26 Favorite Kale Recipes

Curly. The standard grocery market kale, with springy, ruffled leaves and a robust flavor.

Red Russian. An heirloom variety with tender, flat, reddish-green leaves and mild flavor. Look for it at farmers’ markets.

Tuscan. Also known as Lacinato kale, cavolo nero, and dinosaur (or “dino”) kale, this deep green, bumpy variety tastes earthy and a bit nutty.

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

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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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

Not just for salads anymore--try this delicious version of healthy kale.

Recipe: Crispy Grilled Kale with Creamy Sesame Dressing

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

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

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

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

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

Seattle-Vancouver chef Meeru Dhalwala puts layers of Indian seasonings in her non-traditional curry.

Recipe: Winter Greens Curry

This quick whole-meal salad is perfect for a busy weeknight.

Recipe: Grilled Chicken and Kale Salad with Tahini Lemon Dressing

Five kinds of winter vegetables, including kale, go into this hearty stew.

Recipe: Lentil Stew with Winter Vegetables

Lacinato kale (often sold as "dinosaur kale" or "Tuscan kale") is a little crisper when roasted than ordinary kale, and its shape looks prettier on the plate. Flavor-wise, though, regular kale would be just fine to use. Serve the kale on its own as a snack, or as part of a composed plate with pork chops and spiced pears for a great autumn meal.

Recipe: Roasted Winter Kale

This soothing, satisfying combination takes only 30 minutes to make.

Recipe: Whole-Grain Pasta Soup with Greens and Parmesan

Every time reader Maya Conrad (of Arcata, CA) brings this salad to potlucks, she leaves with several requests for the recipe. She likes to make a little extra for workday lunches since it holds up well.

Recipe: Asian Kale Salad

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

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

A simple vinaigrette and creamy goat cheese perfectly dress crisp and crunchy veggies. Quinoa adds a punch of protein to a main-dish vegetarian salad that’s sure to please.

Recipe: Kale Salad with Red Quinoa, Fennel, and Carrots

Here’s a simple way to cook one of winter’s most flavorful vegetables. Try it with cooked penne or orecchiette; stirred into sautéed mushrooms; added to a Spanish-style potato omelet; or folded into quiche.

Recipe: Kale Ribbons