I know it’s almost Thanksgiving and most food bloggers are posting recipes for pies and cookies and rich Thanksgiving side dishes. But there are some fabulous Thanksgiving style recipes in this post … and I wanted to get you to think a moment about how you want to feel this holiday season.
Sneaking more leafy greens like kale into your diet can you help you maintain your weight, your health and your energy throughout the holidays. We all want to indulge a little during the holidays, but eating too much sugar and rich foods can drain your energy, add pounds and make you more susceptible to illness. Kale is a super food that’s loaded with fiber and nutrients and it’s super versatile and easy to incorporate in sooooo many dishes, from salads to soups to pilafs, pasta, side dishes, dips, appetizers, smoothies and even cocktails.
According to Healthline: A single cup of raw kale (about 67 grams or 2.4 ounces) contains:
- Vitamin A: 206% of the DV (from beta-carotene)
- Vitamin K: 684% of the DV
- Vitamin C: 134% of the DV
- Vitamin B6: 9% of the DV
- Manganese: 26% of the DV
- Calcium: 9% of the DV
- Copper: 10% of the DV
- Potassium: 9% of the DV
- Magnesium: 6% of the DV
- It also contains 3% or more of the DV for vitamin B1 (thiamin), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), iron and phosphorus
All of this with just 33 calories, 6 grams of carbs (2 of which are fiber) and 3 grams of protein. Kale can also help lower cholesterol, fight cancer, protect the eyes, lose weight and just overall feel better. It’s a great addition to your diet any time of year.
But honestly, as much as I love kale and how good it makes me feel, that’s not why I made this roundup. It was for my mom. She asked me to find some good kale recipes for us to try over Thanksgiving weekend. She has two HUGE bags of kale she harvested from her garden. After all the rest of the garden had quit, the hardy kale was still growing. One night she went out and picked it all. Kale keeps a long time in the fridge, and I feel so lucky that we will have fresh garden kale to eat this Thanksgiving. I raided my archives, asked my foodie friends and went scouring about the internet to find these stunning kale recipes. We’re definitely going to be eating lots of kale this holiday season.
After looking at all these, the real question is … which one to try first? Which one looks good to you?
Click on the title of the recipe below or the photo to go to the recipe post.
Roasted Veggie Wild Rice Salad with Kale
Look at all the beautiful flavors in this salad! I could eat THIS for Thanksgiving and be totally satisfied.
Chorizo Zuppa Toscana
Olive Garden made this soup famous … I gave it a little kick. Kale totally rocks in this creamy Italian soup.
Kale Meatball Wraps ~ Ally’s Kitchen
These kale-wrapped meatballs sound like a marvelous meal!
Holiday Quinoa Kale Salad
My sister discovered this salad at a local eatery near her. Last year, she decided we HAD to make it for Christmas dinner. I helped her make it and totally fell in love with it. I will forever after be making this lovely salad for the holidays.
Maple Bacon Kale & Roasted Potatoes ~ Ally’s Kitchen
Just looking at this picture makes my mouth water!
Kale Pizza Crust ~ Sweet as Honey
I’ve made lots of veggie crusts for pizza … why have I never thought to use kale? This is ingenious.
Farro & Kale Salad with Sage Browned Butter Vinaigrette ~ This is How I Cook
Such a colorful salad for wintertime! I want to dive right into that bowl.
Baked Eggs Romesco with Kale & Cheese
This was the gateway recipe to kale for my dad. I didn’t have a clue he didn’t like kale when I served it to him, but he loved this. Ever since then, Mom and Dad always plant kale in their garden. I’m so grateful.
Mango Kale Shrimp Salad ~ Ally’s Kitchen
Ooh shrimp and mango and kale? That’s a salad I could totally dive into!
Roasted Mushroom Kale Quinoa Salad with Blue Cheese & Toasted Walnuts
You might have noticed I love kale and quinoa … and yeah, I love mushrooms and blue cheese too. This salad is a warming autumn salad with lots of different colors and textures that go so well together.
Guac-Kale-Mole ~ Making Thyme for Health
Avocados meet kale. Oh hell yeah! I love this idea of adding kale to guacamole to up the health factor and give it a little more depth of character. I could eat this all day long.
Purple Kale Salad with Blueberry Lime Vinaigrette ~ This is How I Cook
Purple is my favorite color and I’m especially partial to blueberries. Beautiful!
Sausage & Kale Frittata
Kale is a definite friend to sausage and eggs … this cheesy sausage & kale frittata is perfect for brunch on the weekends or an easy weeknight dinner!
Sweet Potato Kale & Quinoa Fritters ~ Yes More Please
Who doesn’t love fritters? Crunchy little fun bites of goodness. These sweet potato kale & quinoa fritters sound like the perfect snack!
Zucchini Kale Fried Rice
We’re huge fans of fried rice in my family … I love to add lots of veggies to give it more flavor, color and texture. This zucchini kale fried rice is loaded with eggs, kale, rice, zucchini and carrots and light on the rice. Toss in some leftover turkey too, if you like!
Andouille Sausage Bean & Kale Stew ~ Ally’s Kitchen
Kale, beans and spicy sausage in a cozy hot stew that’ll warm up your bones this winter!
