Sautéed Kale

By Sam Sifton

Updated December 15, 2024

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
15 minutes
Rating
5(656)
Comments
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This is a technique that elevates basic sauteed greens into something even more savory and tender.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

  • 1 large bunch kale, stemmed, with leaves coarsely chopped

  • ½ cup vegetable stock, white wine or water

  • Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and red-pepper flakes to taste

  • 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

4 grams carbs; 146 calories; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 14 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 266 milligrams sodium; 2 grams protein; 1 gram sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add garlic, and cook until soft.

  2. Step 2

    Add kale to the pan, turn the heat to high and add the stock. Use a spoon to toss the greens in the oil and stock, then cover and cook for approximately 5 to 7 minutes, until it is soft and wilted, but still quite green. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until all the liquid has evaporated, another 1 to 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and peppers, add vinegar and toss to combine.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
656 user ratings
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Comments

Cass

Orange juice is even better than red wine vinegar. It is great with the garlic. First had it made thus way at a Cuban restaurant and have been doing it ever since.

Susan

Oh boy, I took this basic healthy recipe and corrupted it! Happily. Fried 3-4 strips of chopped bacon, drained off most of the fat, did the rest just the same but during the final cooking added some diced leftover cooked fingerling potatoes, then some soon-to-be-unusable chopped cherry tomatoes, then the bacon and oh my yum.

MCD

Saute onions in olive oil on low heat; when golden add garlic. Cook 30 sec-1 min. Add kale to pan with only the water from washing it. Cover and cook until soft and wilted but still green. Remove cover. Add a tablespoon of vinegar of lemon juice (or lemon slices). Season with salt and pepper. Also good with allspice.

Carol S.

Flavors were wonderful, but need to decrease oil by at least half. I used white wine, added shredded rotisserie chicken at the end, with a dash of balsamic vinegar, and tossed until hot (and the chicken browned some, as a bonus). Can imagine adding sliced almonds or some kind of nut/seeds, too.

a cook from Toronto

This was surprisingly good. Used prepackaged chopped kale and only used about 2/3 of the package. Probably could have used it all. Used white wine (a good excuse to open the bottle!) and only 1 Tbsp of red wine vinegar as suggested by other reviewers. That was a good move. Served with farro cooked with chicken stock and miso, and seared salmon. Tasty and healthy!

long-time kale cooker

What kind of kale are you using? There is no way "summer kale", aka curly or frilly kale, would be "soft" in 6-9 minutes.

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