Kale - a Misunderstood Green
Kale gets a bad rap. What if I told you there is a simple trick to create delicious kale recipes to improve the taste and texture? This post and the recipes will guide you to a new appreciation of this hearty green. It’s on the menu of many restaurants for a reason. However, some compare its taste to eating paper, while others have trouble digesting it. Many avoid it because they remember when it was just a garnish on their plate and never meant to be eaten. A past co-worker once worked at a pizza place where they used the same pieces of kale as decoration on the buffet day after day. Last year, bunnies, squirrels, and deer feasted on my vegetable garden. I got very few tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and peppers because my creature neighbors got the bounty before I did. But they did not eat the kale. It’s no wonder that kale has a bad reputation.
The Secret to Delicious Kale Recipes
But let’s not be too quick to judge kale. When served raw, kale is dry and bitter, and the tough fibers can be hard to digest. Sautéing kale in soups, stews, and side dishes helps and lessens the bitter taste, but “cooking” it with lemon juice is the secret. Squeeze fresh lemon juice and sea salt on washed and torn kale and massage it for a minute. The acidity of the lemon breaks down the fibers, making it more tender, and the salt enhances and lessens the bitter taste but still maintains a crunch. Now, you can add it to recipes or a salad. That simple step takes one minute and makes all the difference in serving delicious kale recipes!
How to improve kale's taste and texture
1
Wash and dry leaves and remove thick stems or thinly slice them. Stems are edible and offer crunch.
2
Chop kale leaves and stems (optional) into bite size pieces.
3
Combine kale, lemon juice and sea salt in a bowl. Massage leaves to tenderize.
Nutritional Powerhouse
Kale is not just a leafy green; it’s a nutrient-dense food packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, including vitamins A, C, K, and folic acid. Adding kale to your diet can improve your health.
- Vitamin A – supports your immune system, vision, and skin health. –
- Vitamin C – boosts your body’s defenses against chronic diseases. –
- Vitamin K – plays a vital role in heart and bone health.
- Folic Acid (Vitamin B9) – is essential because your body does not produce folate. Folate repairs DNA, helps cells divide, and red blood cells mature. A folate deficiency can lead to anemia, mental impairment, depression, increased risk of heart disease, and developmental irregularities in infants.
More Reasons to Love Kale
- One cup of raw kale contains 5.72 grams of fiber. This high fiber content provides numerous health benefits, including improved digestive health and lower cholesterol levels, making kale an excellent addition to a healthy diet.
- Another perk of kale is its shelf life. It stays fresher longer than other leafy greens. Bagged and whole kale can last a week or more in the fridge. Kale is a cruciferous vegetable, including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage.
- Kale comes in many varieties, such as bagged kale, which is pre-washed and chopped. Whole-leaf varieties readily available at grocery stores are baby kale, green curly kale, purple curly kale, and Italian kale – Lacinato kale, also called dinosaur kale because the leaf resembles the scales of a prehistoric creature. It’s a good taking point to get kids to try this veggie.
Kale is not just a leafy green for salads; It’s good in smoothies, soups, stews, pasta, and tacos. It’s a fantastic hardy addition to your vegetable garden. The possibilities are endless. Try these delicious kale recipes and leave a comment below.
Get Pre-Planned Meals for a Month!
Try the Weekly Meal Planner Worksheet for FREE. Receive a new menu with recipes for 4 weeks.
Try These Hearty & Delicious Kale Recipes
Easy Instant Pot Black Bean Sweet Potato Tacos
Hearty Black Bean & Plantain Stew: Pepita Pesto
Tuna Kale Pasta: Budget Friendly One-Dish Meal
Tuscan Chicken with White Beans and Kale
Simple Wilted Kale and Fried Apples
Succeed at dinnertime with a meal planning system that works.
Reset your health, boost your budget, and enhance your family connection with three simple worksheets that streamline the process. They’re a great gift idea!
Meal Cheat Sheet
Weekly Meal Planner
Master Grocery List
Free Kitchen Essentials Checklist
Sign up to receive the Complete Kitchen Essential Checklist and discover gift ideas for yourself and your favorite cook. Get the list delivered right to your inbox.
Backyard Vegetable Garden
Do you have a garden vegetable garden? Growing your own vegetables is budget-friendly and rewarding. Consider planting tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers, kale, basil, and other fresh herbs. Eating garden-fresh meals is satisfying and economical. Explore veggie-forward dinners that the whole family will love, perfect for both weeknight meals and special occasions. Make healthy, affordable meal planning easier with Supper Sanity’s dinner ideas.
You may also enjoy these posts featuring recipes that highlight garden vegetables:
