Chickpea Kale Sweet Potato Salad

This nutritious superfood-packed salad is perfect for any summer day. Chock full of crisp chickpeas, sweet potato, and plenty of soft kale and topped with a pleasant lemon tahini dressing.

Chickpea Kale Sweet Potato Salad
By: Twinsters Kitchen
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes 
Ingredients
For the Salad:
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into ½ in. cubes
2 teaspoons + 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
¾ teaspoons salt, divided
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 bunch curly kale, washed, stem removed and chopped (about 7-8 cups)
½ large lemon, juiced
1 large avocado, pitted and diced
⅓ cup dried cranberries
⅓ cup chopped almonds
¼ cup chopped red onion

For the Roasted Chickpeas:
3 cans chickpeas (2 drained, save the remaining can’s liquid)
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper, sprinkled
1 ¼ teaspoon paprika

For the Lemon Tahini Dressing:
½ cup of tahini (make sure you stir it well)
1 large lemon, juiced
¼ teaspoon salt
3-6 tablespoons warm water, depending on how thick you want the dressing 

Instructions
    1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place parchment paper on a large sheet pan. Toss together the diced sweet potato with 2 teaspoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bake sweet potato until fork tender, 35-40 minutes, flipping after 20 minutes.
    2. On another sheet pan with parchment paper, mix the chickpeas, along with half a can of the liquid, olive oil, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cumin. Make sure the chickpeas are evenly coated. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, stir, and lower the temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for 8-10 more minutes, or until the chickpeas are crispy and cooked.
    3. Prepare the kale while the sweet potatoes and chickpeas are baking. Add the chopped kale to a large bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil, juice of ½ large lemon, heaping ¼ teaspoon salt. Use your hands to massage the kale and make sure everything is mixed together, about 1 minute. The kale should be soft and dark green. Set kale aside until the sweet potatoes and chickpeas are done baking. 
    4. Make the dressing by adding the tahini, lemon juice, and salt to a bowl and whisking until a creamy dressing is formed. Slowly add the water until the desired consistency is reached.
    5. To assemble the salad, add all the toppings to the bowl of kale and drizzle the dressing on top. Toss the salad and serve.