Steamed Kale
on Aug 20, 2019, Updated Aug 05, 2020
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Steamed kale is an easy and flavorful side dish that’s great for any healthy meal plan. It is one of our favorite vegetarian recipes.
Even better, this healthy kale recipe is ready in under half an hour and takes just a few inexpensive ingredients.
Table of Contents
What Does Kale Taste Like?
If you’ve ever asked what steamed kale tastes like, let’s start with the family from which it comes.
A cruciferous vegetable, it is a member of the Brassica family. Other familiar healthy foods in this family include:
- Broccoli
- Kohlrabi
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Brussels sprouts
- Collard greens
Like our caramelized rainbow carrots recipe, I love to serve this as a side for almost any protein dish. Some of my favorite things to make with this include our air fryer BBQ chicken, our herb-roasted turkey tenderloin, and this healthy haddock recipe.
Nutrient-dense and packed with nutrients, kale has a bit of an earthy taste and is slightly bitter, and it can range from a meaty taste to one rich in flavor and texture.
Naturally, your method of cooking will influence its taste.
How to Cook Kale
If you have ever wondered how to cook kale, there are many ways. These include sautéeing, baking, broiling, and of course, steaming it.
Steamed kale effectively lowers cholesterol and is nearly half as potent as certain cholesterol-lowering medications.
Here is a useful link to the many health benefits of kale.
Ingredients
- Kale
- Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Lemon
- Crushed red pepper
- Water
How to make steamed kale
Remove the thick stems. Then chop the leaves. Start by washing it and then remove the thick, bitter stems. Then, chop the leaves.
Next, you will heat some olive oil in a dutch oven and wilt the kale over medium-high heat; this takes a couple of minutes.
After it is wilted, add the chopped garlic and sautée and stir for another minute. Then, add the lemon juice and water and bring them to a boil.
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Next, reduce heat, cover the Dutch oven, and cook for 15-20 minutes.
If you know me personally, you probably are aware that in the five-plus years since we started Platter Talk, my waistline has proportionally increased with our followers.
Not a good thing.
We love our readers, and we enjoy creating new recipes, but something has to give, and to that end, I’ve decided to be more health-conscious in the kitchen.
Not to worry, you will still get your fill of cakes from scratch, homemade pies, and all the cookies you can dunk.
With this in mind, we hope to focus a bit more on healthy eating, and that’s where this easy and flavorful recipe comes into play.
This steamed kale recipe is simple and healthy. The lemon juice and zest play off the crushed red peppers and leave your palate wondering what will come with the next crunchy bite.
I’m hoping for better health and one more tasty recipe from Platter Talk that our readers will love.
FAQ about Kale
Yes, you can freeze this. Frozen kale can be stored in the freezer for up to 12 months if you blanche it before freezing.
Here’s how to freeze Kale:
-Blanche the stems for 3 minutes.
-Blanche the leaves for 2.5 minutes.
You don’t have to blanche the kale if you plan on using it within four weeks.
This might make you gassy because of its high fiber content. Kale is an excellent source of fiber.
One cup of raw kale has almost 15% of the recommended daily fiber for an adult!
Wrap it in a paper towel and store it in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.
Favorite kale recipes
If you are wondering what to do with kale, we have a few more kale recipes for you to try. If you have never cooked with this, then jump in, everyone has to start someplace.
- Roasted Kale
- Caramelized Fennel, Onion & Kale Toasted Cheese Sandwich Recipe
- Quinoa and Kale Stuffed Starburst Squash
- Crispy Kale Chips Air Fryer Recipe
Helpful links for this steamed kale recipe
See
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See our full collection of side dish recipes!
Steamed Kale
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Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale, washed, stemmed and chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, rough chop
- 1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
- 1 tbsp crushed red pepper
- 2/3 cup water
Instructions
- Using a Dutch oven, heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Stir in kale and stir with wooden spoon until wilted, 2-3 minutes. Add chopped garlic and stir for another minute.
- Add lemon juice, crushed red pepper and, water. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low simmer, cover Dutch oven and cook for 15 minutes or to desired texture.
- Serve immediately and garnish with lemon zest.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Broccoli is one of my favorite veggies, which explains why I like kale so much too! Love the peppers in this nutritious recipe.
I love kale but sometimes it gets so tough! I love the idea of steaming it to reduce the oil content too!
Super!! supper food indeed! yum!!
I’ve never tried steaming kale but now I need to! I can’t wait to give it a go!
One can never have too many healthy veggies to add to the dinnertime rotation! Cant wait to try this way to cook kale…. !
Thanks for the feedback, Michele. I really enjoyed this healthy kale recipe.