12 Delicious Ways To Cook With Frozen Kale

Got kale? I do. Frozen kale, that is.

Kale is one of those greens that can be substituted in a recipe that calls for any green, spinach, collards, Swiss chard, etc. I love using frozen kale because it’s a hearty green and I always have it on hand. It’s also ready to go, already cleaned and chopped up, so it’s super easy to work with when I’m in a rush.

I recently asked my pretty amazing and one-of-a-kind Confident Kitchen newsletter subscribers what they wanted to learn more about on this blog. They gave me some wonderful feedback. They asked for info on how to eat for energy, how to sub out ingredients, recipes for simple meals using simple ingredients, how to freeze food, and making meals for two. I think this post about how to use up frozen kale combines a few of these topics, so hopefully it’s useful.

If you’re wondering whether frozen kale is as healthy as the fresh stuff, it totally is. It has all of the same nutrients that fresh kale has, and sometimes even more, depending on how “fresh” your fresh kale really is. We’ve all seen a few wilty excuses for fresh kale at the grocery store, right? Frozen kale is also a great way to eat kale year round, when it’s not available locally.

I buy my frozen kale at Trader Joe’s, but I know they sell it at Whole Foods and other large chain grocery stores. In the spirit of keeping things simple (which is my way of cooking) I’ve compiled a few great ways you can use your frozen kale starting today!

12 Ways to Cook Frozen Kale

1. add frozen kale to your green smoothie like this kale apple smoothie
2. stir frozen kale into any soup, chili, or stew (this vegetable chili with kale is a great idea)
3. toss your favorite pasta dish with kale like I did in my lemon kale pasta with dried cherries
4. add kale to these vegan enchiladas, these bean burritos, or sprinkle it onto open-faced tacos
5. give your frozen kale a quick sauté with some olive oil, a clove or two of garlic, and some salt (stir in some frozen shrimp for protein and you’ve got a quick dinner meal straight from your freezer)
6. stir kale into your scrambled eggs or add to an omelette 
7. top your favorite pizza with frozen kale
8. toss this cheesy kale pesto with spaghetti
9. stir frozen kale into your homemade mac & cheese
10. add frozen kale to a quiche or other type of pie like this crustless quiche or sub out the spinach for kale in my mom’s famous spinach pie 
11. add kale to your fried rice like this (yum)
12. make a grown-up grilled cheese with kale, caramelized onions, cheddar, and sourdough bread