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Crunchy and tasty kale crisps with lemon and cumin.
Crunchy and tasty kale crisps with lemon and cumin. Photograph: Helen Cathcart/Guardian
Crunchy and tasty kale crisps with lemon and cumin. Photograph: Helen Cathcart/Guardian

Our 10 best kale recipes

Kale, the unwitting star of the healthy eating movement, deserves its moment in the limelight – it’s shown at its best in these savoury crisps, a refreshing stew and an invigorating salad

Kale crisps with lemon and cumin

Crisps have rarely been this good. These are great as a snack on their own, but also as a textural garnish for broths or baked eggs. Kale crisps also work well as a vehicle for canapé toppings – think smoked cod’s roe, whipped goat’s cheese or butter‑bean puree.

Makes 400g (enough for 6-8)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp sea salt flakes
A bunch of kale (roughly 1kg), washed and dried thoroughly
Rapeseed oil, for drizzling
Zest of 1 lemon

1 Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3, then make the cumin salt. Toast the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan, giving the pan a shake as you go, until the seeds start to turn darker, and the aroma deepens and gets nuttier. Remove from the pan and blend with the sea salt, either in a spice grinder or a pestle and mortar.

2 Now the kale. Strip the kale leaves from the stalks, taking care to keep them in large pieces, ideally a few centimetres wide. Toss gently, but thoroughly, in a large bowl with a good drizzle of rapeseed oil, making sure every leaf is just coated with the slightest sheen of oil. Place in a single layer on a flat baking tray and cook for 6 minutes (do this in batches if you need to). You will find that they crisp up as they cool, so don’t be alarmed if they still seem a little soft when they’re first removed from the oven.

3 Season with the cumin salt and a grating of fresh lemon zest, and serve.
Nicholas Balfe, Salon, salonbrixton.co.uk

Kale braised in coconut milk

The slight bitterness of the kale is a nice counterpoint to the rich, round, fattiness of the coconut milk. As it cooks, the leaves become tender; almost sweet. Serve with brown jasmine rice and chickpeas for a satisfying, complete meal. You can buy sambal oelek at souschef.co.uk and other outlets.

Serves 2
1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tbsp minced lemongrass, tough outer stalks and base removed first
1 tbsp sambal oelek
340g kale, centre stems removed and chopped into ribbons
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
235ml coconut milk
1 tsp sugar

1 Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium-low heat. Saute the shallot for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, lemongrass and sambal oelek, then cook until fragrant – about a minute more.

2 Add the remaining ingredients, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover. Simmer for 10-15 minutes more, or until the kale is tender.
Lucy Madison and Tram Nguyen, penandpalate.net

Polentina alla toscana

A slow-cooked bowl of fragrant chicken soup topped with a green scattering of gently wilted kale – wholesome and comforting.

Serves 4-6
60ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling (optional)
225g carrots, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and diced
Salt and black pepper
1 medium leek, trimmed and cut into 2cm cylinders
1 bay leaf
35g polenta
1.5 litres chicken broth
225g kale, preferably Tuscan
½ tsp grated or finely chopped garlic
A pinch of red pepper flakes
Leaves from 1 rosemary sprig

1 In a heavy pot, heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, celery and fennel, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, for around 5 minutes or so, until barely softened. Add the leek and bay leaf and cook for another 2 minutes.

2 Add the polenta, stirring to distribute it, and raise the heat to high. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and allow the soup to gently simmer for around an hour; the broth should be just slightly thickened. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.

3 Meanwhile, wash and roughly chop the kale. Drain in a colander, but do not dry. Warm the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil in a wide frying pan over a high heat. When it’s hot, add the kale, stirring as it begins to wilt. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, then season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat to medium, cover and cook until the greens are tender; about 5 minutes more. Set aside.

4 To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top with the kale. Sprinkle with the chopped rosemary (finely chop it at the last minute) and drizzle with more olive oil, if desired.
David Tanis, One Good Dish (Artisan)

Sausage, kale and barley stew

As with most brassicas, kale is an excellent companion to any rich, salty meat – particularly pork – and this sausage stew is a prime example. The pearl barley gives it bite and the rosemary lends fragrance.

Comforting sausage kale and barley stew. Photograph: Helen Cathcart/Guardian

Serves 4
3 tbsp oil, for frying
8 sausages
2 red or white onions, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
240g pearl barley, rinsed with cold water
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves finely chopped
1 litre chicken or veg stock
Salt and black pepper
300g cavolo nero or other kale, leaves stripped from the stalks and roughly chopped

1 Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large pan. Add the sausages and fry for 10-12 minutes, turning now and then, until nicely browned all over. Transfer the sausages to a plate and set aside.

