A light & refreshing kale salad that is full of flavor, vitamins and spicy tempeh bacon bits that add the perfect crunch!
Happy Thursday everybody!
I hope everyone had a great 4th of July. It was definitely a hot one for us! Once again, 90-degree weather for I don't know how many days in a row. "Heat wave" they call it. Why? I'm not sure. It's been hot and humid since summer started!
Ok, I know, time to get over it. Nothing I can do about it really, so there's no point in complaining.
So... How about all the good food everyone ate yesterday? Care to share with us? We would love to hear about the creations you came up with for your "festivities".
How to Make Tempeh Bacon Bits
Cut the tempeh into thin slices.
Dip each slice in vegetable oil and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle spices on top until they are all well coated (one side is enough)
Bake at 425F for about 20 minutes, until golden brown and crispy (keep an eye so they don't burn!). Sprinkle with some smoked sea salt if using.
Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl and add dressing
I, personally like to keep it fresh and simple. Lots of light, colorful salads, maybe some veggie burgers and super cold refreshing drinks. Keeping it light but with tons of flavor. And let me tell you something, my body really thanks me for it the next day!
One of my very favorite greens to "play" with is kale. Packed with nutrients, filling and super versatile! This Kale salad I particularly love because it pretty much has it all: protein and carbs from the chickpeas and tempeh, loads of vitamin A, it's crunchy, it's nutty, it's tangy... Just delicious. And the leftovers make a great lunch to take to work the next day!
Enjoy!!
Have a great weekend,
Vicky
Some Fabulous Kale Recipes to Try Today
- Cannellini Bean, Quinoa & Kale Soup
- Purple Kale Farro Bowl
- Vegan Kale Caesar Salad with Mushroom Bacon bits
- Meatless sausage and kale soup
- Braised Kale with Spiced Chickpeas
- Penne Pasta with Cauliflower and Kale Pesto
- Vegan Garlicky Kale Pizza Hand Pies
- how to cook kale guide.
- Shawarma Spiced Chickpeas
- Cauliflower Bowl with Harissa Roasted Chickpeas
- Homemade Falafel with Lemony Tahini Sauce
- 20-Minute Shakshuka
- Creamiest Homemade Hummus
- Mashed Butternut Squash with Spiced Chickpeas
- Easy Hummus Recipe with Shawarma Mushrooms
- Shawarma Chickpea Rice Bowl
- Braised Curried Kale with Spiced Chickpeas
- Kale Salad with Chickpeas and Tempeh Bacon Bits
- Easy Pasta Salad with Chickpeas
- Fennel and Chickpea Stew
- Moroccan Harira Soup
- The Ultimate Grillable Veggie Burger
- Easy Tomato and Chickpea Salad
- Roasted Beet Hummus
- Chana Masala Over Celeriac Puree
- Cauliflower Chickpea Sheet Pan Dinner
- Wheat Berry and Chickpeas Soup
- Eggplant and Chickpea Curry
- Buddah Bowl
- Watermelon Steak Salad
- Cashew Ricotta Pizza
- Cauliflower Salad with Spiced Chickpeas
- Smashed Chickpea Salad
- Quinoa, Chickpea and Beet Burger
- Roasted Vegetables and Chickpeas with Cheese Croutons
- Food Memories Salad
- Sweet and Savory Moroccan Couscous
Did you like this kale salad with chickpeas and bacon tempeh bits ?
If you enjoyed this recipe, it would help us tremendously if you left us a star rating in the comments below or on the recipe card. Do you have any questions about the recipe? Do you need a swap for any of the ingredients? We are here to help, just leave us a question in the comments below.
Kale Salad with Chickpeas and Spicy Bacon Tempeh Bits
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 4
Description
A light & refreshing kale salad that is full of flavor, vitamins and spicy tempeh bacon bits that add the perfect crunch!
Ingredients
- TEMPEH BITS:
- 8oz tempeh
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp lemon pepper
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper (add more if you like more heat)
- Smoked sea salt (optional)
- SALAD:
- 1 lb kale, chopped
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1- 15.5oz can chick peas
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- DRESSING:
- ⅓ cup seasoned rice vinegar
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce (you can also use Bragg liquid aminos)
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
Instructions
- Blanch kale in salted boiling water for about 30 seconds
- Run under cold water and drain. Once it cools, squeeze excess water. Set aside
- Preheat oven to 425F
- Combine all spices for tempeh in a small bowl
- Pour vegetable oil on a small bowl
- Cut the tempeh into thin slices
- Dip each slice in vegetable oil and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle spices on top until they are all well coated (one side is enough)
- Bake at 425F for about 20 minutes, until golden brown and crispy (keep an eye so they don't burn!). Sprinkle with some smoked sea salt if using
- Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl
- Combine all dressing ingredients in a glass jar, close the lid and shake well. Pour over salad and toss until all the ingredients are coated with the dressing.
