Sautéed Kale

Sauteed kale with butter and garlic is wonderful as a side dish, or you can top it with a couple of fried eggs for a quick, filling lunch.

Ready in just 20 minutes, this easy weeknight side dish pairs well with most meat, poultry, and fish dishes.

Kale can be challenging. Unlike tender spinach leaves, which can taste great - almost sweet - kale has a coarse texture and a slightly bitter flavor. It really does need a little help to make it more palatable.

This recipe is most definitely an excellent way to do that! The kale is cooked in garlic-infused butter until just tender, then seasoned with salt, pepper, and a splash of lemon juice. It's very easy and oh so tasty!

Ingredients

You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make sauteed kale. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

• Butter: It greatly enhances the flavor of the kale and helps mask its bitterness. You can also use olive oil if you wish, but I really think it tastes best when cooked in butter.
• Minced garlic: Mince it yourself, or use the stuff that comes in a jar. Mincing it yourself is fresher and tastier.
• Chopped kale: You can chop it yourself, or do the lazy thing and get it bagged and pre-washed.
• Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should probably reduce the amount you use, or the dish could end up too salty.
• Fresh lemon juice: You can also use a bit of vinegar instead - red wine vinegar is good, and so is white wine vinegar.

Instructions

Quickly sauteing kale in butter and garlic is one of the best ways of preparing this vegetable. It's very tasty, and it keeps the kale fresh and bright green. Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:

• You start by briefly cooking garlic in some butter. You want it golden but not burnt, so keep an eye on it.
• Next, add the kale. You'll need to add it gradually, in a few batches, as shown in the video below.
• Cook the kale until it just starts to wilt. Then add salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Stir and serve.

Expert tip

Make sure to avoid overcooking the kale. You want it to still have some "bite," just like al-dente pasta. You don't want it mushy and limp.

Frequently asked questions

Variations

Here are a few ideas for you for varying the basic recipe:

• As mentioned above, you can use olive oil instead of butter.
• Use red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice.
• When the dish is done, off the heat, sprinkle it with grated parmesan.
• Sprinkle the finished dish with cooked crumbled bacon.

Serving suggestions

Sauteed kale makes a wonderful side dish for any meat or fish entree. I often serve it with one of the following entrees:

• Baked pork chops
• London broil
• Braised boneless short ribs
• Slow cooker beef ribs
• Baked salmon
• Baked cod
• Baked scallops

Sometimes I just top this dish with a couple of fried eggs or some fluffy scrambled eggs and call it lunch - it's quick, tasty, and very filling.

Storing leftovers

You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3-4 days. They keep pretty well, although they won't be as good as when freshly made. Reheat the leftovers gently, covered, in the microwave on 50% power.

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Recipe Card

4.95 from 77 votes

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Buttery Sauteed Kale

A tasty dish of sauteed kale is wonderful as a side dish, or top it with a couple of fried eggs for a quick, tasty lunch.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 140kcal

Author: Vered DeLeeuw

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• ▢ 8 oz kale leaves
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions

• Heat the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat, for about 2 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook it for 30 seconds.
• Add the kale in batches, as shown in the video below.
• Stir-fry until the kale is tender and slightly wilted, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the salt, black pepper, and lemon juice.
• Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Make sure to avoid overcooking the kale. You want it to still have some "bite," just like al-dente pasta. You don't want it mushy and limp.

You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3-4 days. They keep pretty well, although they won't be as good as when freshly made. Reheat the leftovers gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.

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Nutrition per Serving

Serving: 0.5recipe | Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 388mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g

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