This is the most awesome Sauteed Kale Recipe ever and apparently, you agree! It has one of the top recipes on My Nourished Home pretty much forever. It will convert anyone from a kale-hater to a kale-lover, even my teenager… Learn to choose and prepare kale to remove the bite and keep the hearty flavor and all the nutrition!
How to Cook Sauteed Kale
For me, to cook good sauteed kale, you have to do two things. The first is to get rid of the “bite” traditionally associated with kale. I prefer to cook with lacinato kale because it has less of this taste. You can recognize it by the pretty, flat, dark greenish-blue leaves. It is not curly like most kale you see at the grocery store.
The second is to play up the earthy, rich flavor of kale. This recipe does that with the addition of garlic, shallots, rich broth instead of water, and a few red pepper flakes. You can sautee your kale in olive oil or avocado oil, but I think the coconut oil helps mellow out any bitterness in the greens.
A Sauteed Kale Recipe for the Kale curious…
I have an admission. I am a recovering kale hater. I have always known it was good for me but could never get my taste buds and my brain to agree on a plan for incorporating more leafy greens into my diet. Two important things happened that changed that.
The first – I was born hard-headed and I was determined to find a way to like the green leafy things that are so good for me. (Thanks, Mom and Dad.)
The second, I stumbled on Lacinato Kale. I find it to be much less bitter than other varieties. If you decide to look for it at your market, you will also find it called Tuscan or Italian Kale or Dinasour Kale.
Not convinced of the nutritional value of kale? Check out all the details regarding kale nutrition here.
How to Prepare Sauteed Kale
Also, most people just wash their kale well, chop it up and cook with it. I don’t love the stalks – so if you are new kale eater but looking for a way to make it work, be a wimp like me and remove the thickest pieces of the stalk before you chop and saute! Also, shallots make everything better. Seriously. My kitchen is never without shallots.
I always add just a bit of stock (or water if you are in a pinch) and cover the pan to make sure the stems are tender. My kids actually love this kale recipe, but one stem that doesn’t chew like it is supposed to and all bets are off.
One more tip: we actually like to hit the farmers market when kale is in the season. Often there is SO MUCH OF IT that towards the end of the market, sellers will sell it by the box rather than by the bunch. We take it home, wash it and trim it, then blanch it in boiling water, then pile it into freezer bags. A huge box of kale turns into maybe two-gallon bags once it is blanched. Then when I want fresh greens for dinner, we just pull as much as we need out of the bag and it tastes fresh as the day we bought it.
Kale Main Dish Recipes
I have heard over and over again that this recipe changed people’s mind about eating sauteed kale as part of their regular dinner rotation. Once your mind is opened to kale, you will be looking for more main dish recipes!
If you are looking for another recipe that will change your family’s mind about kale, this Creamy Chicken and Kale Gnocchi is the BEST. The little bit of cream in the sauce takes all the bite right out of the kale.
Kale can be substituted for most leafy greens in recipes. But I trade it out with spinach pretty often. If I am going for a heartier, earthier dish, I use kale. If I am thinking light and fresh, I use spinach.
We also love these Chicken and Kale Empanadas! They are awesome to make ahead and freeze, then pop into the oven for a quick dinner or lunch.
Can Sauteed Kale be Frozen
The short answer is YES! Pile it in an airtight bag or container and pop it in the freezer. You’ll just need to thaw it in the refrigerator then reheat it in a saute pan when you are ready to eat it.
The long answer is – I actually prefer to blanch my kale and freeze it without the seasoning or oils that you use to saute. That way, I have the flexibility to use it in a specific recipe once thawed.
I have been known to whack a bunch of frozen kale on the counter and throw the block into the slow cooker to add greens to soups. Kale is very forgiving… thank goodness.
If you come into a mass of kale that you fear will go bad before you can use it, by all means, blanch and freeze it. It is so easy! Rinse your kale so it is clean, and chop into pieces. Bring a big pot to a rolling boil, add the kale and let it boil for 3 minutes (yes, just 3 minutes!). Use a slotted spoon to remove it and transfer it directly to a big bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. From there you can drain it and stick it into bags fit for the freezer.
If you try it, tag me on Instagram at @mynourishedhome and let me know what you think!
