How To Prepare Kale To Eat

[Giovanni Sealy]

Thebenefits of kale are numerous. First, this nutrient-dense vegetable is very low in calories. Second, kale is a high fiber food that provides a feeling of fullness and helps with digestion by feeding good bacteria in the gut. Finally, kale is chock full of antioxidants that reduce inflammation and help the body to detox more effectively.

If kale soup is your thing, try my superfood Green Chicken Soup, or toss thinly sliced kale into my Chicken Zoodle Soup. And I also have some fantastic low-carb kale chips recipes for you below that my boys love.

I have a bunch of other fabulous kale salad recipes for you including my Raw Kale Shiitake Salad which features wonderful Asian flavors, shown above. Here are some of my other easy kale salad recipes:

I am new to Keto and using Kale.

I think the secret to keeping kale longer in the fridge, is to keep it dry.

Use paper towels or cloth after chopping, before putting it in a bag in the fridge.

The reason why you want the damp paper towel is to increase the humidity within the container. If the kale is too wet, it will go bad quickly. But if the environment is too dry, the kale will wilt.

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Hi, I'm Elizabeth! Welcome to Bowl of Delicious. I create easy, real food recipes for busy people. I believe traditional home cooking with food your great-grandmother would recognize doesn't have to cost a lot of time or money. Learn more!

Well what if I told you there was a way to make kale more appealing, even to some of the kale-haters out there? The secret is massaging kale! I know it sounds weird, but tenderizing kale with your hands for a few minutes is a game changer.

However, I have personally never found this to be a problem if you are using the kale in a salad with a flavorful dressing. In addition to massaging kale, you can reduce its bitter flavor by pairing it with acidic and sweet ingredients, such as citrus juices or vinegars in a dressing and fruits in a salad.

You can also soften kale with lemon or another acidic ingredient, such as apple cider vinegar. Use about a tablespoon per bunch of kale. Follow the same steps as you would if you were using oil. Some people like to use both oil and an acidic ingredient, since acid can really help break down the kale.

Welcome! I'm Lizzie, a Registered Dietitian and cookbook author who loves vegetables. And I'm here to help you love them too! My easy, veggie-forward recipes will help you get comfortable in the kitchen and celebrate the seasons.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, chopped kale, salt, and pepper, and cook, tossing, until the kale wilts. Remove from the heat, and squeeze a little lemon juice over the kale. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I doubled up on the breadcrumbs here, because who doesn't like a bit of extra crunch? This is reflected in the recipe below. And for those of you without access to pecorino, freshly grated Parmesan is a reasonable substitute.

This kale salad was inspired by the pizza-centric restaurant in my neighborhood that makes amazing salads. We eat there often and I love the salad with farro, avocado, carrots, fennel and a creamy green garlic dressing.

A base of finely shredded Lacinato kale to which and abundance of toasted pecans, pecorino cheese, and shredded Brussels sprouts are added. A strong lemon-tahini dressing is leveraged to brighten things up and take the raw edge off of the kale.

I made this last last along with the tofu salad sandwich and it was delicious. I had the left overs today for lunch and it was just as good. I would never have thought to make a raw kale salad but this will become regular. Thanks Heidi!!

I made this delicious salad for dinner last night to accompany two homemade pizza pies. Despite the fact that my pizza is a household favorite, this little salad outshone the pizza!

I highly recommend the recipe. Who would have thought raw kale could take down pizza?

thanks for another great recipe Heidi. This was so good, made it last night for tea, oh heavens above, that cheese dressing was just sooooo good on it. Irish kale a bit tough at the moment so i steamed it for a wee while and then let cool with the dressing on it. delicious.

this looks great! One small thought though is eating raw crucifers can be hard on thyroid production and digestion. Maybe a quick anching could keep the greens crispy and light while still allowing for ease of digestion? Thanks for the recipe heidi!

I like to hear about all of your travels but, I also, know how great it is to get home again. I hope you will rest up and share everything that you learned with us. The salad looks wonderful. This will be great for my lunch.

