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    Home » Recipes

    Easy Sauteed Kale (Oil-Free)

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    The BEST and easiest Sauteed Kale recipe! Seasoned with nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and a little lemon juice. It’s oil-free and ready to eat in as little as 10 minutes. The perfect side dish!

    Sauteed kale on plate with lemon and fork.

    Kale has a reputation for being a little “harsh” and bitter. Rip Esselstyn, the man behind Engine 2 and one of my heroes, refers to it as “angry lettuce.” But, with just a little effort it becomes one of the most flavorful side dishes in addition to one of the healthiest.

    My family and I LOVE kale and have it quite often. It’s great in dishes like my Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato & Kale Pasta and this incredible Chipotle Chickpea Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing. And, it’s even great in a smoothie!

    You will love this Easy Sauteed Kale with garlic and lemon. It’s so easy to make and can be on the table ready to eat in as little as 10 minutes. Let me show you!

    Raw chopped kale in white bowl.

    What Ingredients Do I Need

    You only need a few staple ingredients to make this flavorful side dish. And, once you see how easy it is to make this sauteed kale you’ll want to have it over and over.

    • 1 10-ounce bag of chopped kale or roughly 5 cups. Feel free to chop it yourself but I prefer the convenience of a pre-chopped bag. Use any type of kale you prefer. I like the curly kale in the photos.
    • Nutritional Yeast adds a nutty cheesy essence.
    • Garlic Powder: Kale and garlic just seem to go together
    • Lemon Juice: Lemon makes things bright and electric when it comes to flavor.

    Table of Contents

    • How To Make Sauteed Kale
    • How Do I Serve Sauteed Kale
    • Easy Sauteed Kale (Oil-Free)

    How To Make Sauteed Kale

    • Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. My favorite skillets are these Ballarini pans. They’re inexpensive, cook evenly, and nothing sticks. I love cooking pancakes in them too.
    • Once the pan is ready begin adding your kale. Let it cook for several seconds and then add enough water to sautee. If you don’t have a large enough pan simply cook the kale in smaller batches.
    Uncooked chopped kale in skillet.
    • Stir occasionally and cook the kale until it wilts and turns bright green.
    • Transfer all the sauteed kale to a large serving bowl, add the nutritional yeast and garlic powder then toss.
    • Finally, top it all off with a drizzle of fresh lemon juice.

    That’s it! Delicious and Easy Sauteed Kale with garlic and lemon and just a hint of cheesiness from the nutritional yeast. It’s a bright and savory side dish that pairs well with almost any meal.

    If you really want to make it more incredible sprinkle some of my Vegan Parmesan on top. Amazing!

    Cooked kale in skillet.

    How Do I Serve Sauteed Kale

    Try it with these amazing vegan recipes!

    • Garlicky Lemon Tahini Dressing
    • Crispy Blackened Tofu
    • Chickpea Vegan Meatloaf
    • Vegan Squash Casserole
    • Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes

    The 5 Day Plant-Based Kickstart

    Just getting started on plant-based diet and wondering where to begin? Well, check out my E-book, The 5 Day Plant-Based Kickstart.

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    Sauteed kale on plate with lemon wedges.

    Did you make this recipe? Please be sure to leave a comment and star rating below and let me know your thoughts. Your feedback is helpful.

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    Easy Sauteed Kale (Oil-Free)

    ★★★★★ 4.9 from 7 reviews
    • Author: Shane Martin
    • Prep Time: 5 mins.
    • Cook Time: 5 mins.
    • Total Time: 10 minutes
    • Yield: 6 servings 1x
    • Category: Side Dish
    • Cuisine: Vegan
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe

    Description

    The BEST and easiest Sauteed Kale recipe! Seasoned with nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and a little lemon juice. It’s oil-free and ready to eat in as little as 10 minutes. The perfect side dish!


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • (1) 10-ounce bag of chopped kale (roughly 5 cups)
    • ¼ cup water
    • 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
    • 2 tsp. garlic powder
    • Juice of half a lemon
    • Salt to taste (optional)

    Instructions

    1. Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
    2. Once the pan is ready add the kale and cook for a few seconds then add the water to sautee. Cook until the kale starts to wilt and turns bright green. If you don’t have a large enough skillet for all the kale you can just cook it in batches. Just be sure and divide the water equally for each batch.
    3. Transfer the cooked kale to a large serving bowl and toss with the nutritional yeast and garlic powder.  Drizzle with the lemon juice and serve.
    4. This kale is great by itself, but try these optional toppings: Vegan Parmesan, Garlicky Lemon Tahini Dressing, Lemon Wedges, Red Pepper Flakes.

    Equipment

    Nonstick Skillet

    Buy Now →

    Nutritional Yeast

    Buy Now →

    Notes

    Cooking time is one for one batch.

    Use whatever type of kale you prefer. I like cooking with curly kale.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size:
    • Calories: 19
    • Sugar: 0.8 g
    • Sodium: 8 mg
    • Fat: 0.2 g
    • Carbohydrates: 3.7 g
    • Fiber: 0.9 g
    • Protein: 1.5 g
    • Cholesterol: 0 mg

    Keywords: sauteed kale, sauteed kale with garlic and parmesan, delicious kale recipes, sauteed kale with garlic and lemon

    Did You Make This Recipe?

    Be sure and tag @shaneandsimplecooking on Instagram and hashtag it #shaneandsimple.

    I want to see all your delicious creations!

    Save this recipe & PIN IT here!

    « Crispy Blackened Tofu
    Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes (Vegan) »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Gail

      January 11, 2022 at 1:23 pm

      Made this recipe today and it’s delicious! Thanks for sharing!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        January 11, 2022 at 11:03 pm

        Thank you!!!

        Reply
    2. Linda

      July 26, 2020 at 4:50 pm

      What a delicious way to make Kale! My husband and I both loved this recipe. Making it again soon. Thanks!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        July 27, 2020 at 10:52 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    3. Sunny White

      June 14, 2020 at 3:40 pm

      How would you suggest making this in an Instant Pot?

      ★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        June 16, 2020 at 6:55 am

        Select the sautee function and follow the same instructions for the stove top.

        Reply
    4. Beth

      June 13, 2020 at 6:34 pm

      We eat kale once or twice a week, but i never thought of these additions, I’ll try it this way, thank you!

      Reply
    5. Susan

      June 12, 2020 at 11:30 pm

      Hey Shane,

      The recipe looks delicious. But I wonder about that pan. Are you concerned about cooking with aluminum?

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        June 16, 2020 at 6:58 am

        Not really, especially with these since they have the granite coating.

        Reply
    6. Shane Martin

      June 12, 2020 at 8:03 pm

      Easy, oil-free, and delicious!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    7. Inez

      June 12, 2020 at 7:54 pm

      Loved it! So easy. Turns bright green almost immediately. Very tasty. Thanks.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    8. Vi

      June 12, 2020 at 4:40 pm

      This looks and sounds delicious! ! Definitely will make it for dinner tonight! Thank you so much for another amazing recipe!

      ★★★★★

      Reply

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