Wondering what's the best way to use kale? Discover these easy and tasty vegan kale recipes. From main dishes, salads, sides and smoothies there are lots of delicious ways to use this healthy leafy green.
I thought I would never like kale - overcooked, soggy kale and slightly bitter, chewy kale leaves in salads put me off.
But then I discovered the magic of how to use kale to make it delicious!
The secret in salads is to gently massage the kale to make it tender and use salt or olive oil to help draw out the bitterness. I know massaging kale sounds odd, but trust me - it works wonders!
And when cooking with kale, I prefer to keep it on the more al dente side of done, so that it still has a little bit of texture and freshness to it.
Combining kale with garlic and lemon is the best way to flavour it - and many of these vegan kale recipes feature this delicious trio of ingredients!
- For more super yummy kale flavour pairings be sure to read our guide on What Goes Well With Kale.
Kale main dishes
Kale & Mushroom Pasta
Lentil Kale Soup
Vegan Kale & White Bean Soup
Easy Kale Curry with Potatoes
Roasted Stuffed Acorn Squash with Quinoa and Kale
Butternut Squash Curry with Kale
Avocado Kale Florentine with Smoked Paprika Hollandaise
Kale + Black Bean Burrito Bowl
Kale salads
Kale Apple Salad
Easy Kale and Quinoa Salad
Vegan Winter Kale Salad
Vegan Kale Caesar Salad
Healthy Kale and Beet Salad Recipe
Kale sides
Kale Chip Nachos
Kale Chips
Vegan Kale Pesto Sauce
Sauteed Kale with Cider Vinegar
Colcannon Recipe
Kale smoothies
Vegan Kale Smoothie
Nutritious Green Smoothie
Kale Spinach Smoothie
More ideas for kale
Still looking for more vegan kale recipes or ideas? These are two of our favourite ways to use kale in our kitchen:
- Use chopped kale as a substitute for spinach in our Lentil Potato Dahl. Kale is an ideal alternative to spinach in many recipes - it takes slightly longer to soften and wilt down, but is just as good.
- Saute kale in olive oil in a large frying pan. Keep stirring for 1-2 minutes. When it is soft but still a fresh green colour, add a splash of soy sauce and squeeze of lemon juice. This is one of our favourite kale side dishes.
Kale FAQs
Kale can be bought all year round. It is a cold hardy vegetable, so it's commonly enjoyed in the winter months. In the UK, kale harvest starts in September and carries on into early spring.
There are four main varieties of kale. The most common is curly kale. Then you have the darker, more elongated, lacinato or Tuscan Kale which has thinner stems and a silky texture. Red Russian kale has more flat leaves, with a reddish stem. And baby kale is the smallest and most tender.
Store kale in the fridge, preferably in the crisper or vegetable drawer. Keeping it with a paper towel inside a sealed plastic bag can help it to stay fresher for longer. Don't wash kale before storing, as this can cause it to spoil more easily.
In some varieties of kale, particularly mature curly kale, it is preferable to remove the tough, stringy stems. You can do this by holding the end of the stem with one hand and running your other hand down the stem to strip off the leafy part. You can also cut out the stem with a sharp knife.
Yes, you can freeze kale to store it year round. First, wash it well, and then dry very thoroughly using a salad spinner or towel. Remove the stems and then spread the remaining leaves out on a large baking sheet. Flash freeze for 2-3 hours until solid and then transfer your frozen leaves to a freezer container.
We hope you enjoyed this collection of kale recipes! Be sure to check out our other recipe collections for more inspiration.
Tell us your favourite vegan kale recipes and share your ideas in the comments below.
Leave a Comment & Rating