In this collection of 15 easy kale recipes, we’ve collected our best dishes that showcase kale’s unique flavors.
From vibrant salads to savory soups, this list has something to satisfy every palate and dietary preference.
Get ready to discover the delicious and nutritious world of kale with these diverse and easy recipes.
Kale is a versatileautumn and winter leafy green vegetable with a bitter-sweet flavor andmany health benefits.
Whether you’re looking for a hearty dinner, a nutritious lunch, or a flavorful side dish, kale has got you covered.
Our best kale recipes
1. Sauteed kale
The first recipe on our list is this 10–minute vegetable side dish; sauteed kale is super easy to make at home.
Pair it with olive oil, garlic, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for an aromatic, bright, and healthy side dish.
2. Crispy kale chips
Crispy, healthy, and a green alternative to crisps, these bright green kale chips are lovely as an appetizer, side dish, or snack.
These chips also add flavorful addition to salads; add them as a fun topping to butternut squash salad or avocado salad.
3. Kale salad
It’s a perfectwholesomesidedish, colorfulappetizer, or ahealthy lunchand dinner idea.
It’s even better as amake-ahead mealsince it stores great in the fridge for several days. It is handy for putlocks and as a lunchbox meal as well.
4. Quinoa kale salad
Thiskale and quinoa saladis a tasty, nutritious, and colorful recipe excellent as ahealthy make-aheadlunchor dinner and for meal prepping.
Serve it as a wholesome dinner or vibrant lunch, and confidently store it in the fridge asit keeps wellfor several days.
5. Kale pesto
Easy,tasty,andvibrant, thiskalepestorecipeis ready in5 minutesand made with simple ingredients.
Use it in sandwiches, pasta, and crostini as an appetizer – the serving options are endless.
6. Creamy kale pasta
Aquick and easydinner, ready injust the time to cook the pasta.
It’s super easy to make vegetarian or vegan by subbing your favorite dairy-free cheese alternatives, and it’s a great way to use kale leftovers.
8. Kale soup
Kale is perfect in soups and stews, especially with a rich tomato sauce.
This creamy and comfortingkalesoupis a 30-minute recipe filled to the brim with beans, veggies, and tomato flavor.
7. Easy kale pesto pasta
This 20-minutecreamykalepestopastais a fall andwinterdinnerfavorite.
Make it with our tasty kale pesto for a wholesome and quick meal that kids and adults will love.
9. Tuscan white bean soup
Rich, rustic, and packed with fiber-rich leafy greens.
You can expect awholesomeandcomforting mealto feed your whole family, excellent for cold winter days andperfect to make ahead.
10. Lentil soup
Here’s an Italian–inspired soup with plenty of kale and wholesome greens.
This lentil soup is anexcellent everyday dinnerandmake-ahead meal, as you can store it for up to 5 days in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer.
11. Savory mushroom crepes
Gluten–free and delicious, these savory chickpea crepes are perfect for a special dinner.
They arewholesome,nutritious, stuffed with amushroom and kale filling, and garnished with a quick and tastywhite sauce.
12. Curry lentil soup
lentils and potatoes are a great match with kale as you pair leafy greens and potassium–rich carrots.
This soup is warming, nourishing, and family–friendly, and it is a readerfavorite for pairing kale and legumes in an easy meal.
13. Chickpea soup
This chickpea soup is a warming, wholesome, and colorful stew.
Make it extra nutritious by adding fresh or frozen leafy greens such askale,spinach,baby spinach,chard, andbroccoli rabe.
14. Easy chickpea curry
Creamy, rich, and with a perfect Indian spice mix, this chickpea curry is an excellent weeknight-dinner idea.
Make it green by adding spinach or kale, either fresh or frozen. Add them in 10 minutes before the curry is ready, and enjoy with a serving of white rice.
15. Sweet potato chickpea stew
Make this creamy chickpea stew even morecolorful and nutritiousby addingspinach or kale just 5 minutes before the chickpea stew is ready.
Stir them in,allow them to wilt– it takes about 5 minutes – then serve the curry with your favorite grain or bread for a comforting yet healthy dinner.
How to get the bitterness out of kale
Massaging kale is an efficient step to soften its texture, making it less demanding, more accessible to eat, tastier, and less bitter.
We find that this step is useful and makes the kale more tender when you want to consume raw kale.
- Chop thekale leavesintobite-size piecesand add them to a large bowl.
