Even though kale might be one of the healthiest veggies around — it's packed with vitamins, minerals, and cancer-fighting phytonutrients — it's also incredibly versatile. It's great in soups, smoothies, and almost everything in between. Here are 19 ways to prepare this hearty, healthy green.
For a powerhouse salad loaded with flavor, try this kale and quinoa salad. With vitamins A, C, and K (kale) and healthy fats, protein, and fiber (quinoa), it's a healthy lunch option that will fill you up.
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2Pineapple, Kale, and Blueberry Smoothie
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For days when you're feeling a bit bloated, try this flat-belly smoothie. Ingredients like pineapple and blueberries help to reduce belly fat and diminish bloat, while the kale (which you can't taste) offers fiber to relieve constipation. Best part? It's under 300 calories!
Pleasing the palates of toddlers and foodies alike, kale chips are all the rage. Using few ingredients, this recipe makes a great alternative to potato chips as a party snack or midafternoon treat.
Please taste buds and diet plans alike by swapping the calorie-busting spinach dip with this kale ricotta dip. It tastes almost as creamy and just as delicious — seriously, you'll be surprised. And at only 24 calories per 1/4-cup serving (not to mention a good dose of vitamin A), it's practically guilt free.
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6Simple Raw Salad
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The secret to tender, raw kale leaves is revealed in this kale salad. The leaf-marinating process, which involves letting the kale rest under a lemon and olive oil dressing for one hour, relaxes the leaves and makes them the prime base for any starter course. Throw in pine nuts and feta, and we might have found the new Greek salad.
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7Glowing Green Smoothie
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Nutritionist Kimberly Snyder recommends her Glowing Green Smoothie, featuring kale, to clients to "rejuvenate skin, fight aging, and increase energy." She also recommends the juice as part of a healthy weight-loss program. Made up of about 70 percent green vegetables (and 30 percent fruit), this smoothie helps you eat far more kale than you ordinarily could.
This better-than-Trader-Joe's kale salad isn't anything to laugh about. Loaded with protein-rich legumes like chickpeas and edamame, this is one kale dish that will leave you full for hours. Inspiration for this recipe comes from a Trader Joe's prepackaged salad, but this version is not only cheaper, but also ecologically friendly.
Double your dose of cruciferous veggies by mixing brussels sprouts with kale in this shredded salad. It's POPSUGAR Food's favorite Fall salad recipe and makes a refreshing side dish for any meal.
Pesto isn't just reserved for basil. This recipe tosses raw kale and sunflower seeds into a food processor with lemon and a few more ingredients to create kale pesto. This healthy pesto is great on pasta or whole grain bread but would also work well as a dip for raw veggies.
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15Kale Gratin
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In a perfect world, the words "healthy" and "gratin" could coexist in one recipe. Lucky for you, it's here! This provencal kale and cabbage gratin is composed of a whole lot of greens with a slice of gruyère cheese. Serve it as your main entree, and skip the side salad.
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16Spicy Kale Chips
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Experiment with flavor and make a batch of spicy miso kale chips. These crisps take a little more effort than the former, but they're well worth the effort. After whisking the pretty leaves with miso and rice wine vinegar, they practically cook themselves. In 10 minutes, you have your next munch-worthy table snack.
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17Kale Caesar Salad
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An eggless kale caesar salad is a healthy (and addictive!) alternative to a standard caesar, with fewer calories and more hearty greens.
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18Baby Kale Salad
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Spice up a kale salad by adding some of your favorite flavor combinations tossed in with a nutritious baby kale base.
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Salmon With Crispy Cabbage and Kale
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This simple recipe offers up three superfoods. It takes only one pan to prepare, making cleanup super easy too.