Are you wondering what to do with kale? Do you know how to cook it? Do you serve it to your family? And how on earth do you get your kids to eat it?
Kale isn't a vegetable that my children request and kale salad or crisps haven't gone down well with them. Which isn't a surprise.
I mean if they don't even like strawberries or carrots what's the hope of them ever eating up a leafy green vegetable like this?
I know several adults who claim not to like it either.
Too chewy. Very green. A bit boring.
But it's worth persisting with because kale (sometimes called leaf cabbage) is packed full of nutrients (see more below) especially if you know how to cook or prepare it properly.
What is kale?
Kale is a leafy green vegetable that is a member of the cabbage family.
There are many different varieties including:
- curly, which can have green or purple leaves
- cavolo nero or black cabbage, which is my favourite.
This leafy green veg is widely believed to be extremely good for you. You'll find it on many health food cafe menus in salads and smoothies.
It also makes great pesto.
What to do with kale
1. Preparing the leaves
Kale needs a little bit of care when preparing it because it can be a bit tough. No-one wants to be chewing a single mouthful for minutes at a time.
First cut out the thick stem from the centre of the leaves with a sharp knife. Once you've done this wash and shred the leaves.
With the thick stem cut out it'll look a little bit like this:
2. Soften the leaves
Now you need to make sure the leaves have had a chance to soften.
This could be by:
- boiling them (although you'll lose a lot of its goodness by doing so)
- stir frying
- roasting
- turning them into crisps
- marinating for use in a salad.
Citrus is a good ingredient to use in a marinade as the juices will help the tough fibres in the leaves to break down. Ideally you should massage the citrusy dressing into the leaves with your hands for 2-3 minutes.
3. Other ways to serve
Another option is to blend it. I sometimes chuck a handful in with a curry sauce or pasta sauce and blend it up.
You can also add it to smoothies - although we're a (long) way off of the kids enjoying green smoothies. Or even healthy "nice" cream (made with frozen bananas) according to blogger More Than Just Carrots.
Hands down my favourite way to serve kale to my family though is to make pesto.
I've recently updated my kale pesto recipe to include a vegan alternative.
It's also good in a simple bean soup like this borlotti bean and vegetable soup - just sub the spinach for kale (removing the stem first).
Why kale is good for you
Kale is a good source of many vitamins, including A, C, B6 and E. In fact it has more vitamin C, gram for gram than an orange!
It also has more calcium than milk and is a good sort of folate, manganese, thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, iron, potassium, and phosphorus. (source Wikipedia and Huffington Post)
Fun facts
- There are over 50 varieties.
- Cavolo nero is often called dinosaur kale.
- Farmers have been growing it for over 6000 years! (source National Kale Day)
- In 2011 three senators in the US state of Vermont introduced a bill to make it Vermont's official state vegetable. (source National Geographic)
- This leafy green vegetable is a staple part of the diet in countries as varied as Ireland and Kenya.
Still wondering what to make? Here are some great recipes:
- Kale pesto by Sneaky Veg
- Dehydrated cheese and onion kale chips by Planet Veggie
- Courgette, kale and pea souper by The Intolerant Gourmand
- Beetroot, kale and orange salad by Easy Peasy Foodie
- Massaged kale by Feeding Bytes
- Kale soup by Fab Food 4 All
- Winter kale salad by Hijacked by Twins
- Kale and apple cake by Veggie Desserts
- Leek pancakes with spinach, kale and ricotta by Searching for Spice
- Raw green smoothie by Gluten Free Alchemist
- Asian kale salad with ginger dressing by Rough Measures
- Leek and kale soup by Elsa Eats
- Warm kale, pomegranate and avocado salad by Free From Farmhouse
- Kale and red onion dhal with buckwheat by Easy Peasy Foodie
- Bubble and squeak cakes
- Spicy sautéed kale and mushrooms
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Julie's Family Kitchen
Lots of kale inspiration here, Mandy. Thanks for writing such an informative post. I usually sauté kale with just a little butter and a splash of water, and season well. 🙂 x
Mandy Mazliah
Thanks so much Julie - sometimes simple is the best option isn't it.
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie
Fab post, Mandy - I am such a big fab of kale - I like it best stirred into stews or marinated in a salad. But I'm happy however it comes - it's just so tasty!! Thanks for including my recipe 😀 Eb x
Mandy Mazliah
Thanks Eb! It's funny how kale really divides opinion with some people loving it however it's served and some people really struggling with it x
Corina
I sometimes add kale to a soup but really need to try massaging it in a citrus salad soon. It is one of those vegetables that I feel I don't use as often as I should. It would be great if I could get the kids to eat it too!
Mandy Mazliah
I was surprised how much I enjoyed it in a salad the first time I tried it Corina - but there's no way my kids would eat it like that!
Balvinder
Hi Mandy I love Kale in all forms even in margarita;)
Mandy Mazliah
I'll have to try that!
jenny paulin
very informative post Mandy, thank you for collating so many kale recipes and your guide is spot on. My two won't eat kale as it is, I would need to disguise it in my dishes x
Mandy Mazliah
My kids are a long way from eating undisguised kale but hopefully one day!
Lindsay
I forgot about how good kale is as a pesto base. Yum!
Mandy Mazliah
It's one of my favourite ways to use it Lindsay x
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain
I love kale, though do prefer the cavolo nero variety which we usually steam. I knew it was good for us, but didn't appreciate that it was THAT good! Definitely will be buying it more often now!
Angela x
Mandy Mazliah
I love cavolo nero too - definitely less chewy.
Monika Dabrowski
This is a great post Mandy! I've always felt there must a way of preparing kale that makes it taste nice and it turns out there are several ways of accomplishing it - thank you for making me believe in kale again! #CookBlogShare
Mandy Mazliah
Ah thanks Monika - let me know if you end up trying it out x
Cliona Keane
I love kale but it definitely has to be cooked right so this is so helpful! No soggy kale for this gal's meals!
Mandy Mazliah
Soggy or chewy kale is the worst!
Jo @ Jo's Kitchen Larder
I honestly thought that my kids are the only ones who run when they see strawberries! I feel much better now, thanks. 😉 Brilliant and really informative post Mandy, some great recipes! I usually steam the kale briefly and pan fry it with garlic and some olive oil but am so going to try blending it now and "smuggling" it into sauces etc. for added goodness. Cavolo Nero is my favourite! x
Mandy Mazliah
Ha ha! My eldest used to run out of the room crying at the sight of fruit but he's learnt to ignore it as the years have gone on.
Kate | Veggie Desserts
I'm a HUGE fan of kale. Thanks for the tips to prepare it and for linking to my kale and apple cake!
Mandy Mazliah
Thanks Kate - I can't wait to try your kale cake!
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins
I adore kale and it is so good for you too! This is a great and very informative post. Thank you for featuring my kale salad and thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Mandy Mazliah
You're welcome - glad you enjoyed the post x