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!
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!
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.
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.
- 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!
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.
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)
- Prep Time: 5 mins.
- Cook Time: 5 mins.
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Diet: Vegan
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
- (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
- Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- 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.
- 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.
- This kale is great by itself, but try these optional toppings: Vegan Parmesan, Garlicky Lemon Tahini Dressing, Lemon Wedges, Red Pepper Flakes.
Notes
Cooking time is one for one batch.
Use whatever type of kale you prefer. I like cooking with curly kale.
Keywords: sauteed kale, sauteed kale with garlic and parmesan, delicious kale recipes, sauteed kale with garlic and lemon
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What a delicious way to make Kale! My husband and I both loved this recipe. Making it again soon. Thanks!
Thank you!
How would you suggest making this in an Instant Pot?
Select the sautee function and follow the same instructions for the stove top.
We eat kale once or twice a week, but i never thought of these additions, I’ll try it this way, thank you!
Hey Shane,
The recipe looks delicious. But I wonder about that pan. Are you concerned about cooking with aluminum?
Not really, especially with these since they have the granite coating.
Easy, oil-free, and delicious!
Loved it! So easy. Turns bright green almost immediately. Very tasty. Thanks.
This looks and sounds delicious! ! Definitely will make it for dinner tonight! Thank you so much for another amazing recipe!