how do you prepare your kale?

smb0701
smb0701 Posts: 234
in Recipes
i just recently feel in love with kale. i tried from someone else, but i don't know how to prepare it myself. just looking for some suggestions.
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Replies

  • walkinthedogs
    walkinthedogs Posts: 238 Member
    I would like to know also. Right now I have been putting some in my mid-morn smoothie. But I would like to know how to cook it or put in recipes where I can actually taste it. I know Olive Garden's Zoupa Touscana has kale and I love the soup!
  • dym123
    dym123 Posts: 1,670 Member
    I've also recently fallen in love with kale. I buy frozen chopped kale, I normally saute it with garlic and red pepper flakes, I add it to whole wheat pasta and white bean soup. I'm also looking for more recipes.
  • lewandt
    lewandt Posts: 566 Member
    I would like to know also. Right now I have been putting some in my mid-morn smoothie. But I would like to know how to cook it or put in recipes where I can actually taste it. I know Olive Garden's Zoupa Touscana has kale and I love the soup!

    I have the Zuppa Toscana soup recipe if anyone would like it. (it's my favorite)
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
    I bake kale chips :) remove the stim and put them on a foiled cookie sheet season whoever you want and spray woth some oil then bake at about 350f until it starts to brown :)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    saute in some olive oil and little garlic. i also put in soups, etc. i'm not a big fan, but my wife likes it...i'd rather have spinach.
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
    saute in some olive oil and little garlic. i also put in soups, etc. i'm not a big fan, but my wife likes it...i'd rather have spinach.


    Yeah... in salads or raw I would as well too bitter
  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,629 Member
    I love it, my hubby hates it .......

    When I make soup I don't add kale under after I take a few portions for him ...... then I add cleaned, chopped kale into the remainder of the soup & continue cooking awhile for me ...... works like a charm & keeps peace in the family :drinker:
  • fsucrack
    fsucrack Posts: 68 Member
    I just boil mine with a little bit of salt for 3-5 minutes.
  • Pelly57
    Pelly57 Posts: 169 Member
    saute in some olive oil and little garlic. i also put in soups, etc.
    Pretty much what I do. Sometimes I cook a couple slices of bacon, remove the bacon, saute the kale in the bacon fat, maybe with some chopped onion and add back in the chopped bacon. I like it in soup because its a pretty sturdy green and holds up better than other greens in a soup.
  • Sharon_73
    Sharon_73 Posts: 189 Member
    I make baked kale chips. Even my teenage sons like them!

    Wash and drp a head of kale. Cup the leaves from the stems and pout on a baking sheet. Drizzle with some olive oil and add a bit of sea salt and black pepper ( you can also use lemon pepper, cayenne etc)

    Bake at 350degrees for about 25 minutes.

    When I am wanting chips, I eat these instead and they satisfy my craving very well!
  • raphillips61
    raphillips61 Posts: 5 Member
    Wow, I just decided last night to try Kale for the first time. This is how I cooked it and it came out delicious. Super easy.

    FYI: Kale is not soft like spinach and not tough like collards. It should have a sort of al dente texture. Enjoy

    1 bunch of Kale, washed and dried, stems removed, coarsly chopped
    1/.2c sliced mushrooms
    4 gloves of garlic, minced or pressed
    1 dried red chili pepper, sliced
    3 T Olive OIl
    1/4 cp chicken or vegatable stock.
    Salt
    Coarse ground black pepper
    Fresh lemon juice

    Heat oil and add garlic and pepper, do not let garlic burn, add mushrooms, sautee until mushrooms are softened, about 3 mins. Add stock and bring to slow boil, then add kale. Toss to mix well. Cover and simmer for about 15 mins, stirrring occasionaly. If needed add more stock, a little at a time. (Do not let greens become bogged down in water). Once most of the liquid has been absorbed, remove lid and turn up the heat to absorb the remaining liquid. Add salt (if needed), coarse ground pepper and squeeze a little lemon juice over mixture. Toss, cook for about 2-3 more minutes and serve.
  • SouthernArt77
    SouthernArt77 Posts: 223 Member
    Wow, I just decided last night to try Kale for the first time. This is how I cooked it and it came out delicious. Super easy.

    FYI: Kale is not soft like spinach and not tough like collards. It should have a sort of al dente texture. Enjoy

    1 bunch of Kale, washed and dried, stems removed, coarsly chopped
    1/.2c sliced mushrooms
    4 gloves of garlic, minced or pressed
    1 dried red chili pepper, sliced
    3 T Olive OIl
    1/4 cp chicken or vegatable stock.
    Salt
    Coarse ground black pepper
    Fresh lemon juice

