Fall Harvest BBQ Chickpea Kale Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing
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Fall Harvest BBQ Chickpea Kale Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing
When it comes to putting together all of the best Fall produce, this Fall Harvest BBQ Chickpea Kale Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing has all of the charm that you need for the entire family! Enjoy the beautiful green color of this salad as well as the flavor, bold colors, and nutrients with a variety of ingredients like red or green kale, roasted apples, broccolini, BBQ chickpeas, baby potatoes, candied bacon, parmesan, etc. Entirely dairy-free. Vegan, Gluten-Free, + Make ahead options.
This Fall Harvest salad has to be my favorite salad that I've created so far! Salads have truly become one of my favorite things to eat lately and I love that they are so versatile and can work for any season, depending on the ingredients you use. This Fall Harvest BBQ Chickpea Kale Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing will surely be your favorite go-to Fall salad and your family will thank you for it!
A few years ago, I made this Fall Harvest Apple Kale Salad which is the inspiration where I birthed the idea of this delicious salad minus the nuts. However, if you're a lover of salads, then you're sure to love this Roasted Cauliflower Green Goddess Salad, Spicy Chipotle Sweet Potato Chopped Salad, Chicken Caesar Salad with Cornbread Croutons, and Baked Jamaican Jerk Chicken Salad.
The most amazing part of this Fall kale salad is that it's hearty and dairy-free which makes it perfect for the entire family. Of course, you can mix and match ingredients to meet the need for all of the eaters in your family and you don't have to use just kale as your base and instead add your favorite greens like lettuce, arugula, collard greens, spinach, you name it.
What is a Fall Harvest Salad?
You'll enjoy all of the Autumn vibes with this Fall Harvest Salad that is so easy to whip together. This salad includes an array of Fall produce like apples, broccolini, potatoes (which can be subbed with sweet potatoes), and of course kale. Of course, you can totally added additional Fall heartiness with your favorite nuts, cranberries, etc. It'll leave you full and satisfied for a good amount of time! Plus, you can make this a chopped salad if you'd like.
What is Chopped Salad?
OK, so if this is your first time hearing about chopped salad, then I've got you covered. Basically, the difference between chopped salad and regular salad is that all of the ingredients are chopped and incorporated versus it being layered. It definitely creates the perfect bite that makes a real difference when eating it.
Why and How to Massage Kale
When it comes to massaging kale, it's usually recommended because kale is known for being tough and fibrous, which makes it sometimes hard to chew and digest. However, massaging the kale softens it a great deal and helps the flavors to be more pronounced which works hand in hand with the other ingredients.
My easy method to massage kale is to add the de-stemmed and chopped kale to a large bowl and then drizzling it with 1-2 tsps of lemon juice or Extra virgin olive oil and using your clean hands, rubbing the leaves together gently for about 2-3 minutes. They should look glossy and slightly reduced in volume when massaging is achieved.
Can I Add More Veggies to this Salad?
Definitely! This is a great recipe to mix and match the ingredients/toppings. For added nutrients, fiber, and color, add your favorite veggies.
You can add roasted Brussels sprouts, bell peppers, asparagus, green peas, roasted herb tomatoes, mushrooms, or leafy greens (kale, spinach, collard greens). All will be delicious! See further down for more great options, including meatless ones.
How To Make Fall Harvest BBQ Chickpea Kale Salad
The incredible thing about this Fall Harvest kale salad recipe is that most of the ingredients are household staples. Plus, it's easy to mix and match ingredients with whatever you have on hand, so there's no need to make an extra trip to the store. To start, you'll want to roast your veggies (broccolini, apples, and potatoes) until charred, wilted, and tender. In the meantime, you can chop and massage your kale using a bit of olive oil or lemon juice and chop the remaining ingredients.
Then you'll prepare your honey mustard dressing and store it in the fridge until ready to be used. Once the veggies are charred, assemble the salad, drizzle or toss in dressing and enjoy!
The Ingredients
The ingredients for this Fall seasonal salad are simple and easy to customize based on what’s in your kitchen:
- Olive oil. Use a nice high-quality extra-virgin olive oil to roast the veggies and massage the kale. You can substitute with avocado oil, grapeseed oil, etc.
- Herbs + seasonings. I use staple spices like salt, black pepper, garlic powder, basil, oregano, parsley, and smoked paprika.
