This kale salad with white beans, seeds, and avocado is a powerhouse of flavor and nutrition. The creamy textures of the protein-rich white beans and avocado play well with hearty kale and crunchy sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
This anti-inflammatory salad riffs on a popular kale salad sold at the Erewhon grocery stores in Los Angeles. It's amazingly satisfying and nourishing.
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You may be surprised by how this bowlful of goodness fills your belly and keeps the rumbles away for hours afterward!
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Ingredients: salad and dressing
Salad
- Kale
- White beans
- Avocados
- Tomatoes
- Sunflower seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Shallots
- Hemp hearts
Dressing (Lemon-Maple Vinaigrette)
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Dijon mustard
- Maple syrup
- Lemon zest
- Garlic
- Salt and pepper
💚Kale: Curly kale is the classic choice for this salad. However, it does require scrupulous prep. After washing, cut out tough ribs, chop the greens into small pieces, and massage them with oil and acid (e.g. lemon juice) so they soften.
You can sub lacinato (dino) kale, which has only a center rib, or another green like spinach, which does not need massaging.
White beans: Any creamy white bean will be terrific—navy, cannellini, or Great Northern. You could also use chickpeas although their texture is not as soft, so the contrast between the chewy kale and lush legumes is muted.
🥑Avocados: Use two small or one large, ripe fruit. You want the salad to boast plenty of this buttery element.
🍅Tomatoes: The sweetness and color of halved cherry tomatoes or chopped Campari tomatoes are perfect. You could also swap in sweet, juicy orange, tangerine, or grapefruit segments.
🌻Seeds: The sunflower and pumpkin seeds make this nutritious bowl perfect for anyone with nut allergies. If this is not a concern, slivered almonds, pecan pieces, or chopped peanuts are good nut choices and substitutions.
Shallots: Sliced and chopped, they add punch! Thinly sliced green onions can be used instead.
Hemp hearts: These add amazing richness as well as healthy fats and protein.
Olive oil: Use extra-virgin (EVOO) with a pleasing flavor for the vinaigrette.
🍋Lemon juice: Fresh-squeezed tastes best.
Dijon mustard: The classic Grey Poupon or Maille brands are my favorites.
🍁Maple syrup: The maple flavor is important for salad, but you could use honey or date syrup.
Lemon zest: Please don't omit this. It elevates the whole salad.
Salt and pepper: Finer grains will blend into the dressing better than Kosher salt or coarse grind pepper.
How to Make
Wash your hands, lathering with soap and rinsing with running water for 20 seconds, before starting.
1️⃣Place the prepped kale pieces in a large bowl and drizzle with a Tablespoon each of olive oil and lemon juice. Thoroughly massage into the greens. Set aside while you make the vinaigrette.
2️⃣ Combine the remaining olive oil and lemon juice with maple syrup, mustard, lemon zest, garlic, salt, and pepper in a jar with a tight-fitting lid or a small bowl or measuring cup. Shake the jar or whisk until combined into a uniform mixture (emulsion).
3️⃣Top the softened kale with white beans, avocados, tomatoes, seeds, hemp hearts, and shallots.
4️⃣Whisk the dressing (or shake the jar) for a few seconds and pour over the salad ingredients.
5️⃣Toss well, thoroughly coating all the salad ingredients.
Serve this hearty salad with whole-grain bread or crackers for a no-cook dinner or lunch.
Storage and prep tips
You can keep this salad in the refrigerator for a day with no problem. The kale actually softens more. So, this is a good salad to take to work for lunch.
To streamline assembly, prep the kale ahead of time. Wash, remove any tough ribs, and chop. It keeps well, so you can do this up to five days ahead of time.
Toast the seeds: For extra flavor, toast the pumpkin and sunflower seeds for about seven minutes in a 350 F oven, or use a small, dry skillet. You can do this many days before assembling the salad.
Tools that steamline salad and dressing creation are a small whisk, a lemon zester, and a garlic press.
Feel free to make the dressing ahead. It will keep for at least two weeks and tastes great on other salads. (Why not make a double batch?)
You can also assemble the salad ingredients ahead of serving time except for the avocado. Add that at the last minute so it doesn't turn brown.
🧊😂Of course, this salad is not freezable!
Variations
Greens: Any sturdy, leafy green can stand in for the kale. Dino kale also called Lacinato kale is easier to prep. Baby kale can be found prewashed in packages. How easy is that!
Of course, spinach or arugula, are also tasty subs. No need to massage baby kale, spinach, or arugula.
🍊In place of the tomatoes, try a sweet citrus fruit. Oranges or grapefruit segments or pieces of tangerines or mandarins are delicious. You could replace the fresh tomatoes with oil-packed sundried tomatoes.
Seeds vs. nuts: I love the flavor and seed nutrition in this salad, but nuts are also delicious and nutritious.
However, you must chop the nuts or buy them pre-chopped. Slivered almonds and pecan pieces are delicious. Pine nuts are another thought, and they are already small!
Dietary Deets
Overall highlights: This salad is especially rich in plant-based calcium and has 11 grams of protein. It also offers all the mineral support your bones need to absorb the calcium.
🦴 💪🏼It's an excellent source of potassium and has plenty of folate, magnesium, and vitamin K. So, it's great for both bones and muscles. Try it as a post-workout recovery meal!
