Eating well balanced, nutrient-dense meals is crucial to live a long and healthy life. I created the Longevity Kale Salad with Quinoa & Chickpeas so you can feel good about the food you eat. This hearty salad combines kale, quinoa, chickpeas, blueberries, avocado, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and roasted sweet potato with a simple lemon-Dijon dressing to pack a nutrient-punch. It’s also meal prep friendly!
If you need something to pair with this salad for a more complete meal, this Mediterranean Gnocchi or Vegan Pesto Pasta would be perfect. Or top it with Crispy Chickpea Nuggets! For another delicious, nourishing salad, try Mango Mama Salad, Greek Caesar Pasta Salad, or Winter Wild Rice Salad! Get my 10+ BEST Healthy Pasta Salad Recipes here!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Flavorful Salad: Salads don’t need to be boring… and my Longevity Kale Salad with Quinoa & Chickpeas is one of my favorites for a flavorful, satisfying salad, similar to Green Girl Crunch Salad!
- Hearty and Filling: You don’t need to be hungry after eating a salad. This one is packed with filling ingredients like quinoa and chickpeas to keep you full.
- Longevity-Focused: This salad is focused on longevity-promoting foods like quinoa, blueberries, sweet potato, avocado, and EVOO. You will feel amazing after eating this!
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Notes on Ingredients
- Kale: This hearty green serves as the base of this salad. If you prefer a different green like arugula or spinach, feel free to substitute but kale will work best if you’re planning on eating this salad as leftovers. Kale lover? Make Nourish Pot next!
- Quinoa: While quinoa is a great source of plant-based protein and nutrients, you can substitute a different grain like brown rice or farro.
- Walnuts & Pumpkin Seeds: Walnuts and pumpkin seeds provide a healthy fat in this salad and add a delicious crunch. Feel free to substitute any nuts and seeds you prefer like sunflower seeds or slivered almonds.
Please take note that this is important information about the ingredients used in this recipe and the FULL recipe with measurements and details can be found DOWN BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.
How do you make Longevity Kale Salad with Quinoa & Chickpeas?
- Start by preheating the oven to 400F.
- Next, chop the sweet potato into cubes and bake.
- Make the quinoa.
- Chop the kale, drain and rinse the chickpeas, shred the carrots, dice the cucumber, and cut the avocado.
- In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients.
- Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients.
- Pour the dressing on the salad, mix, and enjoy!
- Step 1: First, roast the sweet potato and cook the quinoa. Chop and prep all of the remaining vegetables and add all ingredients to a large bowl.
- Step 2: Then, in a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
- Step 3: Pour the dressing overtop the salad.
- Step 4: Finally, toss the salad together and serve.
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Commonly Asked Questions
Store this salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Longevity Salad makes for the perfect meal-prep salad because it won’t get soggy in the fridge. Kale is a hearty green that actually gets better as leftovers because it soaks in more of the dressing. If meal prepping, keep the avocado out of the salad until you’re ready to eat it. Another meal-prep friendly salad is Classic Vegan Chickpea Salad and Cucumber Feta Chickpea Salad!
Yes! You could use rice, farro, orzo, or even my Turmeric Coconut Basmati Rice. If you’re looking for other grain salads, try my Adzuki Farro Salad, Quinoa Broccoli Salad, or Vegan Mediterranean Couscous Salad.
This is one of the many reasons I love salad – it’s totally customizable! Add whatever other veggies or toppings you enjoy and a source of protein (tempeh would be delicious) for a hearty meal.
If you want to promote longevity and live a healthier, longer life, eating a whole foods, plant-forward diet is key. Foods in this salad like kale, blueberries, extra virgin olive oil, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, quinoa, avocado, and sweet potato are packed with inflammation-fighting antioxidants, vitamins, fiber, and omegas. Meals like this will leave you feeling energized.
Bump up the protein content in this salad easily by adding your favorite protein source (I love crispy tofu bites in this salad) or by adding other protein sources like additional nuts and seeds, lentils, white beans, nutritional yeast, or making a salad dressing from dairy-free greek yogurt.
“This was quick and easy to put together, perfect for meal prep and busy weeknights. It’s hearty, satisfying, and packed with a great mix of textures and flavors in every bite. I’ll definitely be making this again!”
– Joanna
Extra Helpful Tips
- Drain and thoroughly rinse the chickpeas to help with any gas and bloating.
- Buy pre-shredded carrots and chopped/washed kale if you are in a time crunch.
- Meal prep the quinoa and use for dinners and lunches throughout the week. Store leftover salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Finely chop the kale, cucumber, and avocado for more bite-sized bites.
- Make my Easy Mediterranean Orzo Salad next!
- Pair this salad with my Lasagna Soup for a hearty and comforting meal!
If you tried this Longevity Kale Salad with Quinoa & Chickpeas or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 5-star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Longevity Kale Salad with Quinoa & Chickpeas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups kale
- 1 15 oz chickpeas can
- 1 sweet potato roasted
- 1 cup quinoa cooked
- ½ cup carrots shredded
- 1 cucumber diced
- 1 avocado
- ¼ cup blueberries
- 3 tablespoon hemp seeds
- 3 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
- 3 tablespoon walnuts
dressing
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- salt, pepper, and garlic to taste
- balsamic vinegar optional for extra flavor
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 400F.
- Next, chop the sweet potato into cubes and put on a parchment lined baking sheet and coat with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Make the quinoa according to the package.
- Chop the kale, drain and rinse the chickpeas, shred the carrots, dice the cucumber, and cut the avocado.
- In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients.
- In a mason jar or small bowl whisk together all of the dressing ingredients.
- Pour the dressing on the salad, mix, and enjoy!
Notes
- Drain and thoroughly rinse the chickpeas to help with any gas and bloating.
- Meal prep the quinoa and use for dinners and lunches throughout the week.
- Finely chop the kale, cucumber, and avocado for more bite-sized bites.
-
Buy pre-shredded carrots and chopped/washed kale if you are in a time crunch.
Joanna says
This was quick and easy to put together, perfect for meal prep and busy weeknights. It’s hearty, satisfying, and packed with a great mix of textures and flavors in every bite. I’ll definitely be making this again!
Kindy says
I ate this for lunch 3 days in a row and didn’t get sick of it (unusual for me!). So good & fresh!
Jordan Stacy says
A salad that tastes delicious but also makes you feel amazing!! The fruit & vegetable combo in this salad makes for the best flavors.
Madi says
I made this with the turmeric coconut rice, so good! Felt amazing after eating it too!