After a week of vacation I’m so ready to get back to business, back to a good routine, and back to healthy eating. I made some awesome “bowl meals” yesterday to eat for the rest of the week, but as I was building my bowls I realized that this Sesame Kale really needed a recipe post all of its own. It’s probably one of the easiest side dishes you’ll ever make and it’s absolutely scrumptious. Pair it with any Asian inspired dish to make sure your meal is well rounded and that you’re getting your greens. :)
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What Kind of Kale is Best for Sesame Kale?
I used lacinato kale (or dinosaur kale) because I really like the texture and appearance. I find the flat leaves a little easier to work with than curly kale and once cooked the appearance kind of reminds me of glossy seaweed. If you can’t get lacinato kale or the curly kind is a bit cheaper, it really does work just as well as lacinato, so use whatever works for you.
I used this Sesame Kale in my Chili Garlic Tofu Bowls this week. :D
Sesame Kale
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1 bunch lacinato (dino) kale ($1.49)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ( $0.02)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.09)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil ( $0.11)
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds ($0.08)
Instructions
- Remove the woody stems from the kale leaves either by slicing down each side with a sharp knife, or by pinching the leaf at the base and pulling out toward the tip. Stack the leaves and then slice crosswise into one inch wide strips. Wash the leaves well in a colander with cool running water.
- Mince the of garlic and add it to a large pot with one tablespoon of neutral cooking oil (or your favorite cooking oil). Sauté the garlic for about one minute over medium heat.
- Add the washed kale leaves to the pot. Stir and cook the kale until it is wilted and glossy (about 5 minutes). If you prefer a more tender leaf, cook longer.
- Add the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and sesame seeds to the pot. Stir to coat. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Serve warm.
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Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Sesame Kale – Step by Step Photos
Start with one bunch of kale. I like to use lacinato kale because I find it easier to work with. Remove the stems either with a knife, or by holding the base in one hand, pinching near the base with the other hand and sliding it down toward the tip. The pinched fingers will pull the leaves from the stem and then the stem will naturally break where it becomes tender. Once the stems are removed, stack the leaves and then slice them crosswise into one-inch wide strips.
Wash the kale leaves well with cool water in a colander.
Mince two cloves of garlic and sauté them for about one minute in a large pot over medium heat with one tablespoon of your favorite cooking oil.
Add the washed kale to the pot. Continue to stir and cook until the kale is wilted and glossy. I like my kale to still have a bit of body and chew to it, so I only cook for about 5 minutes. If you like it softer, cook longer.
Finally, add 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, and 1 Tsp sesame seeds to the pot. Stir to coat the kale. Taste and adjust any of the seasonings to your liking, then serve. You can also add some red pepper flakes if you like things spicy, or a touch of honey if you prefer to soften the bitter flavor of the greens.
This is the toasted sesame oil that I used. The bottle doesn’t specifically say “toasted” but you can tell that it is toasted by the dark amber color. Regular sesame oil is a light straw color, like canola. Toasted sesame oil has a MUCH stronger nutty flavor. It’s more expensive, but because it’s so potent you only need a little to make a big difference, so one small bottle like this will last a long time.
And that’s it! I ate so much of this Sesame Kale while I was shooting the photos that I might just have to go back to the store and get more kale to make a second batch. :P
A suggestion for the rinsing step, put the sliced kale in a large bowl of water for a few minutes. Move the leaves about in the water, then let sit for 5 minutes or longer if you have the time. All the sand/soil will fall to the bottom of the bowl and the kale will plump a bit as it rehydrates in the water which will make the cooking process easier. When ready to drain, lift the kale out the bowl and into a colander with your hands, letting the sand remain at the bottom of the bowl.
I was looking for a new way to cook kale besides kales chips when I found this recipe. It was easy and delicious. I plan to make it regularly.
I’m using kale from my garden so “a bunch” can be as much or as little as I want. Could you give me an approximate weight of kale for this recipe? Thanks :)
About 1lb!
It was very good, but it felt like something was missing so I added some ouster sauce and was very happy with the results!
Very good. I did sauté the kale for longer, added a bit water and covered to increase tenderness. Will definitely make again.
Do you think this same base idea would work with some Napa cabbage?
Sure! A simple sautéed cabbage is never a bad idea, IMHO. :)
I’ve been making this recipe for years now. Don’t even need to reference Beth’s recipe anymore because I’ve made it so many times. I brown cashews at the end with the kale, then I complete the meal with rice and a white fish like tilapia. Even my picky 3 year old gobbles this down!
When I saw this I said to myself, I could it this better than I could seaweed salad. I also did not realize that it was cooked. I think I would like this raw.
I love this but kind of like a thicker sauce. If I wanted to thicken the sauce, could I add a little bit of cornstarch so it would thicken on heat? If yes, do you know how much I should add?
Thank you!!!
Cornstarch does thicken sauces when heated, yes, but there isn’t really enough here (volume wise) to make a true sauce. I would instead maybe try something like this Teriyaki Sauce.
I was looking for a recipe that would mimic some delicious kale I had at a restaurant and this was perfect! I’ve made it multiple times. The lacinato kale bunches at my local store are usually on the smaller side so I have always cooked up two bunches. I don’t quite double the other ingredients – I think it still tastes good with a little less soy sauce & oil than directed. The last time I made it I just kept the woody stems on – way less work than trimming them off – and I actually like the texture of them, so moving forward I’m just going to keep the stems on. It saved a lot of time, making this recipe super quick, delicious, and healthy. This recipe is going in my regular rotation! It works as a side or can be added to veggie + grain bowls.
Delicious recipe. I used curly kale greens. Quick & easy. Will definitely fix it again.
The kale at our store looked old so I decided to try making this with collard greens. A little more bitter than kale, but still yummy! Only took a minute to whip up a nutrient packed side, which I really appreciate. Will be making it again!
This recipe is so easy and delicious! I use this as a side with a bunch of different dishes, or even as lunch with rice and a fried egg!
Delicious! I made this as a side for pork & peanut dragon noodles (subbed turkey for the pork since it’s what I had) and the sesame oil in this was a great balance for the spicy noodles. I thought the kale was a bit salty – as a standalone side dish, next time I might just do 1/2 tbsp of soy sauce. But if this was in a rice bowl, I can see that you would want the stronger soy sauce flavor since it will get soaked up by rice.
I was sitting her at 10pm craving cookies and then I remembered THIS kale salad. This trumps the midnight snack of cookies. It’s that good.
Well that’s great to hear! :)
HI THERE, I grow a lot of chard , was looking for a new recipe , and found your site ,if you all have a garden ,get seed for Barese chard from Bakers Creek and or Victory Seed, and color chard and a thick stem chard luscious you can parma bread and fry stems ,,,oh lost my head ,,,could not find any Chard recipes so I used chard ,,,,really a delight …Chard Any One ?????????
Oh, this is funny. I have a lot of chard and love it, and I also have kale and am less of a fan yet working on it, this recipe might help with the kale. As for the Chard, I am pleased to hear you made this with Chard, Joseph! As Now I might give it a try with both
Every time I make this, it usually doesn’t even make it on to a plate because I’m eating it out of the pan. It’s so delicious I can’t wait! Really great recipe and helps me get my veggies in
I really loved this recipe! I’m a little meh about kale. have only tried it a few ways so far and I’m glad I have this easy recipe now too! We tend to buy a big bag of kale when we get it because it’s cheaper, but we usually end up wasting a lot of it so I’m glad I can use this to quickly cook up what’s left over. Our kale was really curly, but I’ll have to look for the flatter kind you made it with sometime. Thanks for another winner!
Made this tonight to go along some turmeric meatballs and chickpeas that I roasted, tasted great and was the perfect side dish, will try it again with some Thai Chicken Meatballs & Sesame Noodles that I make in the summer. I love new ways to change up kale!
Making this tonight and I can’t wait to try it. I am new to your site and I just love love love it. I made the black eyed peas and greens the other day and both my children and I loved it and then on Sunday I made the Spinach and eggs bake and my son immediately said “Mom, don’t you dare lose this recipe! Its a keeper!!”
Great recipe. I just made and ate this. Super easy and delicious!
