Recipes Containing Kale

On the internet, kale recipes were all the rage a few years ago. But in my kitchen, they’re just as cool as ever. What can I say? Kale is versatile, it’s delicious, and it just so happens to be one of the healthiest veggies out there. You betcha I’m blending it into smoothies, tossing it into pastas, and simmering it in soups whenever I have the chance!

At this time of year, many people start to think about adding more veggies to their diets. If that includes you, I encourage you to try kale! To get you started, I’m sharing 33 of my best kale recipes below. They include bountiful salads, comforting soups, yummy pastas, and so much more. Whether you’re a longtime kale enthusiast or you’re experimenting with it for the first time, you’re sure to find something you love.

When I cook kale, I often use one of these basic kale recipes as a starting point. Think of them as building blocks – they can become fantastic pastas, bowls, and more!

Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi With Kale

On its own, this lemony sautéed kale is a nourishing side dish, but it’s also a great addition to larger recipes. Toss it with pasta, add it to a frittata, or pile it onto pizza. The options are endless!

This vibrant pesto is my cold weather alternative to classic basil pesto. Toss it with pasta, scoop it onto soups, slather it on a sandwich, dot it onto pizza…you really can’t go wrong.

We’ve all eaten kale salads that are tough and dry, but don’t worry – you won’t find any like that here. Instead, these bountiful salads are bursting with exciting flavors and textures. Tip: they all hold up well if you make them ahead of time (you can even add the dressing!), so they’re great recipes to pack for lunch.

Brown Rice With Kale And Parmesan

If you make just one recipe off of this list, this kale salad should be it. It’s so energizing, refreshing, and satisfying that it’ll win over even the biggest kale skeptics. Roasted chickpeas and toasted seeds add crunch, a rainbow of root veggies makes it vibrant and colorful, and an electric carrot-ginger dressing ties it all together.

Roasted shallots, sage, and thyme bring complexity and depth to this salad. It’s a stunning dinner side dish, but thanks to the wheat berries and roasted squash, it’s also hearty enough to eat for lunch.

These colorful picnic salads are perfect for packing up and taking on-the-go! I almost always massage kale when I use it in salads, but not here. Instead, I chop it very finely to help it soften. This method saves time, and the finely chopped kale integrates nicely with the noodles when you eat.

Braised Kale With Pancetta

This mean green salad is a kale explosion! The hearty greens make up the base, while a creamy kale pepita pesto acts as the dressing. I round it out with cooked quinoa, crispy chickpeas, roasted veggies, and scoops of sauerkraut for pop.

The ultimate fall lunch! I love how the sweet, creamy delicata squash plays off the nutty farro and Tuscan kale in this recipe.

Steamed, blanched, sautéed, and massaged kale are all fantastic additions to grain bowls. They add a boatload of nutrients and a gorgeous shock of green.

Kale And Apple Salad Recipe

Make this Buddha bowl recipe as-written, or use it as a template to invent your own bowl! Swap cooked lentils for the chickpeas, or substitute butternut squash for the sweet potatoes. Try using quinoa instead of brown rice, or drizzle on a different sauce. Cilantro lime dressing, green goddess dressing, or any of my tahini sauce variations would be great.

This grain-free grain bowl is one of my favorite recipes to make when I’m in need of a healthy reset. With a base of cauliflower rice, it’s super light and nourishing. Still, sriracha baked tofu, kimchi, and a creamy coconut sauce pack it with bold flavor.

Double the sauce when you make this recipe. It’s a bright, brilliant turmeric tahini sauce, and it’s so flavorful that you’re going to want to drizzle it over everything!

Stir Fried Beef With Kale And Frisée In Black Bean Sauce Recipe

Here’s another recipe where I use kale two ways. I add massaged kale to the base of the bowls and dollop a creamy kale pesto on top. See how green the pesto is? I make it with pistachios instead of pine nuts for extra-vivid color!

I love using leafy greens in all sorts of pasta dishes, and kale is no exception. It adds lovely color and texture to the recipes below:

I can never resist adding green veggies to a classic pasta dish! Sautéed kale brightens this lemony take on spaghetti aglio e olio.

