Serves 4
Photo by Kate Lewis
This easy sautéed garlicky kale with tahini dressing is the recipe that started my kale journey, and it’s still the way I most often serve the leafy green. Cooking kale perfectly will never go out of style, and the secret to the best kale of your life is super simple: thinly slice your garlic. Sliced garlic creates caramelized bites that are at once mellow and explosive. Lots of garlic, olive oil, a few splashes of water, and about five minutes is all you really need.
I always keep tahini dressing in my fridge because it tastes great on everything, but especially for kale purposes. A drizzle of this lush, lemony, garlicky tahini dressing with fresh parsley turns a simple side into something you’ll crave and build a meal around. The dressing recipe makes way more than you need here, but that’s on purpose…you’ll use the rest on salads, sandwiches, falafel, grain bowls, and probably your fingers.
You can use whatever kale you have and it will result in deliciousness: curly, lacinato, red Russian, that prepackaged stuff from the grocery store, doesn’t matter. The results are always spot on. So let’s keep the kale party going, people!
A little backstory: This Sautéed Kale With Garlic & Tahini Dressing is from my very first cookbook, Vegan With a Vengeance. It’s been around for a long time and it’s still in heavy rotation in my kitchen. Some recipes you outgrow. This one just keeps showing up.
A few of my recipes that would love this kale:
Any Mac & Cheese
FAQ FOR THE BEST KALE OF YOUR LIFE
How should I prep the kale? Strip the leaves from the thick center stems. I just use my hands to rip the kale into pieces.
Should I cook the stems? Discard any that are very tough and woody at the bottom, you’ll know them when you see them. But anything else can be thinly sliced and tossed in with the kale. They add a nice crunch and cook up just fine.
Why thinly slice the garlic instead of mincing? Thin slices get golden and crispy in the oil without burning as fast as minced garlic does. They also distribute more evenly through the kale and give you those little caramelized garlicky chips in every bite. It makes a real difference.
Any tips for thinly slicing the garlic? Use the sharpest knife you’ve got, that’s really the key. If you’ve seen Goodfellas, a razor blade works too. Some people use a mandoline, but I am not those people because I value my fingertips. Whatever you use, just try to slice evenly so the garlic cooks evenly. Uniform slices mean everything gets golden at relatively the same rate.
How do I keep the garlic from burning? Keep it moving! Stir frequently during those first 2 minutes and watch the heat. You want golden brown, not dark brown. The second it looks golden, add the kale. If it seems to be burning remove from heat and push it to the side of the pan until the danger is over.
Can I use a different green? Collard greens or Swiss chard would both work. Collards will take a couple extra minutes, chard will cook faster. If using spinach it will just take a minute or two since it wilts so fast. I love this recipe with savoy spinach, which is sort of a mix between spinach and kale, if you can find it.
Can I use prepackaged kale? Absolutely. It works just fine. Just make sure it’s coarsely chopped. Some bagged kale is cut too small and will overcook.
Can I make the tahini dressing ahead of time? Yes, and it keeps for about a week in the fridge. It will thicken as it sits, so thin it out with a little water when you’re ready to use it. Keep it on the thinner side when you first make it for this reason.
Do I need a blender for the dressing? A blender gives you the smoothest result, but a food processor works too. In a pinch you could whisk it by hand, just make sure to grate or press the garlic instead of using whole cloves.
What should I serve this kale with? Oh, like anything. Vegan meatloaf, barbeque, mac & cheese, grain bowls, roasted tofu, baked potatoes, pasta, or alongside beans and rice. It’s also really good piled on top of pizza or stuffed into a wrap with some chickpeas and pickled onions.
Sautéed Kale With Garlic & Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
For the kale:
- 6 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound kale well rinsed and pulled into bite sized pieces
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Lemon wedges to serve
For the tahini dressing:
- ½ cup tahini
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
- ¾ cup warm water
To serve:
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
Make the kale:
- Sauté the garlic in the olive oil over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Add the kale, salt, and a few splashes of water. Use tongs to toss the kale around, coating it with the garlic and oil. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Serve with a drizzle of tahini dressing. I like to use a squeeze bottle for this, but if you don’t have one, just use a spoon. Garnish with lemon wedges.
Make the tahini dressing:
- Place all ingredients except the parsley and ¾ cup water in a blender and blend until smooth. Add extra water as needed to thin, warm water works best. (Remember that it will thicken once refrigerated, so keeping it on the thin side is not a bad idea.) Pulse in the parsley, taste for salt, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