2 Add another 1 tbsp of oil to the pan. Gently fry the onion and carrot for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.

3 Add the barley, stir for a minute, then add the rosemary and stock. Season well with salt and black pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes, then return the sausages to the pan. Simmer for another 20 minutes.

5 Add the chopped kale and simmer for another 5-10 minutes, until wilted. Check the seasoning before serving.
Kirsty Hale, Riverford Organic Farms

Kale, feta and dill paté

Green curls of steamed leaves paired with salty cheese and dotted with aromatic wisps of dill – this is an all-round pleaser. Great on an oatcake, with veggie sticks or some multigrain toast.

Serves 1–2
2 handfuls curly kale
100g low-fat soft cheese
100g feta
½ tsp capers
5g fresh dill, roughly chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
Oatcakes or fresh vegetable sticks, to serve (optional)
Salt and black pepper

1 Tear the kale leaves off their stalks. Put the kale in a steamer for 5–8 minutes, until they have become wilted and soft. Remove and rinse under cold running water, then drain and allow to cool.

2 Place the cooked kale and all the remaining ingredients in a food processor and blitz to make a smooth paté. Season with salt and pepper and store in a sealed container in the fridge.
Dale Pinnock, The Medicinal Chef (Quadrille)

Kale and kohlrabi kimchi

Kale takes the place of the more commonly used cabbage in this dish and makes for a wonderfully crunchy, flavourful kimchi. Eat with steamed white rice, grilled meats, baked fish or poached eggs. It might be powerful, but this remains a truly versatile condiment. As it requires fermenting, it takes a few days to be ready to serve, but stored in the fridge, it will keep for at least a month.

Fills a 1-litre tub
400g kale
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp raw honey
2–3cm piece of root ginger
2 tbsp sesame seeds
4 tbsp rice flour, or spelt or plain flour
8 garlic cloves
1 onion, roughly chopped
50ml fish sauce
4 tbsp Korean chilli powder, or 2 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 small kohlrabi (about 250g), peeled and cut into 5mm matchsticks
1 carrot, cut into 5mm matchsticks
1 leek, thinly sliced

1 Pull the kale leaves off their thick stalks. Finely chop the stalks and roughly chop the leaves, then wash both. Drain well, then place in a bowl with 1 tsp salt, the lemon juice and honey. Massage the dressing into the leaves for 2–3 minutes, bruising them so they soak up the juices. Leave for 30 minutes, then pour off the excess liquid. Finely chop the ginger and add it to the kale along with the sesame seeds.

2 Bring 400ml water to a gentle simmer with the rice flour. Keep stirring for a few minutes until it thickens and starts to bubble. Simmer for another 1–2 minutes until it becomes an opaque porridge.

3 Blend the garlic, onion and fish sauce to a puree. Transfer to a bowl, add the flour-water mixture and chilli powder, then mix. Add the kohlrabi, carrot and leek and finally the raw kale mixture with sesame seeds and honey. Stir it all together well.

4 Put into a sterilised non-metallic tub, such as a Tupperware box, and press down to pack it in. Put the lid on. Eat it fresh with sesame seeds sprinkled on top, or leave it in a cool room for 2–3 days. After two days, check if you can see any tiny bubbles; they will prove it is fermenting. If not, leave it out of the fridge a little longer, until the fermentation process starts in earnest.
Tom Hunt, The Natural Cook (Quadrille)

Kale and other greens sauteed in ginger and garlic

Quick, healthy bowlfuls don’t come much better than this speedily stir-fried kale sits beautifully atop a bed of brown rice – any other green veg would be a welcome addition.

Serves 4
190g brown rice
470ml water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 x 2cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely sliced
1 large bunch kale, ends trimmed, coarsely chopped
½ bunch spring onions, ends trimmed, finely sliced on the diagonal
1 carrot, peeled and chopped into matchsticks
A handful mangetout, coarsely sliced diagonally
A splash of soy sauce
1 tsp honey
Toasted black and white sesame seeds, to garnish

1 Place the rice and water in a small pan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender – this should take about 40 minutes. Do not uncover; the rice must cook in the steam, so don’t let it escape. Take the pan off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes while you cook the vegetables.

2 Heat the oils in a large pan and fry the garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add the veg and toss well. When it is starting to cook, but still crisp, add the soy sauce and honey, toss everything about and remove from the heat.

