Kale Dishes To Upgrade Your Dinner Routine Easy Meals

From vibrant salads to savory soups, this list has something to satisfy every palate and dietary preference. Get ready to discover the delicious and nutritious world of kale with these diverse and easy recipes. Kale is a versatile autumn and winter leafy green vegetable with a bitter-sweet flavor and many health benefits. For many more 30-minute meal ideas, check out our 30-minute meal category page.

Our best kale recipes

1. Sauteed kale

The first recipe on our list is this 10–minute vegetable side dish; sauteed kale is super easy to make at home. Pair it with olive oil, garlic, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for an aromatic, bright, and healthy side dish.

2. Crispy kale chips

Crispy, healthy, and a green alternative to crisps, these bright green kale chips are lovely as an appetizer, side dish, or snack. These chips also add flavorful addition to salads; add them as a fun topping to butternut squash salad or avocado salad.

3. Kale salad

It’s a perfect wholesome side dish, colorful appetizer, or a healthy lunch and dinner idea. It’s even better as a make-ahead meal since it stores great in the fridge for several days. It is handy for putlocks and as a lunchbox meal as well. Serve it as a wholesome dinner or vibrant lunch, and confidently store it in the fridge as it keeps well for several days.

5. Kale pesto

Easy, tasty, and vibrant, this kale pesto recipe is ready in 5 minutes and made with simple ingredients. Use it in sandwiches, pasta, and crostini as an appetizer – the serving options are endless. It’s super easy to make vegetarian or vegan by subbing your favorite dairy-free cheese alternatives, and it’s a great way to use kale leftovers.

8. Kale soup

Kale is perfect in soups and stews, especially with a rich tomato sauce. This creamy and comforting kale soup is a 30-minute recipe filled to the brim with beans, veggies, and tomato flavor.

7. Easy kale pesto pasta

This 20-minute creamy kale pesto pasta is a fall and winter dinner favorite. Make it with our tasty kale pesto for a wholesome and quick meal that kids and adults will love. You can expect a wholesome and comforting meal to feed your whole family, excellent for cold winter days and perfect to make ahead.

10. Lentil soup

Here’s an Italian–inspired soup with plenty of kale and wholesome greens. This lentil soup is an excellent everyday dinner and make-ahead meal, as you can store it for up to 5 days in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer. They are wholesome, nutritious, stuffed with a mushroom and kale filling, and garnished with a quick and tasty white sauce.

12. Curry lentil soup

lentils and potatoes are a great match with kale as you pair leafy greens and potassium–rich carrots. This soup is warming, nourishing, and family–friendly, and it is a reader favorite for pairing kale and legumes in an easy meal. Make it extra nutritious by adding fresh or frozen leafy greens such as kale, spinach, baby spinach, chard, and broccoli rabe.

14. Easy chickpea curry

Creamy, rich, and with a perfect Indian spice mix, this chickpea curry is an excellent weeknight-dinner idea. Make it green by adding spinach or kale, either fresh or frozen. Add them in 10 minutes before the curry is ready, and enjoy with a serving of white rice.

15. Sweet potato chickpea stew

Make this creamy chickpea stew even more colorful and nutritious by adding spinach or kale just 5 minutes before the chickpea stew is ready. Stir them in, allow them to wilt – it takes about 5 minutes – then serve the curry with your favorite grain or bread for a comforting yet healthy dinner. We find that this step is useful and makes the kale more tender when you want to consume raw kale. You should feel some of the fiber break off. Don’t over-massage. We don’t want flimsy kale. The lemon and salt help us break down some more rigid kale fiber.

Dinner ideas that pair well with kale

Try these flavor-packed and veggie–rich dinner ideas; they’re easy to make at home and family-friendly:

Lentil curry (lentils, coconut milk, diced tomatoes, cumin, turmeric, curry, garam masala). Spaghetti aglio e olio (spaghetti, garlic, parsley, red pepper flakes, olive oil). Red lentil soup (split red lentils, canned tomatoes, garlic, onion, rosemary). Cherry tomato pasta (cherry tomatoes, spaghetti, fresh basil, parmesan, etc.) Whole roasted cauliflower (cauliflower, harissa, tahini sauce, chimichurri). Stuffed eggplant (eggplant, cherry tomatoes, basil, green pesto).

Lentil Curry

Chickpea Salad

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Our aim is to help you and your family eat more veggies through delicious recipes with simple ingredients. Easy right? Comment * Name Email Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me when Louise or Nico reply to my comment.

Δ Our aim is to help you and your family eat more veggies through delicious recipes with simple ingredients.