- Chickpeas. I like to use canned garbanzo beans for ease—just drain + rinse. Though you could also cook dried beans.
- Baby potatoes. You can also use baby Yukon or yellow potatoes for a more savory taste or substitute with sweet potatoes for a sweeter touch.
- Broccolini. I love using broccoli or broccolini. You'll be roasting them to perfection before adding them to the salad.
- Kale. Be sure to chop your kale leaves well into bite-sized pieces. No one likes feeling like they have to chew for 5 minutes to get through a tough leaf of kale! If you prefer a different leafy green, you can use spinach, romaine, butter lettuce, or another favorite salad base. For an extra touch, I chose to roast my kale for a nice crisp!
- Candied Bacon. Provides a sweet and savory burst of flavor. You can use pork or turkey bacon.
- Apple. I love using Gala or Honeycrisp apples or you can use a firm, tart apple like Granny Smith for best results.
- BBQ sauce. You can use a premium store-bought sauce. Again, it's easy to make your own. See my recipe for how to make homemade BBQ.
- Honey Mustard dressing. Use your favorite homemade or store-bought dressing to bring this salad to life, however, my favorite Creamy Honey Mustard Dressing adds a great tangy, bold flavor.
- Parmesan. I love to freshly-grate or "shave" (using a veggie peeler) my dairy-free cheese, however, you can use your favorite dairy-free shredded brand So Delicious Dairy-Free or Violife cheese shreds tastes great.
What Can Be Used Instead of Kale in this Fall Harvest Salad?
Although, kale is the most common veggie that I love to use as my salad base, you can definitely use other greens such as romaine lettuce, spinach, collard greens, bokchoy, etc. for a nice twist! When it comes to vegetables, there are so many benefits as we all know. While some veggies pack a greater punch when it comes to nutrients, we’ve curated a special list of our Our Top 12 Favorite Healthy Green Leafy Vegetables! Most of these are super popular while others are under utilized in many dishes. Lettuce Eat, Shall We?
Best Types of Apples for this Salad
Even though this Fall Harvest Salad is based on using Gala or Honeycrisp apples, you can also switch things up and add a slightly new flare in their flavor profile by adding any of the following apples for a bit more sweetness or tart:
- Granny Smith
- Fuji
- Pink Lady
- Golden Delicious
- Braeburn
- and more!
Homemade BBQ Sauce
To make your own BBQ sauce for the chickpeas is rather simple and doesn't require a lot. See my Homemade BBQ Sauce recipe for all the details!
How to Make Homemade Croutons
This Fall Harvest Kale Salad is easy to throw together, but if you'd love additional texture + crunch croutons are a great addition! While you might think that it's so hard to make----I'm here to show you just how easy it is, using the following ingredients:
- Rustic bread, cubed into ¾ inches
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Dried parsley
- Salt + Black pepper
How to Make Chopped Salad with a Food Processor
For greater ease, you can easily make this Fall Harvest salad a chopped salad by chopping your ingredients in a food processor for the perfect bite. I suggest first starting with solely the kale leaves once they are de-stemmed. Add them to your food processor and pulse for a few seconds before they are too minced. Then remove those chopped greens and place them into a bowl and work your way through the other ingredients (all processed separately).
Once all ingredients are chopped, add them together in a bowl and continue recipe.
Roasted Chickpeas: A Beautiful Addition
In case you're thinking of making this Fall Harvest salad and would love to add a bit of a crunch or extra texture, then I recommend roasting your roasted chickpeas instead of just tossing them in BBQ sauce. It's super easy to do and only requires one (15 oz.) can of chickpeas, a bit of olive oil, BBQ sauce, and herbs + seasonings and you let the oven work it's magic.
What Are Good Ingredients to Add to a Salad?
If you want to take this already delicious Fall Harvest salad to the next level, have fun tossing in your favorite salad toppers. I especially love the following ingredients with the kale and tangy honey mustard flavors in this recipe:
- Beans + legumes (i.e. black beans, kidney beans, etc.)
- Other greens (i.e. spinach, lettuce, mixed greens, arugula, mustard greens, etc.)