Best for allergies: This salad is gluten-free as well as vegan and dairy-free (without the Parmesan cheese). It's also nut-free, so it can enjoyed by those with many allergies and sensitivities.
Seed nutrition
Seeds are essentially embryos and contain powerful nutrition to prime them for growth. This recipe has sunflower and pumpkin seeds (pepitas) plus hemp hearts, which are seeds, too
They all offer plenty of fiber and healthy fats and contain protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Sunflower seeds are particularly rich in antioxidant vitamin E. An ounce has 3 grams of protein, almost 2 grams of iron, and is an excellent source of vitamin B1 and manganese.
Pumpkin seeds: Per ounce, they have nearly 8 grams of protein and 3 grams of iron! Plus, they are an excellent source of magnesium.
Hemp hearts: These seeds are particularly rich in anti-inflammatory polyunsaturated fats (omega-6 and omega-3) and have a good amount of protein, vitamin E, and minerals like potassium and magnesium.
Kale
This tough green leafy is loaded with nutrition goodies. You know from the texture, it has plenty of fiber, and it's more than an excellent source of vitamin K. A single serving supplies more than 300% of your daily needs!
It's also rich in calcium and has loads of lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids that have particular benefits for your eyes. Much more can be said about kale. These are just some of the highlights.
White beans: Supply plant-based protein, fiber, and so much more!
The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans put beans before meats as the best source of protein. That's because minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants are also part of the protein package they offer.
White beans in particular have copper, calcium, folate, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, zinc, and more!!!
Nutrition Speak: A good nutrient source offers 10% to 19% of the Daily Value. An excellent source provides 20% or more.
🥑In addition to the greens, beans, and seeds in this salad, there are avocados and the Lemon-Maple-Mustard dressing, which offer nutrients like vitamin C and monounsaturated fats.
Explore Love One Today, an avocado industry website, to find more nutrition information about this anti-inflammatory fruit and get delicious recipes with avocados.
You know that you are doing your body a service when you make this salad and enjoy it along with family and friends!
FAQ
The simplest way to deal with gas from the fibrous beans and greens is an enzymatic supplement for digestion. Beano is easy to find many grocery stores.
But, some supplements have a combo of enzymes that handle issues that include problems with fat digestion, lactose intolerance, and protein breakdown. I like the Daily Essential Enzymes capsules from Source Naturals.
Sure! Just make sure to check it for woody stems and massage it before using it in the salad.
If you're looking for a time-saving kale that doesn't need any prep, look for packages of pre-washed baby kale. No de-stemming or massaging necessary. No washing needed, either!
The Parmesan is optional, but it does add much umami flavor! Vegans will often sub nutritional yeast for Parmesan cheese. You could also use nuts to make vegan Parmesan cheese.
Any other type of bean will have a different flavor and texture. White beans are particularly soft and creamy, so they taste best with the tougher kale. Chickpeas are a decent stand-in.
Other recipes and blogs you might like...
If seeds and nuts play a starring role in your snacks and meals, learn more about their nutrition and how to swap in recipes by reading Four Nuts and Three Seeds.
Don't you love that pumpkin seeds have amazing nutrition and are darn tasty? Did you know you can use them to make seed butter? Try my recipe for Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Butter, a healthier spread than Nutella!
Hang on a minute—maybe you want a fresh sauce to use on pasta, grains, and grilled fish and chicken. Cilantro Pumpkin Seed Pesto is just what you need (crave).
Speaking of nutty, seedy sauces makes me pivot to gremolata, a terrific nut and herb relish that amps the flavor of grilled proteins, pasta, and grains. Try Pistachio Gremolata on pasta or use it on baked tilapia, grilled Mahi, or chicken thighs.
Kale White Bean Salad
Ingredients
Lemon-Maple-Mustard Dressing
- 5 Tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin, divided use
- 4 Tablespoons lemon juice, from 2 lemons, divided use
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest, from 1 lemon
- 1 clove garlic, pressed or grated
- ¼ teaspoon salt, fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Salad Ingredients
- 6 cups kale, curly or regular (dino), chopped, with tough stems removed, about 1 bunch
- 1 can (15 oz) white beans, navy or cannellini, rinsed
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
- ⅓ cup sunflower seeds, raw or toasted
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas), raw or toasted
- 2 Tablespoons shallot, thinly sliced (optional)
- 2 Tablespoons hemp hearts
Optional Toppings
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 cup croutons
Instructions
- Wash hands thoroughly for 20 seconds, lathering with soap, and rinsing with running water for 20 seconds.
- In a small bowl, set aside a Tablespoon each of olive oil and lemon juice.
- Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients in a bowl or measuring cup. Or, combine them in a jar and shake well to emulsify.
Salad Instructions
- Retrieve the small bowl of olive oil and lemon juice and gently rub and massage these ingredients into the kale. Let the kale rest for at least 10 minutes and up to an hour.
- Place the rested kale in a large bowl. Add the white beans, avocado, tomatoes, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and hemp hearts.
- Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss to combine.
- Serve as desired with Parmesan cheese and/or croutons.
Nutrition
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Jalynn
Really yummy Kale!