Get Your Green on With These 20 Tasty Kale Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the most delicious way to eat kale? ›

Top pairings

* Apple-flavoured drinks especially apple juice and cider work well with salads that include kale such as this one. Or try a grüner veltliner. * Fresh-tasting natural reds such as young syrah and mencia from Spain's Bierzo region are good with hearty stews and soups that are based on kale.

You'll need to lightly cook the coarser leaves – try steaming, boiling or sautéing it and serving as a simple side dish, or as part of stir-fries, soups and curries. Kale goes really well with garlic and chilli, and is also delicious in simple pasta dishes with some Parmesan or pecorino grated over the top.

A teaspoon of minced garlic adds just the right amount of flavor. You can keep it simple or add salt, pepper, and/or other seasonings to taste. The kale is cooked in olive oil until bright green and tender.

An overnight olive oil "marinade" is just the trick to improving the taste and texture of your kale.

People who may need to avoid or limit kale intake are those who form oxalate-containing kidney stones or take the blood thinners Coumadin or warfarin. Be sure to check with your health care professional or dietitian if you have questions.

Kale is loaded with soluble fiber that can cause nausea and insoluble fiber that can cause diarrhea. It also belongs to a complex sugar family — called the raffinose family of oligosaccharides (RFOs) — that can cause bloating.

Manganiello says you can eat kale every day, just don't overdo it.

Adding salt and squeezing lemon make a big difference by removing bitterness. Adding some spicy or sweet flavors may help tame the strong flavor of bitter kale.

How long does kale last in the fridge? ›

Typical shelf life: Generally, kale can last in the fridge for about five to seven days. The key is to store it correctly to maintain its crispness and nutrients. Impact of temperature and humidity: Kale prefers a cool and slightly humid environment, so the crisper drawer in your fridge is ideal.

Blanching kale allows it to hold onto its color, as well as many of its nutrients. Kale that has been boiled too long appears wilted and gray. The nutrients leach into the water, which you can use to make a stock.

Instead, after you've washed the leaves, leave them damp. The water that clings to the leaves will create steam when you toss them in the hot skillet. As the kale cooks, you'll cover the skillet for a few minutes; that steam will help wilt and break down the kale perfectly.

By massaging it for as little as 2-3 minutes with a little oil and/or lemon juice, it becomes more tender, making it easier to chew and digest. The other reason is to infuse the kale with more flavor before the dressing is added.

As for the healthiest method for cooking kale, the research is mixed. “Cancer studies seem to show that raw kale is more beneficial than cooked, while cholesterol studies seem to show that steamed kale is more beneficial than raw,” says Harris, who recommends a bit of both in your diet.

Massaging kale for salad makes the vegetable more palatable by releasing its bitter compounds and—as a result—making the kale less bitter. This simple process breaks down the vegetable's fibrous texture, making it more tender, easier to chew, and more digestible.