- Chicken, shrimp, steak, and salmon (if you're a meat eater)
- Vegan meatballs or vegan chick'n
- Tofu, mushrooms, tempeh, etc. (Great meat alternatives)
- Nuts + seeds (i.e. pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, etc.)
- Other roasted fruit like pears, oranges, cranberries, figs, or peaches
- Croutons, baked tortilla, or pita chips
- Cheese, either dairy or plant-based (feta cheese would be especially nice in this salad)
- Dried fruit (i.e. cranberries, raisins, etc.)
- Grains like farro, quinoa, couscous, etc.
- Boiled or poached eggs
- Shredded carrots
- Edamame, peas, corn, etc.
- Roasted veggies (i.e. asparagus, sweet potatoes, zucchini, butternut squash, etc.)
How to Make Herb Roasted Tomatoes
If you'd like to switch things up a bit by roasting your tomatoes-----the key to this recipe is to start with great-quality tomatoes. Choose a mix of large and cherries, and several different colors if you can find them.
What to Eat with this Salad
You can enjoy this Fall Harvest BBQ Chickpea Kale Salad on its own as a nice lunch or dinner. Of course, a side of bread or simple side dish of wings, roasted veggies, etc. works! Or, if you'd like to add additional protein that's meatless to round out your meal, add crispy tofu or nuts to keep things plant-based instead of bacon. If you're not vegetarian or vegan, you can add seared salmon, chicken, or another meat as well.
If you're offering this salad as a side dish, I personally love it paired with a hearty and warming entree like Creamy Garlic Chicken Gnocchi Soup, Creamy Lemon Broccoli Tortellini Soup, Roasted Carrot Soup + Cheesy Croutons, Creamy Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup or Easy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup.
For a hearty bite, I enjoy this kale salad with the following meals also: Hubby’s Date Night Vodka Ravioli [without the Vodka], Southern Hot Honey Fried Chicken, Creamy Jamaican Rasta Pasta, Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Wings/Bites, The Best Vegan Meat Sauce + Gnocchi , or Creamy Tuscan 'Marry Me' Chicken.
Common Q + A's for this Fall Harvest BBQ Chickpea Kale Salad
Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days, depending on the ingredients. Always determine the ingredients in your salad and keep it no longer than the shelf life of your fastest-spoiling ingredient.
Absolutely! The roasted chickpeas, broccolini, apples, candied bacon, and potatoes can be made up to 2 days beforehand and stored in an airtight container and refrigerated. The dressing can be made and refrigerated in a separate airtight container. The kale can be chopped up to 30 minutes before serving.
According to research, iceberg lettuce has a high water content, which causes it to not be as rich in nutrients as other types of lettuce.
Of course! To make this Fall Harvest salad GF-friendly, just ensure that the BBQ sauce (or it's ingredients) is GF-friendly as well as any ingredients in the dressing that may be needed. Also, ensure that you use a brand of bacon that is GF-friendly.
VEGAN OPTION: See post above for 'Meatless options' for the topping of this salad instead of bacon.
Not at all! Basically, yellow or brown seeds in honey mustard create a milder and slightly sweet flavor, while brown or black seeds in Dijon mustard result in a spicier and more robust taste.
More Delicious Fall Festive Recipes
Now that you've fallen in love with this Fall Harvest Salad in this recipe, put to good use your remaining Fall produce with these great family-friendly dinner recipes:
- Gluten-Free Hot Honey Bacon Pizza [Valentine's Day Edition]
- Creamy Vegan Sweet Potato Pasta Skillet
- Creamy Lemon Garlic Herb Kale Pasta
- Spicy Coconut Curry Chicken Bowl
- Spicy Butter Chickpeas
- Healthy Pesto Buddha Bowl
- Sticky Orange Chicken Popcorn Chicken
- Baked Tuscan Chicken and Gnocchi
- The Best Vegan Meat Sauce + Gnocchi
MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?
If you tried this Fall Harvest BBQ Chickpea Kale Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you.
Fall Harvest BBQ Chickpea Kale Salad
Ingredients
BBQ ROASTED CHICKPEAS:
- 1 (15 oz.) can organic chickpeas, drained + rinsed
- 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup premium BBQ sauce, homemade or store-bought
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
ROASTED APPLES + VEGGIES:
- 2 medium Gala apples, sliced medium-thin
- 2 baby Yukon or yellow potatoes, cubed
- handful of broccolini, cut into florets
- 2 Tbsps Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
SALAD:
- 2 bunches organic kale, de-stemmed + roughly chopped (You can use green or red or both)
- 2-3 Tbsps Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups chopped cooked candied bacon
- dairy-free parmesan shavings or freshly-grated
HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING:
- 1 Creamy Honey Mustard Dressing
Instructions
- Begin by preheating the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare two separate baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.
