Add some kale into your meals with this Simple Sautéed Kale recipe. It’s an easy recipe, made with four simple ingredients,� that can be on your table in under 15 minutes.
For more ideas of what to make, check out all of our recipes.
Kale had its moment in pop culture. For a while, everyone was making kale. And then it was cauliflower, turning it into everything from pizza crust to rice. And now, cottage cheese is the trendy food item.
Me, personally, I never moved on from kale. It’s still one of my favorite vegetables. I’ll add it to soup, turn it into crispy kale chips, or just serve it as an easy side dish. Like this Simple Sautéed Kale recipe. This is such a great way� to add some leafy greens to your plate and you’re not in the mood for spinach.
Plus, kale is better than spinach, visually anyway. When you cook kale, it stays a beautiful bright green color (without needing to blanche it in cold water), so it looks beautiful on your plate.
If you bought a ton of kale and now you’re looking for more easy ways to serve it, our list of Budget-Friendly Kale Recipes is filled with my favorite kale recipes, from crispy kale chips� to kale salad and more.
Simple Sautéed Kale Recipe
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Simple Sautéed Kale Ingredients:
- 1/2 bunch kale
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 garlic cloves
How To Make Simple Sautéed Kale:
Quick aside before we start. You can use any type of kale to make this recipe. I usually use curly kale because that’s what I find most often in my grocery store. But I grew dinosaur kale (also known as lacinato kale) in the garden one year and used that and it was good in this recipe too.
I grew Brussels sprouts in the garden before too, and those have leaves that are very similar to kale in shape and size, and I’ve used those in this recipe too.
Wash the kale.
Cut the tough steps and center rib out of the kale and discard them. Then, cut the kale leaves into strips.
Quick note: Let’s talk about cutting kale for a second. Because cutting it properly really helps the taste of it. The best way to is to start by grabbing the kale leaf in your hand and roll it so it’s basically folded over itself in thirds or quarters, depending on how tight you can roll. Cut small strips, about a quarter of an inch wide. That’s a� chiffonade, if you want to sound fancy.
Kale can come out bitter, which most people’s taste buds don’t like. But cutting it this way makes it more palatable.
Kale can also be tough and chewy if it’s not massaged, which sounds ridiculous because no one is massaging vegetables. The easiest way to “massage” the kale is by rolling it.
Heat up the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.
Add the chopped kale to the skillet.
The kale will take up the whole pan, but don’t worry, it will wilt as it cooks.
Cook the kale, stirring often, for seven minutes.
If the kale starts to get stuck to the bottom of hot pan, you can add a little bit of water (up to a quarter of a cup) to deglaze the pan.
Add the salt to the pan.
Chop the garlic and add it to the pan.
Turn the heat down to medium-low heat and cook for another five minutes, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn.
We serve this as an easy side dish for chicken, especially whole chicken, or with baked salmon. You can make this on the stovetop while the protein bakes in the oven. �
Simple Sautéed Kale: Frequently Asked Questions
Wait until the kale has cooled down to room temperature. Then, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll last up to five days that way.
You can reheat this on its own, but leftover kale is a really good addition to a large bowl of soup or (hear me out) scrambled eggs for breakfast the next day.
If you want to add a spice to this, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or chili flakes when you add the olive oil to the pan. Let the spice infuse into the oil and it will add a nice kick to the kale. Pete really likes it that way.
This recipe will make two servings. If you want more, you can double the recipe. If you do that, though, I would recommend cooking it in a Dutch oven rather than in a skillet because that much raw kale won’t fit into a skillet.
Simple Sautéed Kale
Add some kale into your meals with this� Simple Sautéed Kale recipe. It’s an easy recipe, made with four simple ingredients,� that can be on your table in under 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1/2 bunch kale
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 garlic cloves
Instructions
- Wash the kale.
- Cut the tough steps and center rib out of the kale and discard them. Then, cut the kale leaves into strips.
- Heat up the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.
- Add the chopped kale to the skillet.
- The kale will take up the whole pan, but don’t worry, it will wilt as it cooks.
- Cook the kale, stirring often, for seven minutes.
- If the kale starts to get stuck to the bottom of hot pan, you can add a little bit of water (up to a quarter of a cup) to deglaze the pan.
- Add the salt to the pan.
- Chop the garlic and add it to the pan.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low heat and cook for another five minutes, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn.
Nutrition Information
Yield
2Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 41Total Fat 2gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 0mgSodium 542mgCarbohydrates 4gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 1g
Have you made this Simple Sautéed Kale recipe? Let us know in the comments.