My daughter in law made this for us last week when we went to their house for dinner. It was delicious! My taste buds crave to enjoy it again soon. So she emailed me the link to the recipe. The sesame oil and garlic were the perfect compliment to the kale. Thank you!
Tried it and really enjoyed it, even my boyfriend who thinks greens are for rabbits ate it. I made it with sweet and sour pork chops over some rice! Thanks for the recipe
This was super easy and so yummy. We used kale from our garden abd we ate it with sweet and sour chicken and rice.
Hi Beth! Love your blog. Do you think this recipe would work with frozen kale?
Yes, I think these flavors would still be great with frozen kale. I think the texture is definitely better with fresh kale, but it will technically “work” with frozen.
I tried this recipe with bok choy and it was amazing!
This was so good – I cooked mine in coconut oil, and it came out perfect. So easy. Will be adding this into the rotation for sure.
I could only get curly kale but we both loved this recipe. I served it with some Asian flavoured beef kebabs which was perfect but ate a fair bit of it whilst still preparing the meal. I couldn’t stop because it was so delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe.
Beth,
Curious as to what a “bunch” of Kale is. How much is a bunch?
I’m fortunate to live near a green grocer who regularly offer large 3/4-1 lb bundles of a variety of greens. Most of which look to be much larger than your photo of a bunch.
Unfortunately these bunches don’t have a weight listed on them. :( It was about the size of a medium bouquet of flowers? LOL not the best description, I know. I think this amount of seasoning would be enough for anywhere between 1/2 to one pound, though. Any excess just drips off to the bottom of the pot.
If you were to measure (or weigh) your kale after it’s been removed from the stem but before it’s been cooked, how much would you say there is?
Sometimes my local grocery stores don’t have very nice-looking bunches, but they’ve always got bagged precut kale that looks ok. I have no sense of how much would make a bunch that way, though!
I love this stuff, by the way.
I know, it’s hard because my bunches didn’t have a weight listed on them and I don’t know if I could even come close to estimating the weight. The seasoning is very flexible, though. You can’t really get too much because any excess just drips off into the pot. If it tastes too bland, you can always just add an extra splash of soy sauce and/or sesame oil.
Adding this side dish to my dinner tonight!
This was awesome! I had never tried this type of kale before. The seasoning and steaming was perfect!
This looks like such a great, easy side. Thank you so much for sharing it!
I actually prefer curly kale, and I usually saute it in a bit of olive oil with a little garlic and onion powder. I’ll have to try your recipe to shake things up a bit!
Oooh, this relatively simple recipe excites me quite a bit. You mentioned making some bowl meals with it, so now I’m curious – will we see such recipes in the near future?
Thanks to this recipe I’m now actually trying to incorporate it into a bowl recipe of my making – I plan on a combination of sesame kale and Asian-flavored roasted chickpeas (there’s a bunch of variations, like soy sauce+sesame oil+ chili powder) served all together on top of fresh rice. Thanks for the inspiration, and hopefully I’m on to something here with this little bit of culinary exploration!
In the meantime, keep up the absolutely fantastic work here!
The bowl recipe just went live. :)
This looks great! How do you think coconut oil would work?
I think that would work great. :)
My 83-year-old mother has loved kale all her life. Now my 23-year-old son has started eating it as a salad. Mom always steamed/boiled hers. This recipe looks really flavorful.
Looks delicious and simple. Here is a tip: Store that expensive, long lasting sesame oil in the refrigerator. That will keep it from going rancid at room temperature. I live in Florida and use oil sparingly, so I’ve learned the hard way to keep them in the fridge.
This might be the thing that convinces me to eat kale. I’ve tried to like it, and haven’t been able to make it happen. Except in the lovely calorie dense sausage kale potato soup.
This is so simple but sound so delicious. I love kale.
Do you know sukuma-wiki, a dish from Kenya? Total comfort food. Mashed potatoes, with corn and red beans (makes a whole protein), onions, and finely minced kale or sukuma wiki, a related green, mixed in raw. The hot potatoes cook the kale and the mincing lets the cholorphyll get out and turn the mix a bright green! You eat it with your fingers. Playing with food is encouraged–it is another sensual link to what you’re eating.
That sounds AWESOME. :D