WOW! I tried this last night when I made lasagna for my family and it was fantastic. I have never made a salad with kale but now I am going to have plenty of lemons and kale handy to make this. Thanks!!

I know exactly what you mean about craving extra-wholesome foods after a long trip. I love to travel, but the changes in diet, time zone, routine, and especially the loooong days of flying are wearying, and it always seems like lots of fresh vegetables are the cure for me.

I love kale with poached eggs and although I enjoy raw kale salads such as this, I think your version would be wonderful sauted with eggs on top. The red pepper flakes and the grated pecorino cheese are such a nice addition. Thanks for the inspiration.

I know what you mean about long trips or other ordeal with substandard nutritional conditions can make you feel so awful that you NEED something fresh, green, and delicious! This looks absolutely gorgeous and perfect for October: Unprocessed. Thank you!

Fresh kale and Swiss chard are both showing up in our farmers markets right now. I usually saute mine with lots of garlic and olive oil but I really like your method of making the dressing and letting it wilt the salad a bit. The addition of lemon is probably a perfect touch. I am definitely going to give this a try.

We are very glad that you made it home safe. I hate to travel that long but, it is nice to walk back into your own home. The salad looks wonderful and I know that you needed something easy and nutritious. I make this on very hot days and sometimes late at night for a snack. I can not wait until you share the rest of your trip with us but, take a little time to yourself and enjoy your surroundings again.

Please note, the massage prepping is for a salad or lighter dish in order to make the leaves tender. If you are planning on sauteing or steaming the kale you will not need to do this massage step! ?

First of all, I do want to point out contraindications for kale. If you are taking blood thinning medications kale might not be the best idea for you because kale promotes clotting. The greens contain oxalates which in lab tests have been associated with kidney stones and some gallstones so check with your medical doctor before you consume tons of kale.

Also kale contains a compound that can suppress thyroid function in certain people. Some say that cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, collards, brussel sprouts, cabbage, mustard greens, kohlrabi, turnip, and kale, should always be cooked because they can disrupt thyroid hormone production. They do this by blocking thyroid peroxidase and disrupting messages that are sent across membranes of thyroid cells and cooking these vegetables greatly reduces these negative effects. So if you have thyroid issues, then it might be a great idea to look at lightly steaming your leafy greens.

Start by washing your greens and cutting them down slightly. Place them in a large soup pot with a little bit of water covering the bottom. Steam them just enough to break them down. Take the greens along with some of the water which will contain the antioxidants and nutrients that have boiled off the kale and place it in your high speed blender. Pour the blended mixture into ice cube trays. Freeze. Place in freezer bags for future use in smoothies! ?

I am type 2 diabetic and am taking metformin for it. I also take .5 mg of synthroid for a thyroid condition that has been around for years-(not even sure why I take it).

Anyways, is kale in a smoothie an issue for me.

Thank you

chipper1 This sounds like a perfect question for your medical doctor at your next medical appointment, they would know better the your specific thyroid conditions, medications and nutrition condtraindications. Thanks, Melissa

Oxalates: Kale, along with many other leafy greens, contains oxalates, which are naturally occurring compounds that can form crystals and may contribute to the formation of kidney stones in susceptible individuals. While steaming kale can help to reduce the oxalate content compared to raw kale, the liquid from steamed kale may still contain some oxalates. If you have a history of kidney stones or are at risk of developing them, you may want to limit your intake of kale juice or kale broth.

Kale sounds like a boring health food, but if you cook it well it's delicious. It's just that most recipes are too predictable: greens + fat + aromatics + acid. Kale is a lot more versatile than people give it credit for.

Sure, you can plug in different combinations (kale, olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice is pretty common) and a pinch of red chile flakes is also welcome. Sherry vinegar is especially good, too, and the greens can be replaced by chard, mustard greens, beet greens, you name it. Procedure is to wash the kale, leaving plenty of water clinging to the leaves, heat the olive oil and simmer some sliced garlic (and chile flake if using) for a minute, then add the wet greens and cover until they're tender. They steam themselves then get tender. Finish with salt and acid and you've got my winter mainstay.

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