53 Ways with Fresh Greens

Seattle chef Ethan Stoll serves this delicate, fresh-tasting sauce over housemade nettle pasta. Nettles have small stinging hairs when raw; once cooked, they’re safe to touch.

Recipe: Tagliatelle with Nettle and Pine Nut Sauce

For an easy vegetarian version of this hearty main dish, omit the bacon and add a little more olive oil when you sauté the shallot mixture.

Recipe: Spicy Rainbow Chard with Bacon and Polenta

At Staple & Fancy Mercantile in Seattle, chef Ethan Stowell makes this comforting dish with fregola sarda (a toasted Sardinian pasta) and duck eggs, but widely available pearl (aka Israeli) couscous and chicken eggs work well too.

Recipe: Sautéed Escarole with Toasted Pearl Couscous and Poached Eggs

San Francisco chef Craig Stoll jokes that the nontraditional greens with classic Italian seasonings make this dish “Southern/Italian—as opposed to southern Italian.” It’s worth it to track down guanciale—rich, sweet Italian-style bacon—and fruity, hot Calabrian chiles.

Recipe: Collard Greens with Guanciale and Chiles

This hearty frittata is great for brunch or dinner.

Recipe: Swiss Chard and Sausage Frittata

This lightly spicy soup shows off the heirloom kale’s tender texture and mild flavor.

Recipe: Red Russian Kale and Chorizo Soup (Caldo Verde)

Toasted walnuts and walnut oil give a warm autumn flavor to this hearty salad.

Recipe: Kale and Apple Salad with Walnut Dressing

Technically a seed (so no gluten), quinoa is touted as a superfood for its high fiber and protein. The runny yolk of a poached egg creates a little sauce on top.

Recipe: Red Quinoa Bowl with Swiss Chard and Poached Egg

Soy and Sesame Kale Chips (pictured)

Instead of a bag of potato chips, try these crunchy, savory treats.

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Olive Oil and Sea Salt Kale Chips

A sprinkling of coarse salt tastes satisfying without all the sodium of processed snacks.

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Cheesy Pepper Kale Chips

Choose from parmesan or nutritional yeast for the cheesy flavor.

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The secret ingredient in this dish, inspired by one served by chef Matthew Dillon at the Corson Building in Seattle, is an easy-to-make Egyptian nut-and-spice blend called dukkah. Add protein-rich chickpeas for a more filling version.

Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower and Shallots with Chard and Dukkah

Elise Wiggins, chef at Panzano in Denver, makes her risotto with speck, a cured ham with a smoky juniper flavor. Pancetta works fine as a substitute.

Recipe: Crispy Grilled Kale and Pancetta Risotto

Day-old bread thickens this soup from Cathy Whims of Nostrana in Portland, making it custardy. The soup has a kick; for a milder flavor, cut back on the chile flakes.

Recipe: Tuscan Kale, White Bean, and Ciabatta Soup

This eggless Caesar dressing from Seattle chef Ethan Stowell has lots of anchovies, yet the flavors are perfectly balanced. Ethan uses a very bitter chicory called puntarelle; we’ve used the more available (and milder) kale and radicchio.

Recipe: Kale and Radicchio Salad with Broken Caesar Dressing

We like the robust flavor of red Swiss chard in this soup, but you could also make it with green Swiss chard, which is milder, or spinach.

Recipe: Ruby Swiss Chard and White Bean Soup

Light and flaky phyllo dough offers a nice contrast to the soft and creamy green filling of these turnovers. They make perfect hors d’oeuvres or a side dish served with meat and a glass of wine.

Recipe: Winter Green Turnovers

This soup is a nice remedy to those cold, damp winter days. Dashi, a light Japanese broth made from seaweed and flaked bonito fish adds the rich savory flavor without being overly fishy.

Recipe: Asian Greens and Tofu Soup

Kale's hearty texture holds up to the high heat needed to create a crisp pizza crust. Its deep flavor is a great match for spicy chorizo and bold manchego cheese.

