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Add It to Homemade Hummus

If you haven't made hummus at home, you're missing out. Not only can you whip it up in just 5 minutes with this homemade hummus recipe, you can go heavy on your favorite ingredients, whether that’s extra garlic or added veggies for pops of color (and nutrients). You could always blend in some bright orange carrots or pretty pink beets—or go for a vibrant green hummus by sneaking in some kale. "In a food processor, add a handful of chopped kale into homemade or prepared hummus," Topol says. You won't even be able to taste it, she promises, but you'll still benefit from the incredible nutrients.

Stir It Into Soups

No matter what kind of soup you're making, kale will cook down (wilt, soften, and shrink in size) once it's in the broth, giving you all the nutrients with none of the chalky texture or bitter taste. This is an easy option, whether you toss in some kale before using an immersion blender or as you’re reheating chicken noodle soup on the stove. Topol specifically recommends adding two cups of chopped kale to soups toward the end of cooking, calling out minestrone as a delicious option. Try this whole-grain minestrone soup that features tons of hearty whole grains and salty-nutty parmesan cheese. Some more savory faves:

• Lentils, Kale, and Sausage Soup
• White Bean and Barley Soup With Tomatoes and Greens
• Kale and White Bean Soup Recipe
• Sweet Potato-and-Kale Tortilla Soup
  

Sneak It Into Pesto

A classic pesto is already jam-packed with good-for-you plants like basil and garlic, but this is your sign to consider adding kale into the mix. "Add one cup of chopped kale into a pesto recipe," Topol says. Try skipping basil and pine nuts entirely and making a kale-and-walnut pesto instead to coat pasta, drizzle over chicken and fish, or dunk your favorite veggies. Add a cup of chopped kale to this superfood pesto recipe for a nutrient-loaded sauce the whole family will love.

Blend It Into a Smoothie

Need a new go-to breakfast that’s not covered in sugary syrup or straight from a plastic wrapper? Topol loves the idea of whipping up a tasty green smoothie packed with high-fiber fruits and veggies (yes, veggies!), like this verdant kale-apple smoothie or tart and tropical kale smoothie with pineapple and banana.

Bake Some Crispy Kale Chips

If you’ve never tried baking or roasting kale until it’s crispy, you simply have not lived. Topol’s favorite way to make kale chips is to toss roughly chopped kale in light soy sauce or tamari and bake until toasty. A different take: Try this smoky kale chip recipe that even the pickiest eaters will beg you to make on repeat.

Here's everything you’ll ever need to know about making kale chips at home.

Fold It Into Eggs, Quiches, and Frittatas

When in doubt, grab the eggs. Kale is a super-healthy addition to egg dishes, whether you prep a kale and goat cheese frittata for a crowd, fold it into soft scrambled eggs or an omelet in the morning, bake up a shakshuka-style skillet, or sneak it into this comforting breakfast casserole. This ham, leek, and cheese quiche recipe technically calls for Swiss chard for its green, but finely sliced kale would make an easy substitute.

Sprinkle It on Pizza

We cannot stress enough how delicious kale is when baked until crisp, which is why it makes a surprisingly scrumptious pizza or flatbread topping. If you’re making a homemade pizza or flatbread, wow the crowd with a pie crowned with seasoned, toasted, melt-in-your-mouth kale. Try making kale flatbread bites for the family or the next time you host a group.

Wilt It Down for a Steak-House-Worthy Side

With the right seasonings and preparation, wilted kale makes a knock-out accompaniment to richer, red-meat mains like steak. Serve pan-roasted steak over creamed kale and creamy white beans, or plate up hanger steak topped with kale that’s been sautéed in anchovies, garlic, and cherry tomatoes. Going meatless? Go for loaded sweet potatoes piled high with spicy coconut kale, lime juice, curry powder, and toasted coconut.

Toss It Into Pasta

Just as kale wilts down nicely when added to a simmering pot of soup, it’ll soften up when wilted in oil and aromatics and incorporated into a hearty bowl of noodles. Chopped kale is delicious paired with salty, fatty Italian sausage (so delicious), but it works in almost any pasta dish. Try shrimp scampi–inspired bowls of lemony farfalle, bucatini with lacinato kale (also called Tuscan kale or cavolo nero) and creamy ricotta, or whole wheat spaghetti topped with garlicky tomatoes, kale, and salty pecorino.

Make the Best Kale Salad

Kale salad might feel so five minutes ago to you, but we beg to differ! An actually delicious kale salad is timeless, and there are so many ways to make raw kale worthy of a meal or side (hello, baby kale caesar with chicken.). If you love salads, but find kale too dry, Topol suggests massaging the chopped kale with your hands to help the tough leaves relax. "Massage chopped kale with a little olive oil and pinch of salt before adding other veggies or grains [in order] to tenderize the leaves," Topol says. You’ll be amazed at the change in texture after a few minutes of working the greens with your hands.

Another helpful tip for transforming curly kale is to chop it super-finely, almost like confetti, so that you never have to chew on a large, unruly leaf. And then there’s always baby kale, which has smaller, more tender leaves, and Tuscan kale, that’s often less brittle than its curly-tipped cousin.

Don’t forget the importance of a zesty salad dressing to perk up a greens-packed salad. It doesn't get much tastier (or easier to prepare) than this mustard-lemon salad dressing recipe. A fresh and simple, go-to vinaigrette always wins (again, massage the dressing into the kale for a minute), or get the blender out to whip up an out-of-this-world, sort-of-Caesar-y green pea goddess dressing (seriously, you’ll never know it’s kale under there).

Finally, buttery croutons and a little (OK, a lot) of cheese always make a salad worth eating. Parm, pecorino, gruyere, Manchego, aged sharp cheddar, and other hard, salty, nutty cheese are all divine either shaved or grated over bitter greens like kale.