Discover how to cook with kale and explore its numerous health benefits. From easy kale recipes to nutritional tips, learn how this superfood can boost your health and flavor your meals.
Kale is more than just a trendy superfood—it’s a nutrient-packed powerhouse that can easily be incorporated into your everyday meals. Whether you’re adding it to soups, salads, smoothies, or cooking it as a side dish, kale is incredibly versatile and offers an array of nutrition and health benefits. In this guide, I’ll show you how to cook with kale, explore its incredible health benefits, and share some easy, delicious kale recipes to make the most of this leafy green. Get ready to transform your meals and boost your well-being with the power of kale!
It’s hard to believe that kale was once more common as a salad bar garnish than on the menu. No longer content as just a pretty face, kale is now recognized as a nutritional powerhouse! Kale is the epitome of “clean eating” in the form of kale chips and in green smoothies and juices, as well as a standard offering in farmers markets and CSAs, and even fine dining menus. I personally love this rugged vegetable’s flavor, versatility, and nutrition profile, and grow kale in my garden all year long. This green leafy vegetable falls in the cruciferous vegetable category (which includes cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower, to name a few), known for its antioxidant activity.
Types of Kale
While there are many varieties of kale, there are three main types:
- Curly kale has bright green curly leaves and is best known as a garnish.
- Black kale has flat dark blue-green crinkled leaves, and includes Lacinato, Tuscan or dinosaur kale varieties.
- Red kale has frilly leaves with red or purple stems and is often called Red Russian.
Kale Nutrition
Kale is often considered one of the most nutritious vegetables available, and for good reason! One cup packs over 200% DV (Daily Value) of vitamin A, 134 percent DV of vitamin C, and six times the DV of vitamin K. And that’s not all! Here are some of its key nutritional benefits:
1. Rich in Vitamins and Minerals
- Vitamin K: Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K, which is essential for proper blood clotting and bone health.
- Vitamin A: Thanks to its high beta-carotene content, kale is great for eye health, immune function, and skin health.
- Vitamin C: Kale provides a significant amount of Vitamin C, which supports the immune system, helps with collagen production, and acts as an antioxidant.
- Folate (Vitamin B9): Important for DNA synthesis, cell growth, and overall tissue repair.
- Calcium: Kale is a plant-based source of calcium, important for maintaining strong bones and teeth.
2. High in Antioxidants
- Kale contains powerful antioxidants, including flavonoids and carot
enoids, which help fight oxidative stress and protect the body against chronic diseases.
3. Rich in Fiber
- Kale is packed with dietary fiber, which helps support healthy digestion, regulate blood sugar levels, and promote a feeling of fullness.
- It also supports heart health by helping to lower cholesterol levels.
4. Supports Bone Health
- In addition to calcium, kale contains magnesium and vitamin K, both of which are essential for maintaining strong bones. Vitamin K helps with calcium absorption and bone mineralization.
5. Low in Calories
- Its high nutrient density makes it a great option for filling up while keeping calorie intake in check.
6. Promotes Heart Health
- Kale contains potassium, which helps manage blood pressure and supports heart function.
- The fiber and antioxidants in kale also help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases by improving cholesterol levels and reducing inflammation.
7. Good Source of Iron
- Kale is a good plant-based source of iron, which is important for carrying oxygen through the blood and maintaining energy levels.
Cooking with Kale
Kale is so versatile! You can use it raw, blended, sautéed, or simmered in numerous recipes, from tofu scrambles and salads to smoothies and stews. Choose firm, deep green plants with moist, strong stems. The trick to taming raw kale’s bite and texture is to “massage” the leaves with vinaigrette by hand when you’re using it in salads.
Top 5 Ways to Cook with Kale
Try these top 5 tips for cooking with kale to plunge in!
1. Toss Kale in Salads
Kale is a beautiful base for all manner of salads. Its pungent leaves mellow just right when massaged by hand with a vinaigrette made with flavorful olive oil, citrus juice or vinegar, and your favorite herbs and spices. Kale pairs well with numerous flavors, and its deep green color is stunning with so many salad stars, like persimmon, red grapes, pomegranate, or one of my absolute favorites—blood orange. Try my recipe for Blood Orange Hazelnut Kale Salad for a dish that tastes as gorgeous as it looks.
2. Sauté Up Kale
Aren’t the simple recipes so often the best? There truly is nothing as quick to prep and pull together with basic pantry staples as a sauté. Kale is the go-to for this. Chop it up with a fine dice of onion and garlic, toss in any vegetables on hand, herbs, and a dash of spice, sauce it in a skillet, and you’re done! Sautéed kale makes a nice side dish, or mix in cooked rice, farro, or other whole grain or plant protein (such as tofu) for a satisfying main.
3. Make it the Basis for Your Power Bowl
You’ve got a team player with this green. Kale enhances the flavor, texture, and beauty of so many ingredients, so it’s the perfect partner in bowls, which are fun orchestrations of vegetables, proteins, nuts and seeds, fruits—anything goes! I pair kale with some other fun ingredients in my Tofu Kale Power Bowl with Tahini Dressing.
4. Pair Kale with Proteins
Kale’s bite is the ideal foil for plant proteins—it’s simply synchronistic. I love to pair this rugged green with whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds, and soy-based tofu, tempeh, and seitan. Barley is an especially good pairing—I’ve done so in two of my favorite salads—Butternut Squash Kale Barley Salad and this cute on-the-go Mason Jar Salad: Chopped Kale and Barley Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette. Let your imagination go by cooking up the unexpected, like this Quinoa Kale Risotto with Pistachios, where quinoa plays a new role, while kale’s supporting role is equally impressive. And add kale to soups, such as this recipe for Mediterranean Heirloom Bean Soup.
5. Prepare Pesto with Kale
Yes, pesto! Kale rises to this role, as well as any other leafy green, like spinach, cilantro, or carrot tops. Prepare kale pesto just as you would your go-to recipe, but be prepared to taste it along the way so you can adjust for its different flavor profile. Basically, grab your kale (you can still use some fresh basil, too), a couple garlic cloves, lemon juice, nut of choice, salt, pepper and olive oil and let the food processor do its magic. Try it with bruschetta, with pasta, like my Mushroom Bomb Lentil Pasta, and even on pizza.
Top 10 Kale Recipes
Discover even more ways to cook with kale with my top ten kale recipes, from my kitchen to yours.
Check out more of my plant 101 cooking guides, such as the following:
