Twelve Whole-Food Plant-Based Kale Recipes You Should Try This Week (2024)

Kale every day. Your body will thank you. Kale is incredibly beneficial to your health, and I've selected a mix of stir-fries, salads, grain bowls, and soups to keep your kale levels topped up!

1. Spicy Tahini Noodles with Roasted Vegetables - (101 Cookbooks)
This is my favorite kind of weeknight meal. Noodles tossed with a quick sauce, topped with an abundance of roasted vegetables - roast a pan of kale along with your other veggies here. Really tasty. Get the recipe here.

Twelve Whole-Food Plant-Based Kale Recipes You Should Try This Week (1)

2. Instant Pot Minestrone Soup - (101 Cookbooks)
A stand-by. Making really good minestrone in the Instant Pot with dried, un-soaked beans is totally possible! No need to use mushy canned beans. Loads of kale. Skip the Parmesan rind to keep it WFPB. Get the recipe here. Also, more Instant Pot recipes here.

Twelve Whole-Food Plant-Based Kale Recipes You Should Try This Week (2)

3. Kale Stir Fry with Crispy Curried Tofu - (Lauren Caris Cooks)
Everyone needs a strong stir-fry repertoire, and this version is packed with goodness - curry-spiced tofu with kale, cabbage, and carrots. Get the recipe here.

Twelve Whole-Food Plant-Based Kale Recipes You Should Try This Week (3)

4. Harissa Spaghettini - (101 Cookbooks)
I wrote this recipe nearly a decade ago(!), and it's still in regular rotation. Black olives, pine nuts, lots of kale, and a big dollop of harissa. Boom. Get the recipe here.

Twelve Whole-Food Plant-Based Kale Recipes You Should Try This Week (4)

5. Hazelnut & Chard Ravioli Salad - (101 Cookbooks)
We're talking about plump raviolis tossed with toasted hazelnuts, lemony flecks of chard (or kale!), and deeply caramelized onions. You've got crunch from toasted hazelnuts, and brightness from a bit of zest. Choose a vegan ravioli and skip the Parmesan to keep it WFPB. Get the recipe here.

Twelve Whole-Food Plant-Based Kale Recipes You Should Try This Week (5)

6. Grilled Corn Kale Salad - (The Almond Eater)
This. For lunch. Today. Get the recipe here.

Twelve Whole-Food Plant-Based Kale Recipes You Should Try This Week (6)

7. Curried Cauliflower Rice Kale Soup - (Cotter Crunch)
Curry-spiced and creamy (you can use coconut or a nut milk), this is a hearty soup packed with cauliflower, kale, and carrots. Get the recipe here.

Twelve Whole-Food Plant-Based Kale Recipes You Should Try This Week (7)

8. The Prettiest Purple Kale, Eggplant & Blackberry Salad - (Green Kitchen Stories)
Love this brilliant combination of roasted eggplant and purple onions with warm spices. Massaged kale with herby dressing, and black lentils with creamy avocado. Hazelnuts bring the crunch, and juicy blackberries top it off. Skip the feta to keep it WFPB, and use maple syrup in the dressing if you're looking to keep it vegan. Get the recipe here.

Twelve Whole-Food Plant-Based Kale Recipes You Should Try This Week (8)

9. Roasted Vegetable Orzo - (101 Cookbooks)
I often make this with a whole wheat orzo (or small bean-based pasta), and non-dairy yogurt. You can also substitute all sorts of different whole grain for the pasta - farro, quinoa, or a brown rice blend. Get the recipe here.

Twelve Whole-Food Plant-Based Kale Recipes You Should Try This Week (9)

10. Sweet Potato & Kale Tortilla Soup - (Local Milk)
Sweet potatoes, kale, cilantro, tomatoes, spices, and chiles all in a beautiful bowl. Simply skip the quest fresco, and ase a dairy-free yogurt to keep it WFPB. Get the recipe here.

Twelve Whole-Food Plant-Based Kale Recipes You Should Try This Week (10)

11. Chopped Kale Salad with Peanut Chili Vinaigrette - (Little Broken)
A chopped kale salad with feisty peanut chili dressing. I can imagine this in a lettuce wrap (or spring roll) with a bit of grilled tofu as an ideal lunch! Get the recipe here.

Twelve Whole-Food Plant-Based Kale Recipes You Should Try This Week (11)

12. An Excellent, One-pan, Protein-packed Power Pasta - (101 Cookbooks)
A full pound of chopped kale goes into this! It's pasta and lentils simmered in crushed tomatoes, finished with lots of chopped kale, saffron, swirls of tahini and chopped almonds.Perfect weeknight dinner. Get the recipe here.

Twelve Whole-Food Plant-Based Kale Recipes You Should Try This Week (12)

Bonus! Autumn Kale Slaw - (Green Kitchen Stories)
Another beautiful green Kitchen Stories recipe. Carrots, kale, apples, and hazelnut come together in a crunch-tactic autumn slaw. Get the recipe here.

Twelve Whole-Food Plant-Based Kale Recipes You Should Try This Week (13)

Bonus! Creamy Kale Pasta - (Pinch of Yum)
Five ingredients. And I'm going to bet you have all of them. Use whatever pasta you like, and my sense is you can scale back the olive oil a bit, or use a really rich, thick homemade nut milk, and scale it back a lot. Get the recipe here.

Twelve Whole-Food Plant-Based Kale Recipes You Should Try This Week (14)

Bonus! Kale Detox Salad with Pesto - (Well and Full)
All the good things in one bowl. This is an ultra-super green salad. With roasted potatoes, brown rice, chickpeas, a bit of kick from jalapeño chiles, and a carrot top(!) pesto. Brilliant. Get the recipe here.

Twelve Whole-Food Plant-Based Kale Recipes You Should Try This Week (15)

101 Cookbooks Membership

Premium Ad-Free membership includes:
-Ad-free content
-Print-friendly recipes
-Spice / Herb / Flower / Zest recipe collection PDF
-Weeknight Express recipe collection PDF
-Surprise bonuses throughout the year

Sign up here!

browse more:

Main Course Recipes

Twelve Whole-Food Plant-Based Kale Recipes You Should Try This Week (2024)

FAQs

What can I do with a lot of kale? ›

Our Best Kale Recipes
  1. Miso-Braised Kale With Multigrain Rice. ...
  2. Suzanne Goin's Slow-Cooked Cavolo Nero (a.k.a. Tuscan Kale) ...
  3. Lacinato Kale Gratin. ...
  4. Slow-Cooked Tuscan Kale with Pancetta, Bread Crumbs, & a Poached Egg. ...
  5. One-Pot Kale & Quinoa Pilaf. ...
  6. Northern Spy's Kale Salad. ...
  7. Linguine with Breadcrumbs & Kale.
Mar 3, 2022

How do you sneak kale into your diet? ›

Below are a few tips to get them to enjoy kale, or to sneak it into their diet:
  1. Kale chips. ...
  2. Kale smoothie. ...
  3. Mix them into these delicious vegetarian kale-quinoa burgers.
  4. Mix it into their favourite salad. ...
  5. Make kale pesto. ...
  6. Blend kale into a soup. ...
  7. Make it disappear. ...
  8. Make it sweet.

How to use kale? ›

Here are 10 ways to use it.
  1. As a Substitute for Spinach. Kale works nicely in recipes that call for spinach, like those for egg dishes, salads or lasagna. ...
  2. In a Dip. Cooked kale can be chopped or pureed to make a variety of dips. ...
  3. Juiced. ...
  4. Sauteed with Veggies. ...
  5. In a Salad. ...
  6. As Pesto. ...
  7. In a Soup.

What is the most delicious way to eat kale? ›

  1. 01 of 10. Add It to Homemade Hummus. Jennifer Causey. ...
  2. 02 of 10. Stir It Into Soups. ...
  3. 03 of 10. Sneak It Into Pesto. ...
  4. 04 of 10. Blend It Into a Smoothie. ...
  5. 05 of 10. Bake Some Crispy Kale Chips. ...
  6. 06 of 10. Fold It Into Eggs, Quiches, and Frittatas. ...
  7. 07 of 10. Sprinkle It on Pizza. ...
  8. 08 of 10. Wilt It Down for a Steak-House-Worthy Side.
Jul 20, 2023

Why can't you eat kale everyday? ›

One review of goitrin concentrations in cruciferous vegetables found that only an excessive intake of 2.2 pounds (1 kg) of kale per day for several months significantly impaired thyroid function in otherwise healthy adults ( 8 ).

What happens to your body when you eat kale everyday? ›

Being a good source of calcium and Vitamin K, kale may help in boosting bone health. Consumption of kale may help in detoxifying the body. It may help in managing malnutrition problems. Being a good source of iron and Vitamin C, it may help in boosting immunity.

Will I lose weight if I eat kale everyday? ›

Because of the low calorie and high water content, kale has a low energy density. Eating plenty of foods with a low energy density has been shown to aid weight loss in numerous studies ( 30 , 31 ). Kale also contains a small amount of fiber, which is an important nutrient that has been linked to weight loss ( 32 ).

Why is kale a laxative? ›

The findings suggest that kale intake could be beneficial for alleviating mild constipation by increasing stool bulk with dietary fiber and leading to an increase in stool frequency. Correlation analysis showed that several gut microbes and fecal metabolites correlate with the subjects' responses to kale intake.

How do you make kale taste better? ›

Massaging Kale – massaging kale with a little oil and/or lemon juice for just a few minutes makes it more tender and easier to chew. Plus, it adds an extra boost of flavor.

What to do with kale before it goes bad? ›

Blanch and Freeze the Leaves

If you aren't going to get to the kale within a week, you can freeze kale leaves to use in soups or green smoothies later on. All it takes is a quick blanch and a couple ofsteps in the freezer.

How long does kale last in fridge? ›

Typical shelf life: Generally, kale can last in the fridge for about five to seven days. The key is to store it correctly to maintain its crispness and nutrients. Impact of temperature and humidity: Kale prefers a cool and slightly humid environment, so the crisper drawer in your fridge is ideal.

Can I freeze fresh kale? ›

Kale can be frozen without blanching but should be used within 4 weeks. Blanching greens before freezing stops the naturally-occurring ripening enzymes in the leaves. This will ensure that the leaves taste fresh and will not develop a bitter taste. Blanched kale will last up to 1 year in the freezer.

Is 2 cups of kale a day too much? ›

Manganiello says you can eat kale every day, just don't overdo it. She recommends one to two servings maximum of kale per day, leaving room for other healthy foods that provide an assortment of nutrients.

Does freezing fresh kale lose nutrients? ›

No! Quite the opposite! Freezing kale while fresh helps for it to retain its nutrients. This is true for all frozen veggies, so don't be afraid to freeze your veggies and use them!

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Rueben Jacobs

Last Updated:

Views: 5945

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (77 voted)

Reviews: 84% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Rueben Jacobs

Birthday: 1999-03-14

Address: 951 Caterina Walk, Schambergerside, CA 67667-0896

Phone: +6881806848632

Job: Internal Education Planner

Hobby: Candle making, Cabaret, Poi, Gambling, Rock climbing, Wood carving, Computer programming

Introduction: My name is Rueben Jacobs, I am a cooperative, beautiful, kind, comfortable, glamorous, open, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.