- Add apinchofsaltand a squeeze oflemon juice(about one tablespoon), then pinch or massage the kale with your fingertips until you can feel it softer (about 30 seconds).
You should feel some of the fiber break off. Don’t over-massage. We don’t want flimsy kale.
The lemon and salt help us break down some more rigid kale fiber.
Dinner ideas that pair well with kale
Try these flavor-packed and veggie–rich dinner ideas; they’re easy to make at home and family-friendly:
- Lentil curry (lentils, coconut milk, diced tomatoes, cumin, turmeric, curry, garam masala).
- Spaghetti aglio e olio (spaghetti, garlic, parsley, red pepper flakes, olive oil).
- Red lentil soup (split red lentils, canned tomatoes, garlic, onion, rosemary).
- Cherry tomato pasta (cherry tomatoes, spaghetti, fresh basil, parmesan, etc.)
- Whole roasted cauliflower (cauliflower, harissa, tahini sauce, chimichurri).
- Stuffed eggplant (eggplant, cherry tomatoes, basil, green pesto).
Soups
Lentil Curry
Salads
Chickpea Salad
Pasta
Cherry Tomato Pasta
Mains
Microwave Sweet Potato
For many more 30-minute meal ideas, check out our 30-minute meal category page.
15 Easy Kale Recipes
By: Nico Pallotta
5 from 2 votes
This 15-minute garlic-flavored sautéed kale is one of the easiest way to cook kale on a stovetop. Serve it as an easy side dish, add it to pasta, or to upgrade your salad with extra greens.
It's a super easy and quick way to add leafy greens to your meals or use those kale leftovers from your fridge.
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 10 minutes mins
Total Time: 15 minutes mins
Servings: 4 – 6 people
Course: Side dish
Cuisine: American
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Ingredients
- 1 pound kale any, we use dinosaur or Tuscan kale
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Optional Garnish
- freshly squeezed lemon juice or shaved parmesan
Instructions
Rinse and shake the water off the kale leaves, then separate the leaves from the woody stems.
To do so, hold the thickest part of the stem with one hand and run the other along the stem to tear the leaf off.
Tip: you can blend the stems into soups if you don't want to discard them.
Put the leaves together then chop them into bite-size pieces.
To a large skillet, add extra virgin olive oil, crushed garlic, and red pepper flakes. Fry on medium heat for 1 minute.
Add kale, season with salt, stir and cook on medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until you reach your desired texture.
Add some water if the pan gets dry.
Transfer sautéed kale onto a serving platter. You can serve as is, or with a squeeze of lemon juice and shaved parmesan on top.
Video
Creamy Kale Pasta in 20 minutes
Notes
Nutritional information is for one serving of sautéed kale out of four servings.
SUBSTITUTIONS
– Kale: you can use any kale including curly kale, red kale, lacinato kale, dinosaur kale, and Tuscan kale.
– Garlic: substitute 1 teaspoon of garlic powder for 2 crushed garlic cloves.
– Red pepper flakes: substitute black pepper.
– Olive oil: you can make sautéed kale with butter or dairy-free butter, but extra virgin olive oil is a lot healthier and tastes delicious so we recommend using that.
MAKE AHEAD & STORAGE
– Make Ahead: sautéed kale is an excellent recipe to make ahead as it keeps well in the fridge or freezer for several days.
– Refrigerator: let the kale cool down at room temperature, then transfer it into an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
– Freezer: let the kale cool down completely, then transfer it into a freezer-friendly bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
– Thaw: defrost frozen sautéed kale in the fridge over several hours or overnight. Alternatively, thaw in the microwave. You can also thaw it directly on a pan, on the stovetop, on medium-low heat, with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, or with a dash of water, stirring it often.
- Reheat: you can reheat the kale in the microwave for 2 minutes or on a pan with oil or water.
Nutrition
Calories: 104kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Potassium: 402mg, Dietary Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 11347IU, Vitamin B6: 0.2mg, Vitamin C: 106mg, Vitamin E: 2mg, Vitamin K: 447µg, Calcium: 291mg, Folate: 70µg, Iron: 2mg, Manganese: 1mg, Magnesium: 38mg, Zinc: 0.5mg
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Collections, Mains, Recipes, Sides
Hi! We are Nico & Louise
Welcome to The Plant-Based School, a food blog with easy, tasty, and wholesome recipes.
Our aim is to help you and your family eat more veggies through delicious recipes with simple ingredients.
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