TO MAKE THE BBQ ROASTED CHICKPEAS:
- In a bowl, add the chickpeas, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, parsley, thyme, and BBQ sauce, mixing everything together until chickpeas are coated.
- Add coated chickpeas unto one of the prepared baking sheets and set it aside.
TO ROAST THE APPLES + VEGGIES:
- On the other prepared baking sheet, add the sliced apples and potatoes (leaving out the broccolini until the last 10 minutes or so), coating them with olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, basil, oregano, and cinnamon.
- Add both baking sheets to the preheated oven and let everything roast for 20-25 minutes or until veggies are wilted a bit and charred. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
TO MAKE THE CANDIED BACON:
- To make the Candied Bacon, see the recipe!
TO MAKE THE HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING:
- To make the Creamy Honey Mustard Dressing, see the recipe!
CHOP + MASSAGE KALE:
- Strip the leaves from 2 large bunches kale and discard the stems if you haven't already. Roughly chop the leaves and add them to a large bowl. Drizzle about 1-2 tsps of lemon juice or olive oil atop chopped kale and using clean hands, rub together the kale gently for about 2-3 minutes to soften the leaves and help to infuse the 'flavors' of the kale.
ASSEMBLE THE SALAD:
- In a large serving plate or salad bowl, add the chopped kale followed by the roasted apples, potatoes, broccolini, chopped candied bacon, and dairy-free parmesan shavings.
- To serve, add the salad to your favorite bowl(s), drizzle with honey mustard dressing, and additional favorite toppings like croutons, etc. if desired.
- Bon Appetit!
Tips & Tricks
- STORAGE: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days, depending on the ingredients. Always determine the ingredients in your salad and keep it no longer than the shelf life of your fastest-spoiling ingredient.
- MAKE AHEAD: The roasted chickpeas, broccolini, apples, candied bacon, and potatoes can be made up to 2 days beforehand and stored in an airtight container and refrigerated. The dressing can be made and refrigerated in a separate airtight container. The kale can be chopped up to 30 minutes before serving.
- HERB ROASTED TOMATOES: To see the recipe, tap this link.
- GREENS: If preferred, you can always add greens like Romaine lettuce, Arugula, Mustard Greens, Microgreens, Spinach or Collard Greens to this salad for added flavor + texture.
Nutrition
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This recipe was so easy to follow and it came out delicious! I added red onions, a cup of leftover grilled chicken breast and went for turkey bacon instead of pork. it was a success! My husband went for a third plate lol much appreciated. Can't wait to try your other recipes
Hi Yashnika! Wow---I'm so happy to hear that you found this recipe easy and delicious! Thanks so much for choosing to give it a try! I can't wait to see what else you love! 🙂
Oh my goodness! I saw this on IG and had to make it. Not the quickest of recipes but, man, it’s worth the effort. I didn’t candy the bacon but otherwise made as directed. My family was giving me the side-eye at first but they loved it! We had it as a side salad, along with grilled ribeyes but I could definitely see this being a main dish all by itself.
this was soooooooo good!! My husband is pretty picky and he had nothing but good things to say!! Another winner from you!!!
Hi Windy WOW! That truly makes me so happy! Yay! Thanks so much for giving it a try! 🙂
Too much pepper, too sweet, too much barbeque sauce. Short on fresh taste. Potatoes should be cubed, not quartered. They were under cooked. How many cups is 2 bunches of kale, chopped?
Took two experienced cooks much more than 20 minutes to execute. Almost inedible.
Hi Deborah! Thanks so much for your feedback! I'm so sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy this salad! I always recommend my readers to adjust the seasonings, sauces, etc. to their tastebuds since everyone has a different preference. Also, 2 bunches of kale equals out to about 8 cups or so once chopped. However, you can always reduce the amount of kale if that's your preference or don't want a large salad. I truly hope that you enjoy another recipe next time! 🙂