40 Kale Recipes to Make Every Week

updated Dec 28, 2023

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We all know this scenario. You tossed a bunch of kale into your cart last weekend with the best of intentions to add more greens into your meal plan this week. But they’re still in the refrigerator and you’re stumped about what to make. Don’t worry! The possibilities are endless when it comes to kale.

Take your pick between blitzing kale into your morning smoothie, adding it to an egg sandwich, stirring it into a pot of soup, making a big kale salad, or transforming it into a quick side dish to round out whatever you cooked for dinner. You can even bake kale leaves into ultra-crisp chips.

You’re feeling inspired already, aren’t you?! From soups to salads and so much more, here are 40 of our favorite kale recipes to help you get cooking.

In This Article

Kale Salad Recipes
Kale Side Dish Recipes
Kale Soups and Stews Recipes
Kale Dinner Recipes

Kale Salad Recipes

Kale is such a durable green that it makes for perfect salads, and unlike other salad greens it holds up as leftovers the next day.

1 / 13

Spanakopita Kale Salad

With briny feta crumbles, crunchy toasted walnuts, and zippy herbs, this chopped kale salad tastes just like spanakopita, the iconic Greek savory pie.

2 / 13

5-Ingredient Kale Caesar Salad

An easy, anchovy-free version of classic Caesar salad, made with kale instead of romaine so it keeps for days in the fridge.

3 / 13

Harvest Roasted Apple Kale Salad

From the roasted apples to the pecans and walnuts, this kale salad's star ingredients create a crunchy, yet tender mix of texture and bold flavors.

4 / 13

Kale & Quinoa Salad with Roasted Squash and Sweet Potatoes

This hearty kale salad, packed with quinoa, roasted veggies, and a creamy tahini dressing, is absolutely perfect for fall.

5 / 13

An easy slaw using shredded cruciferous vegetables, almonds, and dried cherries in a tangy honey-mustard dressing.

6 / 13

Garlicky Grilled Kale Salad with Grilled Bread

A little tart, very garlicky, with an unusual smoky flavor, this is a kale salad to bring to your next summer potluck, or make at the next backyard BBQ.

7 / 13

Vegetarian Kale Taco Salad

In this wholesome take on a Tex-Mex taco salad, shredded kale is tossed with hearty black beans and crisp veggies, and softened by a creamy yogurt and cilantro dressing.

8 / 13

Kale & Quinoa Salad with Dates, Almonds & Citrus Dressing

This kale and quinoa salad is robust enough for a filling lunch, and the acidic dressing massages the kale into a better, more tender version of itself.

9 / 13

Kale Bistro Salad

Kale, we're not done with you yet! This bistro-style salad is glorious, with golden egg yolks spilling out and cacio e pepe croutons kicking up the flavor.

10 / 13

Chopped Kale, Farro & Chickpea Salad

Made with a simple lemon-miso vinaigrette, this combination of tender kale, chewy farro, and nutty chickpeas holds up very well for several days in the fridge.

11 / 13

Napa Cabbage and Kale Coleslaw with Creamy Miso-Ginger Dressing Go to Recipe

12 / 13

Kale with Apples, Currants, and Warm Pancetta Vinaigrette Go to Recipe

13 / 13

Broccoli and Kale Caesar Salad

This hearty vegan broccoli and kale salad is topped with golden croutons and a velvety vegan Caesar dressing made with roasted garlic and cashews.

Kale Side Dish Recipes

Kale makes a perfect side dish. Here are some easy ways to sneak some extra greens into your meals.

1 / 6

Easy Skillet Kale with Lemon & Garlic

A quick recipe for sautéed kale flavored with lots of lemon and garlic.

2 / 6

Irish Creamed Kale

If the thought of kale scares you, then let this be the dish that changes your mind! Think creamy, buttery goodness mixed with delicious soft greens.

3 / 6

Braised Bacon and Kale

Slow-cooking kale with chicken broth, onion, garlic, and smoky bacon means the kale gets tender and you’re left with a flavorful broth that you can spoon over rice or grains.

4 / 6

Fiery Kale with Garlic and Olive Oil

Here’s a recipe that makes quick work of unwieldy tufts of hardy kale and is also an excellent salad alternative for a pizza night side dish.

5 / 6

Smoky Creamed Kale

You know what’s even better than creamed spinach? Creamed kale.Meet smoky creamed kale, the modern answer to creamed spinach.

