Learn to Love Kale in One Minute
If you are not a fan of kale, give this easy Wilted Kale and Fried Apples recipe a try. A one-minute step improves the texture and taste, but it’s still ready in 20 minutes. Let’s face it – raw kale can have the consistency of construction paper. Kale can also be hard on some people’s digestive tract. But kale takes on a new personality by “cooking” it in lemon juice to improve the texture, taste, and digestibility. Not only is this recipe tasty, but it contains numerous nutrients: vitamins A, C, K, folic acid, and fiber.
I always serve this with Grilled Maple Pork Chops and pour the Hot & Tangy Sauce over the chops and kale. If you are making this with another recipe, sweeten it with a bit of honey or maple syrup to taste.
Serve With
Wilted Kale and Fried Apples
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Saute kale and apples in butter and tossed with a delicious balsamic mustard sauce for a rich and tangy side dish. You’ll be surprised how often you will want to make this recipe because leftovers are rare. This recipe is adapted from Emeals, a subscription meal plan service offering weekly dinner ideas.
Ingredients
- 2 bunches of kale, trimmed and chopped, or one 16-oz bag
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 Tablespoon butter or ghee
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 green apples (Granny Smith), cored and sliced
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup or honey, optional* see note
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients – Zest lemon and set zest aside. Juice the lemon into a large mixing bowl. Place the kale into the bowl with lemon juice and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Knead leaves for 1 minute to soften and then let sit and wilt.**
- Sauté – Meanwhile, melt butter with oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add apples & onions. Sauté 5 minutes. Stir wilted kale with the lemon juice into the skillet, cover, reduce heat, and cook for 8 minutes.
- Whisk together vinegar and mustard
- Serve – Place kale in a serving bowl and toss with mustard dressing and garnish with lemon zest.
Notes
* I always serve this with Grilled Maple Pork Chops and pour the Hot & Tangy Sauce over the chops and kale. If you are making this with another recipe, I recommend sweetening the kale with a bit of honey or maple syrup to taste.
**Kneading and letting the kale sit (cook) in the lemon juice improves the texture and digestibility.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: Vegatable
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Kale, apples
4 responses to “Wilted Kale and Fried Apples”
Delicious! This dish complements Karen’s grilled maple pork chops nicely! Even with green cabbage instead of kale and red apple instead of Granny Smith.
★★★★★
Beth, thank you for reviewing this recipe. I love the way you created your own twist with items on hand! That is a sign of a creative home chef.
I made this tonight for dinner because I had kale left over from soup I made yesterday. This was delicious! I like the mixture of flavors. I added some honey to the dressing because I served it with leftover meatloaf and some sauted Brussels sprouts. The lemon juice soak does wonderful things for kale! I highly recommend this side dish!
Sharon, thank you for trying and reviewing this side dish recipe. The lemon is an excellent complement to kale.