Recipe: Kale, Chorizo, and Manchego Pizza

Using fresh chard leaves in place of the usual basil is a great way to enjoy the classic sauce year-round. You could also try spooning the pesto over squares of pan-browned polenta instead of pasta.

Recipe: Swiss Chard Pesto Pasta

Chard stems are sometimes discarded because they’re so much tougher than the leaves. This recipe lets the stems shine by letting them cook a little longer to soften the texture. The toasted breadcrumbs add the crunch that’s missing.

Recipe: Chard-Stem Gratin

Feeling a little adventurous? This classic Indian recipe is full of spiced flavor. Served over steamed jasmine rice with warmed flat bread on the side, it’s a fantastic meal to serve anytime.

Recipe: Curried Spinach with Fresh Cheese (Sag Paneer)

This Asian-inspired salad would also be good made with chicken or shrimp instead of pork.

Recipe: Chinese Black Pepper Pork and Spinach Salad

Warm and crispy veggie fritters accompanied by a crisp seasonal salad makes for a lovely autumn appetizer.

Recipe: Squash and Chickpea Fritters with Winter Greens and Hazelnut Salad

For such a simple, fast recipe, this salad--from chef-partner Steven Redzikowski of Oak at Fourteenth, in Boulder, CO--packs a surprising amount of complexity and flavor. Ichimi togarashi, a Japanese ground red pepper, really makes it pop.

Recipe: Shaved Honeycrisp Apple and Kale Salad

Little bundles of fresh fish make a stunning presentation in this dish. Easy to make, good for you, and incredibly fresh tasting, you can’t go wrong with this one. The butter sauce is the special ingredient that makes it deliciously decadent.

Recipe: Steamed Halibut Packages

The contrast of seared steak filled with greens makes a striking duo here. The roll can be assembled a few hours ahead of time, making this a nice meal for entertaining or a weeknight dinner.

Recipe: Flank Steak Braciole

Pasta and chicken get a burst of color and flavor from the addition of in-season greens. Served with fresh parmesan cheese on top; it’s sure to satisfy everyone at the table.

Recipe: Pappardelle with Chicken and Winter Greens

Get your daily serving of greens baked in a pie. This recipe makes a nice vegetarian main course, a side dish to grilled meats, or an on-the-go lunch item.

Recipe: Chard and Ricotta Torta

If only all vegetarian lasagna tasted this good. The crunchy kale and the puréed squash make a fabulous duo layered between sheets of pasta and tangy tomato sauce.

Recipe: Whole-Wheat Lasagna with Butternut Squash and Kale

Tangy, salty, and a touch of heat is the flavor mix in this non-traditional version of Filipino adobo, given to us by Chef Tim Luym. He suggests serving this slow-cooked dish with steamed rice and a cold beer.

Recipe: Bacon and Kale Adobo

Kale takes the place of lettuce in this twist on traditional Caesar, and wilting the greens on the grill adds a subtle smoky flavor.

Recipe: Grilled Kale Caesar Salad

We love spinach salads. This one is dressed with honey, mustard, mirin, and walnut oil to create something unique. If you don’t have walnut oil, you can substitute another nut oil such, as almond or hazelnut, and switch the chopped nuts to match.

Recipe: Warm Walnut Spinach Salad

Pea shoots can be used raw, or sauteed briefly so they're still crisp. They give this ravioli a nice, healthy crunch.

Recipe: Ravioli with Snap Peas, Pea Shoots, and MInty Pea Pesto

Not to worry--the huge amount of greens in this delicious pasta dish really does cook down. If you have access to fava flowers, they make for a pretty garnish. As a tip, if you can break the new sprigs of fava greens with your fingertips, they're tender enough to eat. Otherwise, eat just the leaves.

Recipe: Linguine with Fava Greens, Shrimp, and Green Garlic

Since the fava greens in this tasty salad are eaten raw, be sure they're very tender. As a tip, serve the greens raw if you want a grassier flavor, or saute them to bring out their nuttiness.

Recipe: Fava Green, Grapefruit, and Flower Salad

Pea shoots are the star in this delicious chicken sandwich. Pick the delicate tendrils and tender new stalks from shelling, snap, or snow pea plants. Avoid sweet-pea plants, as some parts are toxic.

