This is seriously the best sautéed lemon kale recipe! If you think you don’t like kale, then you just haven’t had it cooked like this. This kale is quickly steamed so that it remains sweet with a burst of freshness form the lemon and all the earthy depth from the greens. It’s brimming with flavor, yet maintains the simplicity of the earth. Try this recipe and it just might convert you to being a kale lover!
Why You Will Love the Best Sautéed Lemon Kale
It’s so full of pure flavor. It is a delight to the taste buds. There is something very special about getting just the balance of acid and salt. It’s what sets a dish apart from the rest. Salt and acid are two stars of the four major components that make magnificent flavor in food – salt, fat, acid and heat. ( to learn more on this topic and have a beautiful food experience check out the documentary on netflix called “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat”. It’s one of my favorites! See the trailer here!)
Fat is involved here as well in the pure form of coconut oil. The kale is lightly sautéed in coconut oil until bright green, showing off all of nutritional benefits it has to offer in it’s brilliant jewel tone hue. Chopped garlic is sautéed alongside it providing a savory contrast to the lemon.
We then add all the incredible nutrients of bone broth and steam it into the kale, wilting it for a few minutes until it becomes sweet and tender and infused with collagen and micro nutrients.
We finish off the kale with fresh drops of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Adding a little bit of each as we go, taste testing along the way to make sure we get that salt-acid balance just right.
The dish is simple, beautiful, and every ingredient is purely harvested from the earth to feed and nourish the body. I can not think of a more nutrient dense side dish to serve through the cold and flu season. I think I need to go make some right no
Every time I make this dish I have the overwhelming feeling that this is how food was created to taste – simple, yet rich in flavor. Every element feeding the body.
My Sautéed Lemon Kale Recipe Will Help You Cook Seasonly
Kale is still in season in the fall and it’s a wonderful time to grace your tables with it’s super food goodness! Gardens can still flourish with it’s earthy green leaves well into fall.
Farmer’s markets still sell them in grand beautiful bunches. And of course kale can always be found at your local grocery stores.
Consuming kale in the fall, especially this extremely healthy recipe, gives us so many superfood nutrients heading into the winter and the rigors of cold and flu season. Kale is rich in antioxidants and vitamin c, which are powerful flu fighters.
Will My Kids Eat Sautéed Lemon Kale?
Mine do, and they actually love it!
Now, I try to serve it on a regular basis which helps them remain open to eating it. But I honestly believe it’s because the flavor is so good. They love the “sauce” and say that it’s “juicy” which they love.
I’m no fool, and I know if your children are unaccustomed to kale the fact they are being served a pile of green leaves will mostly have them turning up their noses. I highly recommend using any form of bribery that may persuade them to take that first bit, because if they can get a taste they just might love it!
Tips for Getting Kids to Eat Kale ( Or Any Vegetable Really!)
- Chop the kale into smaller pieces if you know your children will be trying it. This makes it less intimidating for them.
- Tell the children to pretend they are their favorite animal and they are eating the leaves of a big tall tree.
- Appeal to their interests and let them know how kale will help them get get stronger, run faster, or throw farther. This often works with my boys. They will take a bite, then go run, and we all “marvel” at how fast they are now that they have eaten their kale. 😉
- Eat your own kale in front of them and comment on how delicious it is.
- Involve them in making the sautéed lemon kale. Have them help you pick out the best bunch of kale to bring home, let them help make the recipe, and you may find that ownership over the creation is a great motivator to get them to try the dish.
Health Benefits of Sautéed Lemon Kale
Given that nearly every ingredient in this recipe is one that I would consider a super food, I couldn’t resist listing out all of the health benefits that sautéed lemon kale has to offer!
Kale:
One of the highest sources in the world of vitamin K.
High in vitamins A, C, and B6
Rich in minerals
Powerful source of antioxidants
Garlic:
Boots the immune system
Contains significant antibiotic proporties
High in vitamin B6, C, and Selenium
Coconut Oil:
Contains brain feeding medium chain fatty acids
Lauric acid (read more about it’s health benefits here.)
Saturated and unsaturated fat
Bone Broth:
Collagen and protein rich
Gut healing
Nutrient dense containing vitamin A & K2, zinc, iron, boron, manganese, selenium and also omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids.
Lemon Juice:
Antibacterial compounds
High in vitamin C
Sea Salt:
Rich in trace minerals
Loaded with electrolytes
Promotes digestive health
Promotes nutrient absorption
Tools You May Need
Chef’s knife
Sauté pan or cast iron skillet with lid
Wooden spoon
How to Make the Best Sautéed Lemon Kale
Start by melting your coconut oil in a large sautee pan with a lid over medium to medium high heat.
Chop your kale and when the skillet is good and hot, add it to the melted oil in the pan.
The kale should crackle as soon as it hits the heat. Stir for a few minutes, coating it in the oil, until it’s ultra bright green.
Add the chopped garlic and stir for about a minute until fragrant.
Now turn off the heat and add your bone broth.
Cover and let the kale steam for 3-5 minutes or until it is tender, but still bright green.
Uncover and add a little bit of your lemon juice and salt & pepper to taste.
Start by adding just about 1/4 a lemon’s worth of juice and a few pinches of salt at a time to find the flavor balance that is perfect for you.
Bon Appetit!
Printable Recipe for the Best Sauteed Lemon Kale
The Best Sauteed Lemon Kale
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Kale chopped
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
- 1/4 cup bone broth, broth, or water
- 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- Start by melting your coconut oil in a large sauté pan with a lid over medium to medium high heat.
- Chop your kale and when the skillet is good and hot, add it to the melted oil in the pan.
- The kale should crackle as soon as it hits the heat. Stir for a few minutes until it's ultra bright green.
- Add the chopped garlic and stir for about a minute until fragrant.
- Now turn off the heat and add your bone broth.
- Cover and let the kale steam for 3-5 minutes or until it is tender, but still bright green.
- Uncover and add a little bit of your lemon juice and salt & pepper to taste. Start by adding just about 1/4 a lemon's worth of juice and a few pinches of salt at a time to find the flavor balance that is perfect for you.
- Bon Appetit!
More nutritious whole food recipes from my cottage kitchen:
Easy and Savory Caramelized Cabbage
Creamy Roasted Vegetable Soup – 3 Ways!
Easy and Elegant Goat Cheese and Dill Egg Dish
PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER
Thank you so much for stopping by my cottage kitchen today!
It’s always my hope to bring you fresh and easy ideas to create whole and nutritious foods for your family. This recipe is a staple that I have been making for years and years, so I’m thrilled to share it you today.
What other types of recipes would you like to see from me?
I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
Have a lovely day friend!
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@lovinggracehome
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Thank you so much!