Kale Salad with Creamy Vegan Chipotle Dressing for Under $1 a Serving

This roasted vegetable and kale salad is about to shake things up. Say goodbye to boring, lifeless salads and hello to this smoky, sweet, flavor-infused recipe! Topped with a creamy chipotle dressing, you won't believe how easy, rich, and delicious this salad is.
Perfect for winter months, this salad features a mix of hearty kale, colorful butternut squash, beets, protein-packed chickpeas, and quinoa. Did you know quinoa contains 8 grams of protein in just one cup? It’s no wonder the ancient Inca civilization considered it a sacred food.
Don’t have squash or beets? No problem! They can easily be replaced with other root vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips, or parsnips. The heartier the better!
If you want to include more vegetables in your life but aren’t sure how, put this nutrient-dense salad in your recipe rotation. You'll be arriving in flavor heaven by the time the first bite enters your mouth.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes

Cost: $5.25 recipe | $1.31 serving

Roasted Vegetable and Kale Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

Salad

• 2 cups cubed beets ($0.36)
• 2 cups cubed butternut squash ($1.08)1 ½ cups chickpeas, drained and rinsed ($0.21)
• 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, divided ($0.16)
• 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder ($0.01)
• 1 ½ teaspoons cumin ($0.01)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt ($0.01)
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper ($0.01)
• 1 large bunch kale, chopped ($1.57)
• 1-2 teaspoons olive oil ($0.04)
• A squeeze of lemon juice ($0.01)
• 1 cup cooked quinoa ($0.40)

Chipotle dressing

• ¾ cup raw cashews, soaked overnight ($1.29)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar ($0.01)
• 2 chipotles in adobo ($0.02)
• 1 clove garlic ($0.04)
• Salt & pepper to taste ($0.02)
• ½ - ¾ cup water

Instructions

For the Roasted Vegetables

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F, place one rack in the center and on near the top, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Add butternut squash to one half of a baking sheet, beets to the other half, and chickpeas to the second baking sheet. Evenly drizzle olive oil over everything and season with garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper, tossing to coat.
3. Roast the squash and beets on the center rack for 20-25 minutes, mixing halfway, or until fork-tender and slightly caramelized. Roast the chickpeas on the top rack for 18-20 minutes, mixing halfway, or until golden and crisp slightly.

For the Kale

1. In the meantime, add chopped kale to a large mixing bowl with 1-2 teaspoons olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Massage the leaves for 2-3 minutes, then mix in cooked quinoa. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

For the Dressing

1. Add drained cashews, apple cider vinegar, chipotles in adobo, garlic, salt, pepper, and water to a blender. Mix on high until smooth, then transfer to a bowl or container for serving.

For the Assembly

1. Once the vegetables and chickpeas are cooked, add them to the bowl of kale and quinoa. Toss with half of the chipotle dressing (saving the rest for individual bowls).
2. Serve topped with optional garnishes like roasted nuts/seeds, crumbled vegan feta, dried fruits, etc. Enjoy!

Notes

• 1 large bunch of kale works out to ~4 cups.

Nutrition: 1 of 4 servings
Calories 443 | Total Fat 21.1 g | Saturated Fat 3.2 g | Cholesterol 0 mg | Sodium 326.3 mg | Total Carbohydrates 54.1 g | Dietary Fiber 13.4 g | Total Sugars 15.5 g | Protein 14.6 g | Calcium 160.5 mg | Iron 5.6 mg | Potassium 1069.4 mg |