Vegan Chicken Avocado Kale Salad

Eating your veggies shouldn’t be boring! And that’s where this Vegan Chicken Avocado Kale Salad comes in. Kale is tossed in a tahini ranch and then topped with crispy vegan chicken and avocado slices. This is a great salad for meal prep – the kale holds up to the dressing really well!

here’s what you need

ingredients

• vegan chicken – I used Daring
• kale
• shallot 
• avocados
• tahini
• oil – I used avocado oil
• lemon juice
• apple cider vinegar
• dry spices: smoked paprika, dried parsley, dried chives, dried dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper

equipment

You need a skillet and a large salad bowl!

steps

step 1: cook the vegan chicken

For the “chicken” I like to use unseasoned, un-breaded vegan chicken. That way we can season it however we want AND we can give it a nice crispy, char.

To cook it just heat some oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the vegan chicken and dry seasonings to the skillet and toss to coat. Cook until browned on both sides (approx. 3 minutes per side) and set aside.

I like to cut the larger pieces into strips to make them easier to eat!

step 2: make the tahini ranch

I went through a phase a few years ago where I would make this tahini dressing almost every night of the week. It was a bit of an obsession.

And this tahini ranch might get me on my tahini kick again.

To make it, just add tahini, oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and a whole bunch of dry seasonings to a bowl. Whisk until combined, adding water to thin it out.

step 3: assemble & serve

Now, it is time to bring it all together. Add your washed & dried kale to a large salad bowl and pour over 2/3 of the dressing. Toss until the kale is coated and has softened slightly.

Top the salad with finely diced shallots, the vegan chicken and avocado slices. Drizzle on the rest of the dressing and dig in!

This salad is great because the kale can be dressed ahead of time and still not get soggy! Perfect for meal prepping!

tips & tricks

To prep this ahead of time, prepare everything except for the avocado. Add it right before serving. The great thing about using kale is that it can be dressed and not get soggy for a long time!

Play around with the dressing until it’s exactly how you like it. I usually add extra vinegar!

You can prep the vegan chicken ahead of time – it doesn’t need to be warm for the salad. I like to cut the bigger pieces into strips before adding it to the salad.

Not into vegan chicken? Swap it with a can of drained & rinsed chickpeas – cook them the same exact way until crispy!