- Crumble tempeh on top right before serving.
- ENJOY! From May I have that recipe
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cups
- Calories: 498
- Sugar: 5.3
- Sodium: 971.9
- Fat: 29.4
- Saturated Fat: 13.5
- Unsaturated Fat: 16
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 41.5
- Fiber: 16.3
- Protein: 24
- Cholesterol: 0
susartandfood
Looks fabulous - pretty dishes and excellent pics
mayihavethatrecipe
Thank you. We love fresh salads in the summer
susartandfood
So do we.
Oh My Veggies (@ohmyveggies)
I love this! Kale is my favorite green by far and I love tempeh. I'm going to save this recipe--I can't wait to try it!
mayihavethatrecipe
Glad you like it!! The tempeh gets crunchier as it cools, love it! Also, you can use any combination of spices you want. Super versatile!
Sanjeeta KK
Looks very colorful and healthy salad!
mayihavethatrecipe
And very refreshing!! Perfect for summer!
erinmotz
I love this napkin! Mind if I ask where you got it? 🙂
mayihavethatrecipe
Thank you, We got the napkin at home goods.
Savory Simple
It was a hot holiday but very fun. This looks so incredible! I adore kale and tempeh.
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you
kitchenriffs
Nice pictures! And nice recipe - looks incredibly flavorful. Kale is such an underrated food - so healthy and terrific taste. Good stuff - thanks.
mayihavethatrecipe
Thank you for the compliments. You are going to make us blush 😉
Marcy
I love the tempeh bit idea...they look great!! Unbelieveable pictures love the colors!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you so much.
Megan
One of the tags on this recipe is gluten free. I just wanted to point out that Trader Joe's tempeh is not gluten free because it has barley in it-- I know because I had to stop eating it. And soy sauce isn't usually gluten free either since they add wheat to it. I know people should verify for themselves if they require gluten free but many people new to it don't know, or someone may make a recipe for a friend or relative and end up getting them sick. Just be careful with the gluten free tag. Anyway, the recipe looks delicious and I'm planning on making a gluten free version for myself! Thanks!
Vicky & Ruth
You are right, we made a mistake with the Tempeh. We can easily find GF soy sauce and that is what we usually use. Using a GF tempeh for people with GF intolerance it is a must in this recipe. Thank you for pointing it out.
Maggie
How well do the tempeh bits keep? In the fridge or in the pantry? Wondering how much I should make if I won't eat them all right away!
Vicky & Ruth
Hi there! You should keep these in the fridge, and they'll stay good 3-4 days. Make sure you re-heat them in the oven to restore the crunch!
Joy
Hi! This looks so delicious and healthful! I was wondering if I could get the nutritional values for this recipe, I tried plugging it into myfitnesspal and got a ridiculous (2120!!) calorie per serving!! I had to take out all the oils and even the spices to get it down to a 387/cal per serving. i just know that cant be right lol. Help!
Vicky & Ruth
Hi Joy!
We calculated the calories with all the ingredients listed on the recipe and we got 503 calories per serving. However, keep in mind that even though the recipe calls for 1/4 cup of oil, you're only dipping the tempeh slices in it, so you won't be using all of it. You can omit it completely and dip the tempeh in water to bring the calorie count down even more (to approximately 378), but the tempeh won't be as crispy. Also remember that this salad is meant to be eaten as a complete meal. If served as a side, the servings would be 6-8. Hope this helps!! 🙂
Casondra
This was absolutely wonderful. We really enjoyed it, teens included. I didn't have tempeh so I used organic tofu instead. Going in my recipe box. 🙂 Thank you.
Vicky & Ruth
So glad to hear Casondra! And yes, tofu works great here to!! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Chefyl
Mmmm, quite yummy! I left out the chickpeas, used some fresh, grated beets instead. When (not if!) I make this again, I'll skip blanching the kale, and will instead just massage it with oil, salt, and lemon juice to soften it up and make clean up a little easier.
Steven
Hi, im about to try this receipe, wrote down all the ingredients i needed and realised i do not like kale at all. well i've only tried boiled kale before and it was digusting tbh. is there any vegetable you would recommend this recipe with?
Vicky and Ruth
You can use raw baby spinach or cooked swiss chard.
Kelsey Largent
Great recipe! Tasted pretty good although I'd buy another packet of tempeh, me personally. Any nutritional info?
Vicky & Ruth
We will try to fill out the nutrition facts when we have a chance