Curly leaf kale

Kale is a fantastic and nutritious green vegetable.  Kale is part of the cabbage family and comes in many varieties which are usually classified by leaf type (curly, Lacinato, Tuscan, Dinosaur and Russian Red, just to name a few).  If you are looking for a lot of bang for your buck on the nutritional scale, kale is high up there.

Even when eaten raw, kale is not too bitter and can add something extra to your salads or sandwiches.  Kale has many uses.  Kale is often used in juicing and paired with berries.  It can be steamed, added to omelets, and used as a veggie wrap in place of a traditional “carb” wrap.  It’s much thicker compared to lettuce and spinach and typically has a thick stem.

The stem is edible; however, if you would like to use it in soups or other dishes, cutting the stem away is very easy.

Make sure you always wash your kale first.

Flip your kale leaf over to expose the thicker part of the stem.

Bottom side of kale

You can either pull the kale away from the stem with your hand or using a knife cut down along the base of the stem.  You can continue to cut the kale into chucks or just rip with your hands into bit size pieces.

Getting ready to slice along the stem

If you’re worried about your family not wanting to try it, give soup a chance first.  Its flavor blends nicely with stock.