Garlic Butter Rice With Kale

Seriously, WHAT could be more fun than these cozy lasagna roll-ups?! Made with a creamy tofu and cashew ricotta, they’re completely vegan and dairy-free.

This elegant winter pasta is a breeze to make. Sauté the veggies, boil the pasta, and toss it all together with grated pecorino cheese on top.

My favorite healthy comfort food! Packed with roasted veggies and fresh kale, this lasagna is my ideal dinner on a cold winter night.

Baked Salmon With Kale Pesto

Is it pasta? Not really. Is it delicious? Yes! This recipe would work equally well with spiralized butternut squash instead of sweet potato.

I shared this spaghetti squash “pasta” over 6 year ago now, and to this day, it’s one of the most popular recipes on Love & Lemons. Savory sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, and kale transform the roasted squash into a flavorful main dish.

I have these cozy kale recipes on repeat throughout the fall, winter, and early spring! I love the way the hearty greens hold onto their texture in soups and stews, becoming tender, but not at all mushy.

Kale Breakfast Skillet Recipe

Pssst! This comforting wild rice soup looks rich, but it’s secretly vegan and dairy-free! Blended white beans, cashews, and miso paste make up its creamy, savory base.

This vegan riff on Thai tom kha is one of my favorite recipes from my second cookbook. Lime zest, lemongrass, ginger, and cilantro add bright, aromatic flavor to the rich coconut broth.

Making a big pot of this brothy soup is my favorite way to welcome spring! Lacinato kale mingles with spring veggies like snap peas, asparagus, shell peas, and scallions. A refreshing mint pesto takes it all over the top.

Kale Stir Fry With Crispy Curried Tofu

Not sure how to use that stale bread on your counter? Make ribollita! The bread acts as a thickener in this pantry-friendly Tuscan kale and white bean soup.

I simmer this soup with a Parmesan rind to infuse it with umami depth of flavor. But if you’re vegan, feel free to leave it out. Thanks to white wine, fennel, lemon juice, and fresh thyme, this healing soup is plenty flavorful without it.

Don’t worry – if you’re not craving pasta, a grain bowl, or a soup, we still have main dish kale recipes for you!

Cabbage And Kale Slaw With Caraway Ranch Dressing Recipe

Creamy, tangy slabs of feta cheese melt into a kale and chickpea-filled tomato sauce. Mop it up with fresh pita or good crusty bread.

This Thanksgiving-worthy stuffed squash is a cornucopia of autumn bounty! The quinoa filling boasts bursty pomegranate seeds, crisp apples, chopped kale, and an apple cider-sage dressing.

Stuff a puffy baked sweet potato with a tasty filling, and it transforms into a nutritious dinner in a snap! You’ll find roasted kale leaves in my Curry Spiced filling.

Vegan Buckwheat Bowls With Kale And Chickpeas

Matcha green tea adds an invigorating pick-me-up to this ginger, peach, and kale smoothie. Even Jack, a devoted berry smoothie lover, fell for this green blend!

These yummy breakfast skillets are perfect for a weekend brunch. A pinch of smoked paprika gives them rich, smoky depth of flavor.

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Kale Salad Recipe

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.Fennel, sage, and white wine are an A+ flavor combination in this sun dried tomato pasta. You'll love this hearty, comforting, and easy dish!

I have a confession to make. I’m really terrible at decorating for the holidays. Some years it happens, others it doesn’t… and then some years we end up with a Valentine’s Day tree because we lose track of time and the work of taking down decorations is far less fun than putting them up.

So here’s my version of holiday greenery for you – sun dried tomato pasta! It’s, of course, edible, and the clean up is minimal. 🙂 Aside from boiling the pasta, this recipe comes together in one large skillet (or pictured, this pretty braiser), so it’s a great one to have in your back pocket when you need to get a hearty, healthy dinner on the table this winter.

Roasted Butternut Squash & Chorizo Spiced Kale Recipe

This sun dried tomato pasta is full of all kinds of warming wintery goodness! It has a base of sautéed shallots, fennel, and savory, aromatic sage. Sun dried tomatoes add briny pop, kale makes it fresh & green, and (of course) lemon juice adds a bit of bright cheer. I also toss in some walnuts for crunch. Their slightly bitter flavor is delicious with the wintry vegetables,