This kale white bean salad is a simple yet flavorful, cost-effective Erewhon copycat that you're going to be making on repeat! It’s loaded with kale, creamy avocado, protein-packed white beans and crunchy seeds for a combination that is truly unmatched.
If you're a fan of kale salads, this one is going to be your new favorite! It's loaded with creamy white beans, toasted seeds and a lemon vinaigrette. This is a copycat recipe of a delicious salad from Erewhon. If you've ever been to or heard of the grocery store chain Erewhon Market in Los Angeles, then you know that their $20 smoothies and world-renowned (expensive) hot bar filled with delicious recipes has become the talk of TikTok these days.
Ultimately, Erewhon gets it right when it comes to health food, so if you don't live in LA or aren't looking to break the bank, I’m here to show you how you can enjoy their famous kale and white bean salad at home for a fraction of the price. If you've had it before, I promise you won’t even notice a difference - it's still the best salad!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Quick and easy to make: everything comes together in one bowl and is ready to eat in under 15 minutes! Plus, it calls for super simple ingredients.
- Affordable: instead of spending $22/lb at Erewhon for this salad, you can make it at home for a fraction of the cost.
- Customizable: you can easily swap the veggies, add different proteins or transform it beyond a salad to make it your own.
- This dish can be enjoyed as a main dish or side dish.
- Healthy & allergen-friendly: this salad is vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and refined-sugar free! It can also be easily made oil free, if needed. It's also healthy and loaded with nutrients.
Equipment
- Mixing bowls: one small mixing bowl or sealable jar to make the dressing in and one large bowl to toss the salad in
- Cutting board & chef's knife
- Whisk: for the dressing
Ingredients
- Kale: the base of this salad is kale! This salad typically uses curly kale, but feel free to use lacinato kale (aka dino kale).
- White Beans: you can use cannellini beans, navy beans, or great northern beans. They provide the plant-based protein, but also fiber, vitamins, healthy fats, potassium and iron. They’re soft, and almost creamy in texture.
- Avocado: aside from healthy fats, avocado also adds a nice creamy texture to this otherwise pretty crunchy salad. Make sure they're ripe so you get a perfectly creamy avocado.
- Seeds: we'll be using a combination of sunflower seeds, hemp seeds (aka hemp hearts), and pumpkin seeds (aka pepitas). All of these provide a nice crunch to the salad along with additional plant protein. You can use raw, roasted, or roasted & salted seeds, it's totally up to you!
- Olive Oil: it's not only the perfect base for the classic vinaigrette, but it is also heart-healthy and full of healthy fats. Be sure to use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor!
- Dijon Mustard: adds the perfect amount of tang to the dressing.
- Lemon Juice: I highly recommend using fresh lemon juice as opposed to concentrate to ensure you're adding the best flavor to the dressing.
- Maple Syrup: to add a touch of natural sweetness!
- Garlic: fresh garlic always tastes best in the dressing, so if you can, use that over garlic powder.
- Sea salt & Pepper
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Make this salad oil free by swapping the olive oil with a tahini dressing! You'll just need tahini and warm water to thin for the base of the dressing. This swap would also give you a creamier dressing.
- Swap the kale for spinach or arugula for a different flavor profile.
- Use chickpeas instead of white beans if you want to change it up or don't have white beans on hand.
- No fresh lemon juice? Use white wine vinegar or lime juice instead.
- Make it heartier: this salad is already filling, but if you want to add another protein to it, tofu, chicken or your favorite seafood like shrimp or salmon would go well with this. Quinoa would also be a great addition!
- Make it cheesy by adding some vegan feta, nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan. It'll also add another layer of flavor.
- Transform this meal by putting the salad into a wrap, over a flatbread, into pita pockets, or mixing it with a pasta like orzo.
This recipe has not been tested with any other substitutions or variations than the ones listed above. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, dijon mustard, garlic, salt and pepper until combined.
- Remove the tough stems from the kale and discard. Tear or chop the kale leaves then add to a large bowl. Drizzle in a little bit of the salad dressing and massage into kale for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until softened.
- Add the white beans, avocado, sunflower seeds, hemp hearts, pumpkin seeds and remaining dressing to the kale.
- Toss the salad until combined and adjust seasoning as desired. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Remove the stems of the kale. It’s tough, fibrous and leads to an unsavory eating experience.
- Massage the kale! Like any kale salad recipe, massaging the kale really helps to break down the fibers, making it soft and easier to enjoy than raw kale.
- Add the avocado only when you're ready to eat or drizzle the avocado with a little lemon juice to slow/avoid browning.
Storage
Refrigerator: Make this salad ahead of time or store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend keeping the salad and the vinaigrette in separate airtight containers. When ready to serve, drizzle with desired amount of dressing and give it a quick toss. Extra dressing will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for 7-10 days.
Freezer: I do not recommend freezing this dish.
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📖 Recipe
Kale White Bean Salad (Erewhon Copycat)
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Chefs Knife
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
Ingredients
Salad:
- 1 bunch kale destemmed and chopped
- 1 15oz can white beans drained and rinsed
- 1 avocado pitted and sliced
- ¼ cup hemp hearts
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
Salad Dressing:
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove minced
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until combined.½ cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1-2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, 2 teaspoons dijon mustard, 1 garlic clove, salt & pepper
- Remove the tough stems from the kale and discard. Tear or chop the kale leaves then add to a large bowl. Drizzle in a little bit of the salad dressing and massage into kale for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until softened.1 bunch kale
- Add all of the remaining ingredients and toss until combined. Drizzle with as much of the remaining dressing as desired and toss once more. Enjoy!1 15oz can white beans, 1 avocado, ¼ cup hemp hearts, ¼ cup sunflower seeds, ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
Alyssa says
Amazingggg! I just made this and it came out better than I expected. It's definitely something quick and easy enough to add into weekly meal prep so this is deff coming to work for lunch! I added grilled chicken for some extra protein too since it's so versatile
Lauren Casolaro says
I'm so glad you loved this recipe Alyssa!!! Thanks for your review <3
Mariann says
Delicious! Added grilled chicken and it was a yummy meal
Lauren Casolaro says
So happy you enjoyed!
Meg says
Such a great salad to meal prep for lunch throughout the week!! I like to add feta and grilled chicken or shrimp sometimes to make it even more filling
Lauren Casolaro says
So glad you love it!