Kale
Kale is a hardy, cold-tolerant cruciferous green with a sturdy, slightly bitter leaf and a rigid central stem. It holds up to long cooking better than most greens and also works raw, once massaged or thinly sliced.
How to buy
Choose bunches with firm, deeply colored leaves and no yellowing, wilting, or slimy spots. Curly kale has ruffled edges and a hearty bite; lacinato (dinosaur) kale is flatter and slightly more tender; red or purple kale is similar to curly but milder. Smaller, younger leaves are more tender for raw use.
How to store
Refrigerate unwashed in a loosely sealed bag in the crisper, where it keeps about a week; wash just before using to avoid trapping moisture against the leaves. Strip the tough stems before storing long term, or freeze blanched kale for several months.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Earthy and distinctly bitter with a peppery edge when raw, especially along the stem. Cooking mellows the bitterness and brings out a sweeter, more vegetal flavor; massaging raw kale with salt, oil, or acid also softens its sharpness.
- Texture
- Tough and fibrous raw, with a rigid stem that needs removing or separate cooking. Braising or sautéing softens the leaf considerably; baked thin at low heat, it crisps into chips.
- Aroma
- Mild cabbage-like smell raw that grows more sulfurous and pronounced the longer it's cooked.
How to prepare
- Massaged raw — Thinly sliced and worked with oil, salt, or lemon juice to break down fibers for a raw salad.
- Sautéed or braised — Cooked with garlic and a splash of liquid until tender, the most common way to serve it as a side.
- Baked into chips — Tossed with oil and baked at low heat until dry and crisp, a popular snack preparation.
- Chiffonade — Stacked, rolled, and sliced into fine ribbons for soups, salads, or quick sautés.
- Blended — Added raw to smoothies or juices, where the fibrous texture disappears entirely.
Classic dishes
American
- Kale Caesar salad — Thinly sliced kale tossed with a garlicky, anchovy-forward Caesar dressing and parmesan.
- Baked kale chips — Kale leaves tossed in oil and baked until crisp and salty.
- Massaged kale salad with lemon — Raw kale worked with lemon juice and olive oil to soften it before tossing with other salad ingredients.
- Southern braised kale with smoked ham hock — Kale simmered low and slow with smoked pork for a soul food side dish.
- Kale and potato soup — A creamy soup pairing softened kale with tender chunks of potato.
Italian
- Ribollita — A thick Tuscan bread-and-bean soup loaded with kale or cavolo nero and other vegetables.
- Zuppa toscana — A creamy Italian-American soup of kale, potato, and sausage.
- Minestrone with kale — A hearty vegetable and bean soup where kale is simmered in until soft and savory.
- Orecchiette with sausage and kale — Pasta tossed with crumbled sausage and wilted kale in a garlicky olive oil sauce.
- Kale pesto — Blanched or raw kale blended with garlic, oil, nuts, and parmesan in place of basil.
Mediterranean
- Braised kale with garlic and chili flakes — Kale slowly cooked in olive oil with garlic and chili until tender and savory.
- Kale and white bean soup — A simple, rustic soup where kale and white beans simmer together in broth.
German
- Grünkohl mit Pinkel — Braised kale slow-cooked with smoked sausage, a northern German winter classic.
Ethiopian
- Gomen wat — Collard or kale greens stewed with garlic, ginger, and berbere spice.
British & Irish
- Colcannon — Mashed potatoes folded through with softened kale or cabbage and butter.
- Kale brose — A traditional Scottish oat and kale soup, simmered until thick and warming.
Substitutions
- Swiss Chard — Milder and quicker-cooking than kale; use about the same weight, but shorten cooking time since chard breaks down faster.
- Mixed Greens — Much more delicate and better suited to raw salads than long braises; use fresh and add near the end if cooking.