Asian Chicken Shrimp and Kale Egg Rolls
I love that I can sneak kale into an egg roll filling and my daughter will still eat them. Asian flavors abound in these crunchy baked egg rolls.
Roasted Garlic Kale Hummus ~ Oh my Veggies
Kale is beautiful at sneaking into recipes like this, adding a little health and flavor boost without detracting from the charm. Hummus is definitely one of my all-time recipe favorites … I love the idea of adding kale to up the health factor!
Creamy Pasta with Kale, Mushrooms & Pancetta ~ Strawberries for Supper
Comfort food at its best! I love a good cheesy pasta dish. Kale steps in here to add some flavor, color and health benefits.
Smokehouse Kale & Tomato Salad with Bacon & Feta
Have you tried Blue Diamond Smokehouse almonds? I’m totally addicted to them … so much so I made a salad dedicated to them. With kale. And bacon and marinated feta. You guys, this salad is to die for!
Sausage, Swiss Chard & Kale Fire Roasted Tomato Soup ~ Gluten Free Gathering
A home-made bowl of comfort! This soup is full of colors AND flavors.
Potato Kale & Corn Gratin
I layered kale, corn, purple potatoes and carrots along with cheese, herbs, a creamy white sauce and a crunchy topping to make a gratin fit for a king!
Simple Tuna Burgers with Sauteed Kale ~ Guaca Molly
Sometimes a simple can of tuna can be escalated to epic meal status. Is that gorgeous or what?
Clementine Rice & Kale Salad
This might seem like an unlikely combination of ingredients, but everyone that tastes it seriously loves it! It’s a refreshing citrus burst of flavor with crunch from toasted almonds, chewy kale, basmati rice and juicy sweet clementines. Substitute mandarin or regular oranges … you’ll still get that lovely juicy burst of citrus!
Pepperoni Soup with Zucchini & Kale
My dad introduced me to pepperoni soup … I added kale and zucchini. It’s so freaking good! Hearty and meaty with a wonderful pizza flavor, yet chock full of healthy veggies, with crispy croutons and cheese melted on top.
Gluten Free Apple Kale Chicken Salad
Chicken salad with a kale twist! Go shine.
Mushroom Kale Stuffing
Adding kale to your holiday stuffing gives it a total health boost and everyone will absolutely love the flavor. All those greens cook down and hide inside the stuffing once it’s cooked.
Smoky Italian Kale & White Bean Soup
Beans and kale with Italian seasonings and corn in a smoky good tomato broth. This is a healthy, hearty winter soup.
Baby Kale & Apple Salad ~ Cooking on the Ranch
Kale and apples rock together! This salad sounds wonderful.
Sunflower Kale Bulgur Pilaf
When was the last time you cooked bulgur? Revive this old standard in a healthy, tasty pilaf bursting with colors, textures and flavors.
Winter Kale & Rice Salad ~ Moore or Less Cooking Blog
The flavors and colors in this winter kale & wild rice salad look so good!
Lemony Asparagus & Kale Quinoa
Kale is hardy and might be one of the first veggies to spring forth when things start growing … right there with the asparagus! This lemony asparagus and kale quinoa with toasted pecans celebrates both of these early spring veggies.
Cheesy Seafood Kale Stuffed Eggplant
Kale is right at home with tasty shrimp and crab, cheese, garlic, herbs and tomatoes, stuffed into an eggplant. A meal in an edible bowl!
Gluten Free Chicken Rice & Apple Salad ~ The Gluten Free Gathering
Chicken and rice with apples, dried cranberries and kale are a fabulous light meal or side dish!
West African Peanut Stew
Garlic, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon add an exotic flavor to this hearty sweet potato kale stew. Your taste buds will be entranced.
Ginger Beef Mushroom Kale Stir Fry ~ Gimme Some Oven
Just the photo of this stir fry makes my mouth water! Gimme.
Simple Lemony Kale Salad
Sometimes simplicity is best. This simple salad of kale, lemon vinaigrette, almonds and feta is a quick side that pairs well with lamb, beef or pork.
Honey Bourbon Glazed Beets with Crispy Kale ~ An Affair from the Heart
She had me at bourbon! How good does this sound?
Wilted Kale, Quinoa and Bacon Salad
One of my first excursions into kale and quinoa … and I discovered I really really love them together! My mouth still waters at the memory of it. Because bacon. and Cheese. mmm …
Tropical Kiwi Monster Protein Kale Smoothie
This is a healthy smoothie full of tropical flavors that looks green but tastes like sunshine. Kiwi has been hailed the most nutrient-dense fruit, so pair that with kale and your body will seriously thank you.
Pineapple KaleJito ~ Moore or Less Cooking
Adding kale to your cocktail … say what? Hey, why not? It’s a frozen smoothie cocktail that sounds so good on so many levels!
Strawberry Kale Salad ~ Cooking with Mary & Friends
Strawberry salads are always yummy … this one looks awesome!
Still need more kale recipe inspiration? Here’s a post on 50 things to do with Kale … and I also found a post with 15 recipes for kale chips.
I hope you found some recipes or ideas here that will help you incorporate more healthy kale into your diet. Some people try kale but just can’t get past the bitterness. Try massaging your kale with a little olive oil or lemon juice before using it–this reduces the bitterness significantly.