The Most Awesome Sauteed Kale
Equipment
- saute pan
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch kale, washed and coarsely chopped Dinosaur kale is my favorite
- 2-3 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes more or less to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-3 shallots, sliced into rings
- 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat coconut oil in a large saute pan. Add shallots and allow them to cook 2-3 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for one minute, stirring often to prevent burning.
- Add kale, broth, and salt and pepper, mix well. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, tossing occasionally. Remove the cover and continue cooking until most of the broth has cooked away. Serve hot and Enjoy!
Nutrition
Delicious!!!!
Wonderful! Thank you!
Yum. So good! Sometimes I toss the Kale with EVOO, a garlic clove and let it sit all day,before sauteeing. I agree, the key is to remove stalks and chop well!
I’ve never ate Kale till now. I can’t tell you how many times in the last two months I’ve made this. I even have three teenage cousins and my two year old daughter that can’t seem to get enough of it. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe
Bethaney! Thank you! We really love it too. My oldest daughter is 17 and will eat it by the plateful too!
I used Vegetable stock because I always like the flavor better than chicken or beef stock. It was really tasty.
I’m so glad you liked it. I use vegetable stock or chicken stock based on what I have in the fridge. Thanks for letting me know! You made my day!
Lots of kale recipes! They all seem great! Thanks for linking up to Merry Monday! Sharing on Yummly & Twitter! Have a great week!
Kim
I LOVE to cook with kale! I’ve mostly baked it in the past, but sautéed sounds amazing. The best part is that you can mix it with other things and make more food. I really like the chicken with gnocchi!
I LOVE Kale – and this recipe sounds delish! Will need to give it a try soon. Thanks for sharing!
I am a recovering kale hater too. This looks like such a great use for it! I just love that deep green color.
Hey Cynthia, this sautéed kale looks amazing, but any way you slice it I love kale! The Creamy Chicken and Kale Gnocchi and Chicken and Kale Empanadas sound pretty delicious as well! I’ll definitely be pinning and adding these great recipes to my menu line-up!
I use kale in smoothies, but this recipe definitely makes me want to try it as a side dish, or in your chicken and kale gnocchi! And ps…..I’m with ya on the whole shallot thing…..they’re the best!
I made this kale this morning and it was delicious and SO easy to make. Thank you!
I am glad you liked it! I tell everyone I used to hate kale. Now it is regularly part of our meals.
I just made this and it’s great. Thank you.
Best kale recipe I’ve tried.
Thank you so much for saying that! You made my day!
I have been looking for a great Kale recipe, looks great and very easy.
Thank you Cynthia! I can’t wait to hear what you think!
Love your garlic sauteed kale recipe. I used to cook kale with tofu or tempeh and was really really good!! Thank you.
I am so glad you liked it! I used to HATE kale. But this recipe changed my mind.
This turned out to be super tasty! I used 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and thought it was plenty. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Sherry. Thank for commenting. I actually updated the recipe based on your feedback. I think the amount of oil really depends on how big your bunch of kale is! I am so glad you liked it. I do too!!
LOVVVEEE LOVEEE LOVEEEE! I could have stood over the stove and ate the whole pan 🙂 I added some mushrooms and onions to mine and it was sooooo good! Thanks for the recipe!
Amira, you made my whole day! Thank you! I love it too. Everyone in my family used to HATE kale and they all eat it now because of this recipe. As a matter of fact, my husband took our 3 kids to the farmers’ market today and they brought home 3 bunches with no convincing from me. So I will be making this recipe again this week too. Maybe this time, I will add mushrooms and onions. (‘Cause they make everything better!) Again, thanks for the great note!
Ahhh…just lovely! I make mine exactly the same, that coconut oil really sets it off. Great photos! 🙂
Thank you Pat. The photography is a journey for me. 🙂 Don’t look too hard at the older recipes. It might scare you off. You are right the coconut oil is really good. But the shallots make it for me!
Loved this kale recipe! It’s now on my go to recipe list! Thanks!
Looks good, just pinned and tweeted it!
Thank you David! I used to HATE kale but this one changed my mind. By the way, I fell much more hip and cool around my foodie friends now that I can talk about my favorite kale recipe. 🙂 Thanks for the comment and for the tweet!
Your kale looks delicious! My kids all love kale so I will have to try this! Spreading some foodie love around for you!
Michelle! Thank you for all the sharing! I love this kale. Let me know what you think!