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Kale (ingredient)

Vegetables · Leafy greens

Kale

Sturdy brassica green with curly or flat dark leaves, eaten massaged raw, sautéed, braised or baked into crisps.

Also called: cavolo nero, lacinato kale, sukuma wiki

10 recipes with it

Photo: Rasbak, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-3.0)

What it is

Kale is a leafy cabbage relative that does not form a head. Curly kale has frilly, bright-green leaves; cavolo nero (lacinato, Tuscan kale) has long, bumpy, blue-black leaves. The central stems are tough and usually stripped out. Collard greens are a related plant with broad, flat leaves.

Brassica oleracea (Acephala group)

How it’s used

  • Massaged with dressing for raw salads
  • Braised in Tuscan soups like ribollita
  • Sautéed with garlic and chilli
  • Baked into crisps
  • Stewed with onion and tomato (sukuma wiki)

Characteristics

Taste
Earthy, slightly bitter and cabbage-like; sweeter after frost.
Texture
Firm and chewy raw; tender but robust cooked.
When cooked
Holds its shape in long cooking far better than spinach; massaging with salt or acid softens it for salads.
Sold as
fresh, frozen
Cooking uses
Usually eaten raw, Commonly cooked, Suitable for baking, Suitable for boiling

Varieties

  • Curly kale
  • Cavolo nero / lacinato
  • Red Russian

Storage

Refrigerated. Refrigerate loosely wrapped; it keeps longer than tender greens. Discard if yellow or slimy.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
35 kcal
Protein
2.92 g
Carbohydrate
4.42 g
Fat
1.49 g
Fibre
4.1 g
Sugars
0.99 g

USDA FoodData Central: Kale, raw.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

Related ingredients

Recipes with kale

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