6 / 6

Slow Cooked Kale

We like a quick side-dish as much as the next person, but we still love long-cooked kale for the way its flavor deepens and its ruffly edges crisp. It’s just the thing to eat on a winter night atop polenta or beside a piece of meat.

Kale Soups and Stews Recipes

When it comes to leafy greens for soups and stews, kale can’t be beat.

1 / 10

Creamy White Bean and Kale Soup

With a smoky flavor and subtle heat, this cozy soup will make you think it has the richness of meat even though (spoiler) it's totally vegan.

2 / 10

Slow Cooker Sausage, Kale, and Lentil Stew Go to Recipe

3 / 10

Simple Kale & Potato Soup

This kale and potato soup is humble, unassuming, and best enjoyed alone at the kitchen counter with the last hunk of some crusty bread.

4 / 10

5-Ingredient Sausage, Kale, and Sweet Potato Soup

Browned sausage, tender sweet potatoes, just-wilted kale, and Italian herbs infuse store-bought broth in this hearty Whole30 soup.

5 / 10

Kale & Apple Soup

This kale soup is mildly sweet with a bit of apple, and it has that beloved bacon-y edge that goes so well with sautéed greens.

6 / 10

Perfect Potato Soup with Crunchy Kale

A rich and elegant take on potato soup filled with heaps of melty cheese.

7 / 10

Toasted Grain Soup with Crispy Mushrooms and Kale

This vegetarian soup is supremely satisfying, thanks to a winning combination of veggies, herbs, beans, and grains.

8 / 10

Bacon, Kale, & Turkey Stew

A quick kale and turkey stew, made more flavorful by bacon and onion, and simple enough to be simmered together in less than an hour of mostly hands-off time.

9 / 10

Kale and Cannellini Bean Stew

The Parmesan-garlic broth that’s the base of this wholesome stew is going to be your new BFF when you need deep flavor without meat.

10 / 10

Lemony Black Lentil Soup with Crispy Kale and Yogurt

This wholesome and hearty vegetarian lentil soup is both smoky and bright, which is thanks to cumin, coriander, and lots of lemon.

Kale Dinner Recipes

It’s so easy to work kale into a variety of dinner dishes, and it always makes everything (even pizza) feel a little bit healthier.

1 / 11

Creamy Gnocchi with Kale and Sausage Recipe

Instead of making béchamel, store-bought Boursin cheese acts as the sauce, melting into the sausage and kale, making it the perfect backdrop for the garlic and herbs.

2 / 11

Parmesan Chicken and Kale Sauté

A quick and easy one-skillet dinner that fits the bill on weeknights and at dinner parties alike.

3 / 11

Pasta alla Gricia with Kale

This one-pot, veggie-packed riff on classic Pasta alla Gricia will quickly become part of your weeknight dinner rotation.

4 / 11

Kale and Salmon Coconut Curry Recipe

This creamy ginger and turmeric-spiked coconut sauce features salmon and kale. Serve over quinoa or rice for a simple and delicious dinner.

5 / 11

Skillet Lasagna Roll-Ups with Kale Pesto

This reimagined take on lasagna roll-ups boasts crispier edges and a fun new look. Starting with a store-bought sauce lets you focus your efforts on a nutty homemade pesto.

6 / 11

Creamed Kale Tart with Goat Cheese and Crispy Capers Recipe

A 5-ingredient, any-occasion tart that hinges on a Trader Joe's staple.

7 / 11

Creamy One-Pot Butternut Squash Pasta with White Beans and Kale

This 30-minute vegetarian dinner is packed with protein, thanks to a can of white beans a dollop of Greek yogurt. It cooks all in one pot (sauce and all!), making for easy clean-up.

8 / 11

Crispy White Beans with Greens and Poached Egg

It answers the comforting call of breakfast for dinner, and though it's so simple, a couple poached eggs know how to kick it up a notch.

9 / 11

Rigatoni with Winter Squash and Kale (Rigatoni con zucca, salciccia, e cavolo nero)

This hearty fall pasta is filled with kale, sausage, roasted squash and tossed in a sharp and cheesy white wine sauce.

10 / 11

Sausage Pizza Topped with Crispy Kale

You could call this Kale Chip Pizza. Because that’s essentially what this is. A pizza topped with quick-cooked kale chips. And it’s amazing.

11 / 11

Sausage and Kale Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Go to Recipe

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