20+ Healthy Kale Recipes
This collection of 20+ dietitian-designed recipes using kale will give you a ton of ideas for how to include the nutritious leafy green in your cooking. Here you’ll find plenty of delicious kale salads as well as both main and side dishes using kale. You’ll never have to ask “what can I do with kale?” again!
In this post, you’ll find 20+ healthy kale recipe ideas from the blog along with some helpful kale nutrition facts! Keep scrolling or click on the following sections to go straight to them:
Nutrition & Health Benefits Of Kale
Just one cup of kale provides over 100% of your daily needs for:
- vitamin A (206%)
- vitamin K (684%)
- vitamin C (134%)
Kale is also a good source of other micronutrients like:
- manganese
- magnesium
- potassium
- calcium
- copper
- vitamin B6
That same cup provides 2 grams of dietary fibre, helping to keep your gut and heart happy.
In addition to micronutrients, kale is also loaded with antioxidants, which prevent cellular damage and provide a multitude of health benefits.
As you can see, kale is truly a superfood!
Kale Salad Recipes
You can’t have a kale recipe roundup without plenty of kale salads! I promise you there are no dry, tough, or boring kale salads around here.
These kale salads are packed with flavour, nutritious ingredients, and are often really great to make in advance. I love that kale doesn’t get soggy like other leafy greens, rather it starts to taste even better over time!
TIP: Many of these salads use massaged kale as their base! Curious to learn what “massaging” kale really means? You’re in luck – I’ve got an in-depth post ALL about how to massage kale. It’s one of my favourite ways to prepare kale for salads 🙂
1) Vegan Kale & Brussels Sprout Caesar Salad
2) Kale Butternut Squash Salad With Farro & Goat Cheese
3) Grilled Kale Salad With Avocado, Lemon & Parm
4) Warm Mushroom & Kale Salad With Miso Dressing
5) Kale Pasta Salad With Sun-Dried Tomatoes
6) Broccoli Kale Salad With Tahini Dressing
7) Kale Salad With Sweet Potatoes, Pomegranate & Goat Cheese
8) Kale Apple Salad With Parmesan & Walnuts
9) Kale Salad With Maple Tahini Dressing
10) Sweet Potato Kale Salad With Smokey Tahini
11) Massaged Avocado Kale Salad
12) Asian Kale Salad
Main Dishes With Kale
In this section you’ll find a handful of delicious main dish recipes that use kale!
13) Spaghetti Squash With Kale Pesto
14) Lemon Kale Pasta With Eggs
15) Sweet Potato & Kale Skillet Hash
16) Baked Harissa Salmon Over Lemon & Kale Quinoa
17) Kale Butternut Squash Hash
Side Dishes With Kale
In this section you’ll find some tasty vegetable side dishes that feature kale as a key ingredient.
18) Quinoa Stuffed Delicata Squash With Kale
19) Roasted Butternut Squash With Kale & Coconut Sauce
20) Roasted Broccolini & Kale With Honey
Breakfast With Kale
In this section you’ll find one of my go-to kale smoothies to start your day with some greens!
21) Kale Mango Smoothie
And there you have it – 20+ Easy, Healthy Kale Recipes to cook and enjoy! If you make any of these recipes, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. You can also subscribe to my email list to never miss a new recipe or nutrition education post!
More Recipe Roundups To Explore
- 30 Healthy Recipes with Oats
- 20+ Summer Salad Recipes
- 20+ Healthy Pasta Recipes
- 20+ Healthy Vegetable Side Dishes
- 30+ Plant-Based Breakfast Ideas
- 10+ Breakfast Smoothie Recipes
Get the Recipe: 20+ Healthy Kale Recipes, Including Kale Caesar Salad
Ingredients
- 5 cups lacinato kale, chopped then (about 1 large or 2 small bunches – how to massage kale for salad)
- 5 cups brussels sprouts, shredded (roughly 15 sprouts, depending on size)
- 2 slices sourdough bread
- 2 tsp olive oil (for sourdough)
- 1 pomegranate, arils only
- 1/2 a large honeycrisp apple, sliced thin
- Salt + pepper, to taste
Vegan caesar dressing:
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked + drained
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- 2 tsps dijon mustard
- 4 cloves garlic
- 5 tsp capers (with brine)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 4-6 Tbsp water
- Salt + pepper, to taste
Instructions
- *NOTE: you'll need to soak the cashews for at least 4 hours or overnight. I find it easiest to just throw them into a jar, cover with water, and place in the fridge the night before I plan on making a recipe.
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Slice sourdough bread into roughly 1/2- to 1-inch chunks. Toss in olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 10-15 mins, until lightly browned and toasted. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the caesar dressing by placing all dressing ingredients into a high-speed blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Adjust seasonings to taste. If you like a thinner dressing, simply add a tablespoon or 2 more water and blend until it reaches your desired consistency.
- In a large salad bowl, add chopped kale, shredded brussels sprouts, apple slices, pomegranates, and sourdough croutons. Drizzle caesar dressing on top, and toss to combine. Serve immediately!
Notes
- If you need a gluten-free version of this recipe, simply swap sourdough with your favourite gluten-free bread. If you’d prefer to omit the bread, add some extra crunch with some pumpkin seeds or nuts!
- I love honeycrisp apples because of their crunchy sweetness, but feel free to swap them with your favourite variety. You could also try this with dried cranberries instead of pomegranates.
- If you don’t feel like making homemade caesar dressing, feel free to use a store-bought version. I’ve listed my favourite brands in the blog post.
Nutrition
As a dietitian, I create recipes with whole food ingredients that provide the nutrients needed for optimal health. My nutrition philosophy does not focus on numbers; however, I understand that this information can be helpful.
Do note that the nutrition info provided is an estimate and I cannot guarantee correctness of the displayed values. These numbers will differ depending on brands used, recipe modifications, and amount eaten. If you require specific nutrition information due to medical reasons, please consult with your dietitian or physician.
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know by leaving a recipe rating below, or by tagging @walderwellness on Instagram. I love seeing your beautiful creations!
