrettes and is sure to be popular however you choose to serve it.

And if you want to make a meal out of it, topping the salad with a jammy boiled egg is absolutely delicious!

Kale Rocket Salad
Kale Rocket Salad

How to Make Arugula & Kale Salad

Both kale and arugula (rocket) have a peppery flavour that complement each other well. However, they are texturally very different.

Whereas kale is very hardy and can withstand lots of abuse – be that massaging, boiling, baking or sauteeing – arugula is much more delicate and can’t stand up to any of that.

Ingredients for this salad
Ingredients for this salad

Because of this, it’s necessary to treat each green differently to make the optimal salad.

So start first – as I do in all of my kale salads be that with my Mediterranean freekah salad, my butternut squash and farro salad, corn kale salad or my green lentil salad – with massaging the kale. This breaks down the tough greens somewhat and makes it much more tender to eat raw.

Add some chopped and washed kale to a salad bowl. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season generously with salt.

Preparing the kale
Preparing the kale

Use your hands to vigorously massage the kale and then set it aside at room temperature. It benefits from at least a 30-minute rest, but it’s even better after an hour. You can even do this step a day or two in advance.

While the kale is resting, roast your chickpeas.

Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas and spread them out over a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the chickpeas with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast them in a 200°C/400°F until they’re golden and turning crisp – only about 10-15 minutes.

Toasting the chickpeas
Toasting the chickpeas

Remove the chickpeas from the oven and sprinkle over a bit of finely grated parmesan cheese (I like using a rasp-style grater). Return the chickpeas to the oven and roast until the cheese has fully melted over the chickpeas and is beginning to turn golden – another 5-10 minutes.

Set the chickpeas aside to cool until needed.

Topping the chickpeas with parmesan
Topping the chickpeas with parmesan

In the meantime, toast your pine nuts in the same oven for about 5 minutes – just until they’re golden and super fragrant.

Now, it’s time to get the rest of the salad together!

Toasting the pine nuts
Toasting the pine nuts

Add some arugula to the bowl with the kale. Also toss in some sultanas (or golden raisins) for sweetness, some parmesan that you’ve shaved with a vegetable peeler and a sliced shallot. Add in the toasted pine nuts and your roasted chickpeas.

You can then go ahead and toss the salad in whatever punchy vinaigrette you wish – it works well with either my lemon vinaigrette or my pomegranate dressing. But it would be good with a sherry or balsamic vinaigrette, as well or even something heavier, like my tahini dressing with miso.

Tossing the salad together
Tossing the salad together

If you want to turn this from a side salad to a meal, then I recommend dividing the finished salad amongst two people rather than four. I also suggest topping the salad with two jammy-boiled eggs (one per person).

To get the perfect yolk, I boil a pot of water and then gently lower fridge cold eggs. Boil them for 7 minutes and thirty seconds. Remove from the pot, run under cold tap water then peel and quarter. Serve on top of the salad.

Topping the salad with a soft boiled egg
Topping the salad with a soft-boiled egg
Arugula & Kale Salad

Arugula & Kale Salad with Parmesan & Chickpeas

Packed with lots of different flavours and textures and topped with crave-able parmesan chickpeas, this salad is excellent drizzled in my punchy vinaigrette, such as my maple lemon vinaigrette or even my pomegranate dressing. To make the salad a meal, divide the finished salad amongst 2 and top with a jammy boiled egg.
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Servings 4
Prep Time 10 minutes
Resting Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 100 g (4 cups) kale torn from stems and chopped fine
  • 1 (400g/14oz) can chickpeas drained & rinsed
  • 30 g (1 oz) parmesan cheese ½ grated fine, ½ shaved with a vegetable peeler
  • 25 g (¼ cup) pine nuts
  • 60 g (3 cups) arugula
  • 25 g (2 tbsp) sultanas/golden raisins
  • 1 shallot thinly sliced
  • 60 ml (¼ cup) vinaigrette dressing such as maple lemon, grapefruit or pomegranate

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F. Add the kale to a large salad bowl. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle over a generous pinch of salt. Using your hands, vigorously massage the kale. Allow to sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
    Preparing the kale
  • Add the chickpeas to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Move to the oven and roast until lightly golden – about 15 minutes.
    Toasting the chickpeas
  • Remove the chickpeas from the oven and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Return to the oven and cook for a further 10 minutes – until the parmesan is crisp and golden.
    Topping the chickpeas with parmesan
  • Scatter the pine nuts over another rimmed baking sheet and move to the oven. Toast until golden and fragrant, 3-5 minutes. Set aside until needed.
    Toasting the pine nuts
  • Add the arugula/rocket to the bowl with the kale. Add the parmesan shavings, shallot and sultanas. Toss in the chickpeas and the toasted pine nuts. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Serve.
    Tossing the salad together

Nutrition

Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 417mg | Potassium: 398mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2929IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 218mg | Iron: 2mg

Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.

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Whether you eat this salad as a side or as a meal, you’re sure to love the contrasting texture and fresh flavours of this recipe.

Are you after a great salad with arugula and kale? Have any questions about this recipe? Let me know in the comments!

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Maggie is the creator behind No Frills Kitchen. She is a world traveller, home cook and recipe developer who loves to experiment with new cuisines and techniques at every chance she gets. No stranger to improvising and making do with the equipment and ingredients she has available, she is passionate about sharing her knowledge with others. Read More

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