You can eat kale year-round, but it tastes a bit sweeter in the winter, making these dishes just that more delicious. This collection features our most-visited kale recipes—from soups and stews to skillets and grain bowls, so we’re sure you’ll love them. Make our Really Green Smoothie and Massaged Kale Salad with Roasted Sweet Potato & Black Beans, and you’ll be running to buy more kale.
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Slow-Cooker Vegetable Soup
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This weight-loss vegetable soup fills you up without a lot of calories, plus it's an easy way to eat more vegetables.
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Skillet Lemon Chicken & Potatoes with Kale
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This easy one-pan skillet-roasted lemon chicken is perfect for weeknight dinners. Juicy chicken thighs are cooked in the same pan as baby potatoes and kale for a satisfying meal with the added bonus of minimal cleanup.
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Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Diet Stew
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With a focus on vegetables, fiber-rich legumes and healthy fats, this slow-cooker stew fits the bill forthose following the Mediterranean diet. Swap out the chickpeas for white beans for a different twist, or try collards or spinach in place of the kale. A drizzle of olive oil to finish pulls together the flavors of this easy vegan crock pot stew.
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Massaged Kale Salad with Roasted Sweet Potato & Black Beans
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Loaded with roasted sweet potatoes and shallots, black beans, quinoa, feta and pepitas, this salad makes for a satisfying meatless meal. Not only does massaging the kale tenderize it, it also helps the greens absorb more of the bright dressing.
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Chicken & Kale Soup
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This easy chicken and kale soup will keep you warm on a cold and rainy day or any day that calls for a simple, hearty soup. For convenience, you can make this soup with frozen kale without the need to thaw it beforehand.
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Kale & Chickpea Grain Bowls
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This veggie-heavy bowl is loaded with crunch and color, thanks to crispy carrots and chickpeas, fresh kale and a vibrant avocado dressing. It also delivers more than 50% of your daily dose of fiber, key for weight loss, energy and healthy digestion. Bulgur, also called cracked wheat, is a quick-cooking whole grain. These bowls would be excellent make-ahead lunches. Pack the avocado mixture separately, adding a little water to thin it as needed.
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Really Green Smoothie
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The combination of kale and avocado makes this healthy smoothie recipe extra green. Chia seeds lend a heart-healthy punch of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.
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Vegetarian Potato-Kale Soup
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This healthy soup recipe has a rich, yet light and velvety texture. Serve with crusty bread and a glass of wine for a cozy meal.
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Vegan Superfood Grain Bowls
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This nutrient-packed grain bowl recipe comes together in 15 minutes with the help of a few convenience-food shortcuts like prewashed baby kale, microwavable quinoa and precooked beets. Pack these ahead to keep on hand for easy meal-prep lunches or dinners on busy nights.
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Roasted Kalettes
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Kalettes, a cross between kale and Brussels sprouts, cook quickly in a hot oven in this easy vegetable side dish recipe.
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Herby Fish with Wilted Greens & Mushrooms
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This healthy fish recipe makes a tasty and easy weeknight meal. Serve with wild rice or roasted potatoes.
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Vegetable Weight-Loss Soup
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A big bowl of this vegetable soup will leave you satisfied for hours without consuming a lot of calories, which is helpful when trying to lose weight. Plus, it's an easy way to boost your vegetable servings for the day.
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Chickpea Pasta with Mushrooms & Kale
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Loading up your pasta with vegetables like the kale and mushrooms here is not only delicious, it also makes the meal more satisfying.
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Copycat Chick-fil-A Kale Salad
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This copycat Chick-fil-A kale salad has a sweet and tangy dressing coating tender kale and cabbage leaves that have been gently massaged. This salad can sit for an hour or two; just be sure to toss it before serving to redistribute the dressing.
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Spaghetti Squash Soup with Sausage
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This easy soup is a great way to showcase the versatility of spaghetti squash. Sweet Italian sausage pairs well with the subtle sweetness of the squash. The broth that coats the thin strands of spaghetti squash is flavorful and light.
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Sweet Potato, Kale & Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing
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These hearty kale salads hold up well for 4 days, making them perfect for meal-prep lunches. To keep the ingredients from getting soggy, dress this salad and top it with peanuts just before serving. For a delicious vegan option, swap in roasted tofu for the chicken breast (see Associated Recipes).
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Kale & Quinoa Salad with Lemon Dressing
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This kale-quinoa salad pops with different flavors and textures. Massaging the kale helps break down its fibrous nature, while add-ins like toasted almonds, feta and cucumber add crunch and saltiness.
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Sauteed Broccoli & Kale with Toasted Garlic Butter
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In this easy vegetable side dish, broccoli and kale are drizzled with a butter, garlic and crushed red pepper sauce. Serve this healthy recipe alongside roasted chicken, turkey or ham--or on top of your favorite whole grain, such as quinoa or farro.
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Kale & Banana Smoothie
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This simple and sweet kale and banana smoothie is also versatile: Use cow's milk for a milkshake-style smoothie, oat milk for more sweetness, or a nut milk for more protein.
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Kale & White Bean Potpie with Chive Biscuits
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In this vegetarian white bean potpie recipe, kale and hearty white beans are topped with easy, homemade chive biscuits. If desired, add a little shredded Gruyère or Cheddar cheese to the biscuit dough.
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Massaged Kale Salad
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Here a pungent garlicky dressing is infused into kale by massaging the greens and the dressing together with your hands. Any type of kale will work in this recipe, just remember to remove the tough stems before you start.
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