How to Prepare Fresh Kale for Culinary Use

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By Shirley Philbrick
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Fresh kale

Though often relegated to restaurant salad bars as a garnish to dress it up, kale gets a bad rap when it comes to culinary use. Packed with important nutrients, this garden green is an excellent addition to many recipes. It is often bitter and tough when eaten in it's raw mature form, but when prepared appropriately in cooking, it can be a colorful, tasty way to add veggies to your diet without the bitter taste.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Fresh Kale
Sharp knife
Water and vegetable cleaner
Paper towel
Scissors

Step 1

Wash kale

Wash kale in a vegetable wash. Commercial fruit and vegetable washes are available or homemade versions can be prepared in the kitchen using vinegar and water, grapefruit seed extract and water or other natural products.
Step 2

Dry kale

Dry the greens with a paper towel as thoroughly as possible. Kale has ruffled edges and is more difficult to dry, but it will cut more easily the drier it is.
Step 3

Fold greens

Fold kale in half. This vegetable has an obvious spine with the leafy part on each side and is partially folded naturally so it makes it easy to fold.
Step 4

Hold and cut

Hold the ruffled edges flat and use a sharp knife to cut alongside the spine of the kale. Remove and discard.
Step 5

Snip veggie greens

Snip greens into culinary preparations such as vegetarian main dishes or Portuguese soups. Cooking until softened is typical, but preference of texture and color may dictate how long to cook it.