3 To serve, dish the rice up in bowls, then pile the veg on top. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and enjoy.
Rose Carrarini, Rose Bakery: Breakfast, Lunch, Tea, (Phaidon)

Kale, sweet potato and hazelnut salad

Kale has for quite some time now been the unwitting – and often ridiculed – poster-vegetable for healthy eating. But there’s a good reason it’s so ubiquitous: it’s wonderfully nutritious, and also, handily, delicious – especially raw. This salad is a case in point. Enjoy it with a fillet of salmon cooked en papillote, and we promise you’ll never look back.

Colourful kale, sweet potato and hazelnut salad. Photograph: Helen Cathcart/Guardian

Serves 1
For the salad
10g coconut
15g hazelnuts, roasted, bashed into small bits
100g sweet potato
40g coconut oil
Salt and black pepper
40g red quinoa
40g black quinoa
80g kale, stalks removed
½ ripe avocado

15g goji berries

For the dressing
40g hazelnuts, roasted
1 tsp maple syrup
25ml red wine vinegar
75ml olive oil
2 tbsp hazelnut oil
Salt and black pepper

1 Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Put the coconut into the oven for 3-4 minutes until lightly toasted, then combine with 15g of the crushed roasted hazelnuts. Set aside. Peel the sweet potato and cut into 2cm-3cm cubes. Toss the sweet potato in a bowl with 20g coconut oil, season with salt and pepper to evenly coat and put into the oven to roast for 15 minutes or until nicely brown.

2 Combine the red and black quinoa in a pot with water and 1 tsp salt. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cook for 12-15 minutes. While the quinoa and sweet potato are cooking, remove the stalks from the kale and cut into 2cm chiffonade. Remove the avocado flesh and cut into cubes.

3 Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a blender or jar and whizz or shake until they are well mixed.

4 Massage the kale with the remaining coconut oil until the leaves have softened. Combine the kale with the sweet potato, quinoa, avocado and the hazelnut dressing. Toss it all together and sprinkle with roasted hazelnuts, toasted coconut flakes and goji berries.
Shirin Kouros and Yasmine Larizadeh, The Good Life Eatery

Kale and lemon pepper sabzi

This Indian-spiced vegetable dish marries kale with fiery chillies, onion and ginger, and the comforting earthy tones of mustard and poppy seeds.

Serves 2-4
75ml rapeseed/sunflower oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp poppy seeds
1 onion, chopped chunkily
2 finger green chillies, sliced
2cm fresh ginger, chopped
½ red pepper, roughly sliced
½ tsp dried mango powder (amchoor)
200g kale leaves, roughly chopped
½ lemon
Salt

1 Warm the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat, then add the mustard and poppy seeds. As soon as they start crackling, add the onion, chillies and ginger, and cook for around 2 minutes.

2 Turn the heat down to medium, add the pepper, cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the pepper has softened.

3 Sprinkle the dried mango powder in with a dash of salt, then stir everything thoroughly before adding the kale leaves. Cook for another 5 minutes, until the kale has become soft. Squeeze the lemon juice all over and tuck in with hot flatbreads.
Ivor Peters, Urban Rajah, urbanrajah.com

Chopped kale with lemon-baked ricotta

Creamy, citrussy and nutty notes offset raw or very lightly blanched kale leaves to wonderful effect. Fennel adds extra crunch and freshness.

Serves 4
200g young, tender leaves of Tuscan kale, roughly chopped (if the leaves are larger and tough, lightly blanch in boiling, salted water before drying and chopping)
120g shaved fennel
8 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
80g pecorino

For the ricotta
200g ricotta, sliced into 1cm-thick slices
½ tbsp olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of ½-1 lemon, to taste
Salt and black pepper

For the dressing
100ml lemon juice
200ml extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper

1 To make the dressing, mix the lemon juice in a bowl with the extra virgin olive oil and seasoning. Whisk lightly and season until it tastes how you like it. Set aside.

2 For the ricotta, lay the slices flat on a baking parchment-lined baking tray. Dress with the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 180C/350F/gas mark 4, for 15 minutes or until firm, crumbly and golden brown. Set aside to cool.

3 In a salad bowl, mix the kale and shaved fennel with as much of the lemon dressing as you like. Massage the dressing into the leaves and leave it to sit for 10 minutes.

4 When ready to serve, crumble the baked ricotta over the top, then sprinkle with a handful of freshly grated pecorino and the toasted pine nuts.
Miles Kirby, Caravan, caravankingscross.co.uk

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