What do you do with Kale?

I have a bunch of Kale and I need to use it in some manner. Kale is supposed to be very nutrient rich but I'm not familiar with how to use it.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

you can chop it up and use it in soup or steam it for a side veggie.  one of my favourite things is to saute mushrooms and peppers, then toss in the kale with a little water and let them all steam together.

keep in mind, though, kale can get quite tough and bitter.  the last bunch i bought, i ended up throwing out, because it just wasn't nice.  so if it's disappointing this time, don't give up!  kale is great ;)

Pull off any thick stems and veins, the wash well.  Chop and steam like spinach, or make this soup:

Potato Kale Soup, vegetarian version

Saute a chopped onion until golden.  Add a few minced cloves of garlic. add diced carrots and celery.  Add diced, unpeeled red potatoes, a pound of chopped kale, and enough vegetable stock to cover.  Drop in a dry chili pepper and a pinch of dry herbs of your choice.  Simmer until the potatoes are done.  Taste and add salt and pepper.

The original recipe is made with chorizo or similar sausage, so you could use some vegetarian sausages for more flavor if you want. 

Original Post by clairelaine:

Pull off any thick stems and veins, the wash well.  Chop and steam like spinach, or make this soup:

Potato Kale Soup, vegetarian version

Saute a chopped onion until golden.  Add a few minced cloves of garlic. add diced carrots and celery.  Add diced, unpeeled red potatoes, a pound of chopped kale, and enough vegetable stock to cover.  Drop in a dry chili pepper and a pinch of dry herbs of your choice.  Simmer until the potatoes are done.  Taste and add salt and pepper.

The original recipe is made with chorizo or similar sausage, so you could use some vegetarian sausages for more flavor if you want. 

I like to cook it in a pan with Mongolian Fire Oil and eat it along side a lean sirloin...mmm!

I love potato kale soup I add chicken andouille sausage or chicken chorizo for the bite - it's addictive!

I like kale sauteed in a teeny bit of extra virgin olive oil, with minced garlic.

Thanks! These are all great ideas!  I might try the soup for starters and gradually work towards eating my kale straight up.

Cut out the ribs, steam and chop it like spinach and add it to sauteed potatoes and chorizo.

Someone said something a while back about baked kale chips.  You could probably try that.

Original Post by ninav:

Thanks! These are all great ideas!  I might try the soup for starters and gradually work towards eating my kale straight up.

 I've also made the soup with white cannelini beans instead of potatoes.

You can combine steam kale and combine with cooked seaweed to make a salad. Garnish with sesame seeds or soy sauce. It's pretty simple but surprisingly filling and not as bland as it sounds.

Yup, I've done that, spray with a little cooking spray, add salt and bake in a hot oven (around 400)  but watch out they burn fast.  Tastes almost like a potatoe chip!

I'm with situationgirl, olive oil, minced garlic, but I also use grated ginger root!  YUM!!

i use it to bulk up my salad greens.  i use half romaine, half kale. 

Like said before, cut out the stems and chop into big pieces. I like to steam/boil mine in chicken broth - it gives a nice, full flavor to the leaves and makes them soft and tasty. I serve this as a side dish and it usually goes over well.

What I did was saute with a vegetarian boullion cube and then I added some sundried tomato, chopped garlic and pine nuts. Yumm!

I found this on a blog a long time ago and thought of it when I read your post.

"Because it's a bit too fibrous, even when it's young and tender, massaged kale salad makes the kale so tender.

You take some sliced or torn pieces of kale, lightly drizzle them in olive oil then massage the oil by hand into the kale for a few minutes, until the oil is evenly distributed and the kale is a bit more tender and darker green in color. Add a splash or two of balsamic vinegar and some good quality salt or gomasio, maybe some fresh black pepper or nutritional yeast, and voila!"

Tofu and Greens

1 Block tofu (16 oz)

soy sauce

2-4 cloves garlic minced

1 large bunch kale (or collards), washed, drained and chopped or sliced into 2 inch pieces.

Juice of 1 lemon

olive oil or spray

Cut the  tofu into small rectangles, add a splash of soy sauce and brown on all sides in nonstick pan with light coating of oil on medium high heat. This takes some patience but turn each piece in the same direction to make it easier.

Add minced garlic to browned tofu and cook for a minute or two.

Add chopped Kale and lemon juice, mix to combine, cover pan and cook a few minutes until the kale is limp. Uncover and cook until the liquid is mostly gone.

Delicious on its own or over brown or basmati  rice.

Original Post by clairelaine:

Original Post by ninav:

Thanks! These are all great ideas!  I might try the soup for starters and gradually work towards eating my kale straight up.

 I've also made the soup with white cannelini beans instead of potatoes.

 I'm making this soup today - saute 1 cup combined of chopped onions and celery in olive oil until soft, then add a couple of minced cloves of garlic.  Add a few flakes of crushed red pepper, a drained can of cannelini beans and 1 1/2 quarts of vegetable broth.  Bring to a boil and add chopped kale, letting it cook down as you go.  Mine took about 1/2 pound of very fresh kale.  Simmer over very low heat, covered, for 1/2 hour.  Salt to taste.

I'm counting on this to sustain me during what is going to be a stressful day.  A bowl of soup and a toasted piece of home made bread will go a long way in the comfort department with not too many calories.