Marinated Kale Pasta Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing

This marinated kale pasta salad is dressing in a tangy sweet maple mustard dressing that will make eating veggies a little easier. Easy to customize and meal prep for your next lunch.

Why You’ll Love This Marinated Kale Pasta Salad

• Great cold lunch option. If you work in a spot where you can’t heat up your food, I feel like pasta salad can be a perfect work around for this. You can pack it in a cooler or leave in an available fridge and all you have to do is eat it when you’re ready.
• No mayo pasta salad. To keep the creaminess, but make this completely dairy-free we are using some vegan yogurt. I feel it also adds an extra layer of tanginess that is perfect for this salad prep.
• Great way to load up on veggies. I feel like sauce is the perfect way to encourage more veggie consumption especially when that sauce has a great balance of tangy, savory and sweet to it. This maple Dijon dressing has it all for me.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

• Pasta: Whenever I make a pasta salad, I love using orecchiette as I feel it holds sauce the best for me. You can absolutely use a different pasta shape based on your own preference.
• Chickpeas: This was just the protein choice I was feeling this day. You can absolutely change it up and roast up different protein options like lentils, tempeh or tofu to stir into the pasta.
• Seasonings: I seasoned the chickpeas with smoked paprika, coriander and garlic, but feel free to adjust to your preferences.
• Kale: I used lacinato kale, but you can use a different kale or swap with a different green you love. If swapping for a more delicate green like arugula or spinach, you don’t need to massage it.
• Sun-dried tomatoes: I like to use the variety jarred in oil. Feel free to use the ones packed without oil. This will add some umami flavor to the salad. You can also omit or swap with 2-3 teaspoons diced capers.
• Onions: I like to use a shallot for this, but works equally well with red onion.
• Sweet Peppers: I used jarred sweet peppers, but you can swap with fresh diced red pepper instead.
• Garlic: I used some garlic cloves to roast. If you prefer not to roast your garlic, I would recommend grating 1-2 small cloves into the sauce instead for a balanced sharp garlicky taste.
• Dijon Mustard: This has the best taste in this application. Feel free to use a grainy variety if you prefer.
• Lemon: Fresh is best to get the most out of the fresh lemon taste in the sauce.
• Yogurt: I always use a dairy-free plain, unsweetened yogurt. Typically I will use a cashew or soy based one, so use what you prefer here.
• Maple Syrup: This helps to balance out the tang in the dressing.

Why You Should Massage Kale

Eating raw kale can be tough. It’s hard to chew, bitter in flavor and can be hard for some to digest as well. However, you might be looking to find a way to enjoy it raw so you can also enjoy the nutrition benefits of it. If that resonates with you, I highly recommend massaging your kale. I know that sounds weird, but rubbing a little oil, lemon, salt and extra flavors into the kale helps to soften some of those tough fibers, reduce bitterness and make it more enjoyable to eat.

How to Make Marinated Kale Pasta Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing

Preheat the oven to 425F. Place the chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel and pat dry. Place the chickpeas on a parchment lined baking tray then drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and a pinch of salt. Toss to coat and spread out in a single layer on the tray. Place the garlic cloves on a small sheet of parchment paper and drizzle with a 1/2 teaspoon of oil. Seal the parchment around the cloves and place on the baking tray with the chickpeas. Then place in the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove the tray, sprinkle the chickpeas with the seasonings and toss to coat using a spoon. Return to the oven to bake for another 10 minutes.

While the chickpeas roast, bring a pot of water to a boil with 2 teaspoons of salt. Add the pasta and cook according to box instructions until al dente then drain and rinse with cold water and set to the side.

To a large mixing bowl add the kale, shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, half the zest and juice of a lemon and a pinch of salt. Use your hands to rub the ingredients into the kale until it has softened, about 1-2 minutes. Add the pasta, bell pepper, parsley, chives and half the roasted chickpeas then prepare the dressing.

Remove the roasted garlic from their peels and place on a cutting board. Mash and mince the garlic well then add to a small bowl with the yogurt, oil, mustard, vinegar, maple syrup, the remaining lemon zest and juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk to combine then pour the dressing over the bowl of pasta then toss to coat. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to preference.

Serve the pasta salad with more of the crispy chickpeas on top and enjoy.

Expert Tips

• Don’t overcook your pasta. You want to cook your pasta until it is al dente. Most packaged pasta will provide a cooking range. I recommend cooking to the shortest suggested time. Example, if it says 12-14 minutes, cook for 12 minutes.
• Massage the kale well. You want to rub a little oil, salt and lemon into the kale to help soften and break it down. This will make it easier to chew and remove some of the bitterness that is naturally found in kale.
• Change up the vegetables. This is an easy salad to customize to your own needs. Feel free to swap any of the listed vegetable ideas for a different vegetable you prefer.
• Adjust the sweetness of your dressing. Make the dressing starting with 2 teaspoons of maple syrup. If it is too tangy, whisk in no more than 1 teaspoon of maple syrup at a time until the dressing is to your liking.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Serve

This pasta salad can be served as a complete meal that provides 17 grams of protein or if you’d like a little more protein, serve with a serving of baked super firm tofu to make the meal total 31 grams of protein. If you like a little spice, I also recommend whisking in some red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper into the maple Dijon dressing.

More Pasta & Noodle Recipes

• Zucchini Orzo Salad
• Maple Lime Cold Noodle Salad
• Shredded Tofu Noodle Soup
• Vegan Caramelized Onion Pasta
• Tahini Pasta

If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.

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