Ingredients

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large bunch kale, stemmed and roughly chopped

Kosher salt 

Freshly ground black pepper

Pinch crushed red pepper

Preparation

Step 1In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Step 2Add kale and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, until kale is wilted and tender.

  1. Seasonings are your friends.   Kale doesn’t have to be bland to be healthy. Garlic has it’s benefits too and makes kale taste 1000x better. My go to is always red pepper flakes, but chili powder or curry powder would taste amazing as well. Don’t be scared of kosher salt either! It makes everything good. 
  2. Make it even healthier. If you are trying to make your kale as healthy as possible, skip most of the olive oil. If you use a small skillet, you can get away with just a teaspoon or two of olive oil to sauté the garlic, then add your kale with a couple teaspoons of water and it will wilt down perfectly. 
  3. Make it crispy. If you want some crispy kale chips spread chopped kale on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and bake at 400° for 6 to 8 minutes. It will get crispy and a little charred on the edges. Makes a perfectly healthy chip! 🙌Store these in airtight container at room temp! 
  4. Make a better kale salad.  To make a good kale salad, you must massage it. It sounds weird, but it’s easy, quick, and makes all the difference. “Shred” your kale by slicing your de-ribbed kale VERY thinly. Then add your favorite dressing, season with salt, and use your fingers to rub the dressing into the kale. That’s massaging. And you’ll want to it for around 5 minutes. It’ll tenderize the kale, therefore making it way less bitter and wayyy more appetizing. Store your sautéed kale in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Leftovers are great cold or warmed back up in a skillet. 

Have you upped your kale game yet? Let us know how it’s going in the comments below! Editor’s Note: The introduction to this recipe was updated on September 25, 2020 to include more information about the dish.