20 Best Kale Recipes for Weeknight Dinners and Feasts
These dishes'll make you say "Kale, yes!"
Call us old-fashioned, but we're crazy for kale. Once the internet's favorite green thing, it may not be having its heyday anymore, but it's still flourishing in our hearts (and our gardens). Those sturdy green leaves are just what we want when making picnic-worthy kale salads, or holding up in warming fall kale soups. Whether you prefer it curly or lacinato (dinosaur style), sautéed kale makes a simple and delicious side to go with steak or chicken (we have both creamy and regular versions), and if you're eating meatless, then vegetarian kale recipes will fill you up. And of course, it wouldn't be a Thanksgiving feast without at least one kale dish on the table!
Kale Salad with Pickled Cranberries and Crispy Quinoa
This flavor-packed salad might be the ultimate fall side dish. Sweet-tart cranberries, crunchy grains, apples, pistachios, and plenty of greens. You'll be going back for seconds!
Get the recipe for Kale Salad with Pickled Cranberries and Crispy Quinoa.
Sweet Potato Kale Frittata
Equally at home as a weekend brunch or a fast and filling breakfast-for-dinner option, this eggy dish is a great way to use up that bunch in your fridge.
Chicken-and-Fennel Panzanella
This smart recipe makes a savory bread salad out of kale and fennel, then pairs it with a delicious seared chicken.
Winter Greens & Citrus Salad
Though you can technically use any fall greens in this citrus salad, kale's mild flavor is a particular favorite.
Roasted Chicken with Fennel and Tomatoes
Another great roast chicken dinner, this features kale as more of a garnish, rounding out some roast fennel and tomatoes.
Get the recipe for Roasted Chicken with Fennel and Tomatoes.
Steakhouse Steaks with Creamy Kale
This yum-fest of a side dish tastes like that steakhouse classic, creamed spinach, but without the spinachy taste. It's great with steak of course, but we'll pair it with practically any protein.
Breaded Pork Cutlet with Kale Salad
Here's a tasty raw kale salad that offers plenty of flavor. Don't skimp on the avocado!
Winter Pesto
Kale makes a surprisingly good substitute for basil in this winter pesto pasta dish. The result is mild and agreeable.
Chicken-and-Quinoa Minestrone
Want to add body and flavor to a quick fall soup? Chopped kale is just the thing for standing up to the heat without disappearing altogether.
Orzo Pasta Salad
Equally at home as a fast dinner or as a picnic side, this eminently scoopable pasta salad makes use of kale's ability to resist wilting.
Pesto Chicken Minestrone
Want a cool-weather soup that just can't be beat? Chicken, tortellini, beans, kale, and veggies are just the thing.
Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Cauliflower-Pomegranate Salad
This Sunday supper makes the absolute most of all those roast beef juices by using them to flavor a hot veggie salad that gets made in the same roasting pan.
Get the recipe for Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Cauliflower Salad.
Sautéed Kale with Garlic and Red Onions
This simple classic side dish is equally at home on the Thanksgiving table and any weeknight when you need a quick green to go with dinner.
Chopped Collard and Kale Salad
Two kinds of chopped greens, plus all the best add-ins, make this bulky salad a filling treat.
Baked Kale Gratin
To help this side dish casserole live its best life, we modeled it after one of the most irresistible treats we could think of: spinach artichoke dip.
Roasted Beet-and-Squash Salad
Hefty veggies like winter squash and beets get just a touch lighter with fresh kale, dressed in an unbeatable sweet vinaigrette.
Kale and Chicken Pita Salad
20 minutes is all that stands between you and this weeknight dinner.
Creamed Kale Gratin
We maintain anything can be made kid-friendly by simply adding cheese.
Chickpea, Kale, and Tomato Salad
Here's a picnic salad that's tailor-made for a cool fall day. Chickpeas and the last of the season's tomatoes complete it.
Sautéed Pork Chops with Kale
Another simple side dish: Sautéed kale pairs easily and well with a well seasoned pork chop.
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