    Heat oil and add garlic and pepper, do not let garlic burn, add mushrooms, sautee until mushrooms are softened, about 3 mins. Add stock and bring to slow boil, then add kale. Toss to mix well. Cover and simmer for about 15 mins, stirrring occasionaly. If needed add more stock, a little at a time. (Do not let greens become bogged down in water). Once most of the liquid has been absorbed, remove lid and turn up the heat to absorb the remaining liquid. Add salt (if needed), coarse ground pepper and squeeze a little lemon juice over mixture. Toss, cook for about 2-3 more minutes and serve.
    This sounds good! Thanks!
  • ercaface
    ercaface Posts: 45 Member
    I have a couple soups that I make (beef stew and a tortellini soup) that i chop the kale and add it in. Sometimes I saute a slice or two of bacon chopped and render our the fat then lightly saute the kale and a little garlic with it. Kale chips baked in the oven aren't bad either!
  • Pelly57
    Pelly57 Posts: 169 Member
    EDA: duplicate post
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    I have mostly eaten it in soups and stews. But I have this thing about kale in a certain "Simply Nature sesame lo mein" frozen entrée from Aldi. I cook the entrée halfway...rip up some kale (stems removed) and toss it in a bowl, dump the entrée over it and then microwave it the rest of the way. It steams the kale. SO good and it really cuts down on the overly salty/sweet taste of the food making it down right perfect to me.
  • pandorakick
    pandorakick Posts: 901 Member
    I only know it the traditional Dutch way: boiled with potatoes and mashed together with some milk and butter. Then served with smoked sausage and mustard. Yum!
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
    I cook it in a pan with a little olive oil, garlic, chili powder, sea salt and black pepper or use the same spice/oil mix in foil packets and bake in oven for about 15-20 minutes around 400 degrees or grill with same stuff.

    I also throw it in smoothies instead of spinach, as well as grating it up like parsley and putting it in soups and stews (baby kale works best for these).

    I grow kale, too. It's very hard and will get going fairly early in the spring and will take a light frost.
  • mamacoates
    mamacoates Posts: 430 Member
    Thanks for sharing ... saving this to try this weekend!!
  • Brandolin11
    Brandolin11 Posts: 492 Member
    My favorite is a kale salad I made up this past Spring.

    You need:

    Kale - chopped very finely into tiny pieces
    Avocado
    Baby carrots - diced into tiny pieces
    Cucumbers - also diced fine
    Apple (a sweeter variety) - diced fine
    Red onion - diced fine
    Toasted/salted nuts of any variety - chopped fine
    Cilantro - chopped fine

    Dressing:
    Sesame oil
    Rice wine vinegar
    Soy sauce
    Brown mustard
    Lime juice
    Thai Chili-garlic sauce
    Fish sauce (optional)

    Put the kale in a huge bowl.
    Mush the avocado into the kale with your hands - really get the kale coated well.
    Put all the diced ingredients in the bowl.
    Whisk the dressing ingredients together in whatever quantities you like and pour over top.
    Toss everything well.

    It is AMAZING. And really good the next day too because the kale wilts a touch, but it's not gross like regular salad.
  • Debbiedebbiey
    Debbiedebbiey Posts: 824 Member
    Bump !
  • jmcreynolds91
    jmcreynolds91 Posts: 777 Member
    I love it best just sauteed in water with some onions. No oil, nothing. So healthy, low calorie, and delicious. Love me some kale!
  • losttogain
    losttogain Posts: 84 Member
    I recently made kale pesto which is just amazingly delicious. I'll try to put together a recipe for it, but it was more of an experiment at the time.

    I do love kale chips, and I sauteed kale is lovely. I think if you blanch it, like brussel sprouts it removes a bit of the bitterness. I've also made kale like I would collard greens.
  • marketing13
    marketing13 Posts: 8
    That soup is the devil - I crave it. I need a healthier version...
    I would like to know also. Right now I have been putting some in my mid-morn smoothie. But I would like to know how to cook it or put in recipes where I can actually taste it. I know Olive Garden's Zoupa Touscana has kale and I love the soup!
  • trisH_7183
    trisH_7183 Posts: 1,486 Member
    Google CopyCat recipes for Olive Garden's Zappa Toscana soup. I use fat free canned evaporated milk in mine. So yummy!
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
    i just recently feel in love with kale. i tried from someone else, but i don't know how to prepare it myself. just looking for some suggestions.

    i love kale, too. Per the Mayo Clinic and many other sources, kale is very good for your immune system, but it has to be steamed, not boiled (boiling destroys some of the benefits). I just steam it and add sea salt. Simple and delicious.
  • theopenforum
    theopenforum Posts: 280 Member
    I leave it in the refrigerator till it rots then I throw it in the trash^_^

    Nahh but seriously I turn it into a smoothie with a banana to offset the taste and I throw in some organic peanut butter as well with chocolate whey....its drinkable lol
  • octogirlpretty
    octogirlpretty Posts: 45
    I usually cook it in the same way as one would cook collards. But it in a pan, boil it til it's soft, and then serve. You can season it anyway you like (I really like it plain). I'm not sure boiling is the healthiest way, but at the same rate I keep reading these articles about how it's also not beneficial raw. People bake kale too (quite tasty) as chips so you could try that too.

    Edit: Just saw above that someone steams it..that's a good idea! I'm gonna try that :)
  • dedication6
    dedication6 Posts: 184 Member
    Splash of olive oil, jalapeno pepper rings with some juice and water, Sautee/steam them and usually add that to egg white.
  • qtgonewild
    qtgonewild Posts: 1,930 Member
    raw in smoothie. thats all for now.
  • mteague277
    mteague277 Posts: 145 Member
    sauteed with garlic and smoked salt, steamed with tahini sauce, steamed with lemon slice, raw, chips (the secret is low temperature for a long time and little oil), in smoothies, stews.

    My husband and I grow a ton of kale, I'd say I mostly eat it raw or in steamed.

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