Red, Green, or Curly?

Whether you eat the red, green, or curly kind, kale is packed with vitamins and minerals and can be substituted for any greens in your favorite recipe - or try these out!

Favorite Kale Recipes 

Turkey Garbanzo Bean and Kale Soup with Pasta

16 ounces whole-wheat pasta shells

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound ground turkey

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

3 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth

3/4 cup water

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup tomato paste

2 cups roughly chopped kale

salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in the pasta, and return to a boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but still firm to the bite, about 12-15 minutes. Drain well.

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot; add turkey, onion, and garlic. Cook over medium heat until meat browns and onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in sage and rosemary and cook for about 1 minute, do not allow herbs to brown. Pour the broth and water into the pot along with the garbanzo beans and tomato paste. Bring to a boil and add kale. Simmer until kale softens, about 5 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper.

Winter Vegetable Saute

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, diced

1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 shallot, finely chopped

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 pinch salt

1 pinch ground black pepper

1 cup chopped kale

Place oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Melt butter and mix in potatoes, mushrooms, pepper, squash, and shallot. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender.

Add kale on to skillet. Continue cooking 5 minutes, until kale is wilted. 

Kid-Friendly Recipes

Crispy Kale

6-8 cups chopped fresh kale, hard stems removed

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

Place a rack on the lowest shelf of your oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread kale out on a sturdy baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Toss to coat completely.  Place on the lowest rack of the oven and bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and stir so that kale can get crispy all over.  Bake another 8 to 12 minutes or until kale is crispy.  It should be just lightly browned and crispy to the touch.  If kale still bends, rather than crackles, when you touch it, it isn't done yet.  Return it to the oven.  Turn down the heat if it is getting too brown.  Continue cooking until crispy.  Remove from oven, and sprinkle with sea salt and serve immediately.

Cream of Kale Soup

1 cup chopped onion

3 cups sliced potatoes

8 cups chicken or vegetable stock

8 cups chopped kale or other bunched green

1/2 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper

Sauté the onion in olive oil or butter, add potatoes and stock, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.  Add the kale to the broth.  Cook for 10-15 min, or until the greens are tender.  Cool slightly, then purée in a blender or food processor.  Add the cream, reheat and season to taste.

Kale Frittata

1 bunch kale, chopped coarsely

1 clove of garlic, chopped finely

4 tablespoons olive oil

6 eggs

Boil kale for 4 minutes.  Drain.  Rinse with cold water and squeeze out as much water as you can.  Fry garlic in 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Add the chard and fry for 1 minute.  Season to taste with salt. Turn off heat.  Beat eggs.  Add kale to eggs and mix to separate the kale.  Over medium-low heat, cook 2 tablespoons of olive oil in an omelet style pan.  Stir the egg/kale mixture and pour into the pan.  Cover and cook 5 minutes.

Preheat broiler. Turn heat on eggs/kale down to low and cook another 5 minutes.  Uncover the frying pan and put under the broiler for 2 minutes or until top is set. 

Other Ways to Serve Kale:

**Cut the leaves off of the stems, & cook the stems for a few minutes longer in any recipe**

• Stir Fry with olive oil, garlic, ginger, lemon, red pepper and soy sauce, stirring often for 4-5 min. in a large skillet over med. high heat. Serve with brown rice.
• Sauté in olive oil or butter with onions and garlic until wilted, add salt & pepper.
• Add to your favorite vegetable soups.
• Add raw kale to frittata.

** Kale is a great source of Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Beta Carotene, Vitamin C, Calcium, Folacin, Manganese, and Potassium.  So enjoy it - red, green, or curly!