How to Cook Kale (2 Ways!)

Learn how to cook kale in two different ways by steaming and sauteing. This leafy superfood cooks in under 10 minutes for a quick and healthy side dish. Try out each method to see how it gives a different flavor to the hearty greens.

Kale has been the underdog leafy green. That’s because most of us aren’t quite sure how to tame the natural bitterness and rough texture, until now!

Sincekale has many benefits, this superfood has sneaked its way into mainstream restaurant menus, salads, pasta, and can even transform into crunchy kale chips. I’ll show you ways to reduce some of the harsh flavors and how to cook kale with ease. But first, let’s talk prep and chop.

How to cut kale

In most cases for curly, red and Tuscan (lacinato kale), there is a large fibrous stem that runs down the middle. The ends of the stem are wide and can be tough to eat, but it’s easy to remove. You can cut the stem off in two ways.

The first is to lay the leaf flat on a cutting board, then cut along the sides of the stem to remove the tender leaves. The second way is to fold the leaf in half, then cut away the stem. Now the raw kale can be cut into smaller pieces. For the methods in this recipe, they are all cut into 1-inch sized leaves.

How to cook kale

The stovetop can swiftly make kale using two different cooking methods,steamingandsauteing. Each gives very different taste experiences. If you like a more mild and tender flavor, steam it. If you want crispy edges and browned notes, give the greens a quick saute.

Steamed kale

Steaming creates an extremely hot, moist environment for tenderizing the kale. When you cover and cook the kale for about 3 to 5 minutes, you’ll notice that the superheated steam transforms the dark green into bright green leaves.

The leaves will also wilt down significantly, losing about 40% of its volume. Keep that in mind for how many servings you want to have. For example, 8 cups of chopped kale reduces to about 5 cups.

Steamed kale is a quick side dish lightly salted and topped with freshly cracked black pepper. I often toss them into abreakfast scrambleif there are leftovers from the night before.

Sauteed kale

Kale leaves are very robust, so they do well when tossed in hot oil in a large saute pan orwok. I love kale prepared this way because the dry-heat cooking method creates toasted flavors that you won’t achieve in steaming.

Make sure to add the kale to a pan heated over medium heat with some oil, then stir occasionally for a few minutes to start the lightbrowningof the leaves. It’s important to season with salt and pepper after it begins to wilt, otherwise, it will dry out the moisture from the cut leaves and steam the kale instead of sauteing it.

Adding in someminced garlicat the end of cooking, or garnishing with some freshly shredded aged cheese makes for a delicious side.

Selecting and storing

When selecting kale, make sure to look for leaves that are vibrant in color, not wilted or starting to turn yellow. The stems should be crisp and intact. Wait to clean them until ready to use. They store well in the refrigerator in a loose plastic bag for about one week.

Why it’s a good idea to massage the kale

Raw kale left alone doesn’t have much taste, but once you start chewing, chopping or massaging the cruciferous vegetable, a chemical reaction starts to happen. When the cell membranes of the leaves are physically ruptured, it causes pungent and bitter notes to rise from sulfur-containing compounds calledisothiocyanates.

According toCooks Illustrated, these compounds form when the enzymemyrosinaseand sulfurous compounds calledglucosinolates交互。好消息kale salad fans, simply rinsing the chopped leaves after massaging helps to wash away some of the bitterness before you take a bite.

Recipes with kale

• Sauteed kalewith peppers and shallots
• Braised kale
• Kale chips

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