Recipe: Grilled Chicken and Pea Shoot Charmoula Sandwiches

Romaine leaves are sturdy enough to stuff, and they even hold up on the grill. As a harvest tip, pick before the heads bolt (start forming seeds) and get bitter.

Recipe: Grilled Halibut, Lettuce, and Tapenade Bundles

Thanks to Julie and Julia, forgotten French classics like this one are being rediscovered. As a tip, remember that red leaves turn murky when they hit the heat, so stick with green lettuce when you're cooking. And start with a lot--lettuce shrinks!

Recipe: Creamy Lettuce Soup

This recipe is a fresh take on bibimbap, a Korean rice dish traditionally topped with meat, vegetables, egg, and chili paste. It’s fast, easy, and doesn’t require a trip to a specialty store.

Recipe: California-Style Bibimbap

The bracing flavor of mustard or dandelion contrasts nicely with the savory meatballs, but you can use any greens you like (tougher greens, like kale, may require longer cooking). Serve with hot polenta on the side.

Recipe: Giant Pork Meatballs with Bitter Greens

Curry, ginger, and mint give this soup a kick, while puréed chickpeas make it hearty enough to eat as a main course. For the best texture, purée until silky smooth.

Recipe: Creamy Spinach Chickpea Soup

The salad’s flavors tilt toward the Middle East, with a nutty, slightly spicy dressing and pita chips in lieu of croutons. Prep the components in advance so the salad can be thrown together at the last minute, as it wilts quickly.

Recipe: Spinach Salad with Tahini Vinaigrette

There’s a hefty amount of spinach in these gnocchi—which for us justifies the indulgent brown-butter sauce. Shape and freeze the gnocchi ahead, so at dinnertime you can just boil them and make the sauce.

Recipe: Spinach and Ricotta Gnocchi

In our favorite new weeknight meal, kasha and a poached egg rev up greens and smoky pork. The recipe comes from Sandy Sonnenfelt, prepared-foods director at Market Hall Foods and its flagship store, The Pasta Shop in Oakland.

Recipe: Kasha with Kale and Pancetta

We love the play of savory-sweet flavors and big textures in this hearty winter salad from Rocky Maselli of A16 Rockridge in Oakland—and also his foolproof technique for cooking farro.

Recipe: Roasted Kabocha Squash with Farro and Mustard Greens

We adapted this recipe from a forthcoming book on vegetables (Artisan, 2017) by Joshua McFadden, chef and vegetable whisperer at Ava Gene’s in Portland. Creating fluffy ribbons of collard greens is easy when you roll the leaves and slice them crosswise.

Recipe: Collard Greens Salad with Freekeh

Imagine a classic Asian-style rice bowl, but with a risotto-like blend of millet and amaranth as the base. At Vital Root in Denver, chef-owner Justin Cucci tops the grains with loads of vegetables and tofu, then drizzles on a silky tahini sauce.

Recipe: Millet Amaranth Buddha Bowls

Think of mild-flavored, juicy bok choy as an invitation to experiment in the kitchen. It’s especially good with earthy mushrooms. Thoroughly drying the bok choy before cooking ensures that you don’t end up with a watery sauce.

Recipe: Bok Choy and Mushroom Stir-Fry

Chanterelles accent the vibrant, knee-high chard in this recipe.

Recipe: Rainbow Chard with Chanterelles and Walnuts

Contrast the feathery textures of baby Asian greens with the crunch of quick-pickled onion, Asian pear, and sesame seeds. This salad is especially good made with the varieties at left, but feel free to experiment.

Recipe: Pear and Asian Greens Salad

In a season of big eating, braised fish and vegetables are a welcome relief. This version is company-worthy, too, with chard wrappers around fillets and generous garlic and herbs.

Recipe: Cod Bundles with Mushroom Ragout

This gutsy North African dish of eggs poached in a super-flavorful tomato-based sauce gets even better with the addition of a mountain of greens. It makes a great brunch or dinner for a crowd of holiday guests.

Recipe: Green Shakshouka