Kale Pasta Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing

This fresh and delicious bean and veggie packed Kale Pasta Salad is tossed in a creamy homemade balsamic dressing you'll want to pour over everything in sight!

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Vegetarian

Keyword Creamy Balsamic Dressing, Kale Pasta Salad

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 7

Total Time 22

Servings servings

Calories 346kcal

Author Jenn Laughlin - Peas and Crayons

Ingredients

1 cup orzo pasta
3-4 cups finely chopped kale
1-2 cups quartered cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
½ small red onion
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese plus extra to taste

CREAMY BALSAMIC DRESSING

⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 TBSP balsamic vinegar
2 TBSP mayonnaise
½ TBSP dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
1 clove garlic
½ tsp Italian seasoning blend*
¼ tsp salt
⅛ tsp black pepper

Instructions

FIRST MAKE THE DRESSING

Peel, smash, and mince garlic and add to a small bowl.
Add remaining dressing ingredients and whisk well. I like this dressing zippy with a bit of tartness to liven up the beans and vegetables, but you are welcome to add a little extra honey (or sugar/agave) to taste.

NEXT COOK THE PASTA

Bing a pot of water to a boil, add a hearty pinch of salt, and cook orzo via package instructions, approx. 7 minutes, until al dente.
Once the pasta is tender, strain in a mesh sieve/colander and run some cold water to halt the cooking process.

PREP THE VEGGIES

While the orzo cooks, prep the remainder of the salad.
Thinly slice half a small red onion (the thinner the better!) and add to the dressing bowl to marinate.
Remove the kale leaves from the firm center stalk and finely chop into small pieces. I call this my kale confetti and when it's nice and small it's so easy to eat! Aim for 3-4 heaping cups.
Add kale to a large salad bowl and drizzle a spoonful of dressing over the greens. Use your hands to massage the dressing into the leaves for extra tender kale.
Cut cherry or grape tomatoes into quarters and drain and rinse chickpeas.

SALAD TIME!

Add the cooled orzo to the salad bowl with the kale along with the chickpeas and tomatoes.
Next add all the onions and around half the dressing to the bowl and mix well.
Grate fresh parmesan over the top of the salad and serve with remaining dressing on the side so everyone can add their perfect amount. Set out salt and pepper as well so it can be added, to taste. I love some fresh cracked black pepper on mine!
This salad is phenomenal for meal prep and can be kept in the fridge (dressing and all) for up to 3 days.

Notes

*I always use salt-free Mrs. Dash Italian Medley. It's the most perfect blend of spices!

This recipe yields around 6-7 heaping 1 cup servings or 2-3 large meal sized portions (my husband and I can absolutely HOUSE this salad!) plus it's also great for parties where everyone will serve themselves a little scoop and can be stretched to serve 12-18 small portions.

Variations: in place of chickpeas you can use great northern or cannellini beans or try it with shredded chopped rotisserie chicken if you're serving a T-rex crowd. It's great every which way!

Nutrition Facts below are estimated for each cup of salad with dressing using an online recipe nutrition calculator. Adjust as needed and enjoy!

Nutrition