Let’s Cook Kale and Collards.

Cooking with Kale and Collards.

Kale and collard greens are thick, dark-green, leafy vegetables belonging to the Brassica family, making them close cousins to cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. Unlike cabbage, kale and collards do not form a head; instead, they grow as large, loose leaves on a central stalk. While belonging to the same family, kale and collard greens differ mainly in appearance, texture, and flavour. Kale has a strong, earthy, slightly peppery "green" taste; mildly bitter raw, whereas collards are harder but have a milder, nutty, and subtly sweet flavour; tastes like a cross between cabbage and kale.

Kale and collards are rich in vitamin A, C, and K, fiber, calcium, potassium, and choline (collards). Because they hold their shape well, they are highly versatile:

  • They can be quickly sautéed or added to soups

  • While available year-round, they are best after the first autumn or winter frost, which sweetens the leaves by converting starches into sugar.

Flavour Pairings:

  • Olive oil

  • Garlic

  • Citrus

  • Balsamic vinegar

  • Parmesan

  • Onions

Portuguese Kale Soup (Caldo Verde)

Ingredients

  • 800 gr waxy potatoes, peeled and quartered

  • 1 big onion, peeled and quartered

  • 1 carrot

  • 3 garlic cloves

  • 400 gr flat-leaf kale, finely shredded

  • ½ cup olive oil

  • 1 large smoked chorizo

  • salt and pepper

Preparation

  • Cook the potatoes, onion, carrot, and garlic in 4.5 L of water with a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat until all ingredients are soft.

  • While the ingredients are cooking, arrange the kale leaves into small piles, roll them up, and slice them as thinly as possible.

  • Remove from the heat and blend them until smooth with a blender

  • Add the shredded leaves to the soup and cook for 30 minutes or until soft. Stir in the olive oil and adjust the seasoning

  • Slice the chorizo and fry in a tbsp of olive oil. Arrange the chorizo slices at the bottom of individual bowls and ladle the soup over them.

  • Serve with slices of roasted bread rubbed with raw garlic and drizzled with olive oil.