Vegan Creamed Kale

Who would have thought the dish that would bring me back to post on my woefully neglected blog would be a recipe involving kale, let alone creamed kale. That's right. Creamed kale.

I first discovered this recipe while perusing the deli at Whole Foods…It was lunchtime, I was hungry and out of the corner of my eye I saw a tag for “Vegan Creamed Kale.” First of all, I am always looking to incorporate more greens into my diet in a creative and innovative way. Secondly, I felt as though us "vegans" received the short end of the stick when it came to creamed veggies. Needless to say, my interest was piqued. So when I sat down to test the plate of goodness that lay in front of me, I was pleasantly surprised.

Let’s talk for a moment about kale. You know, the stuff that for years was nothing more than a garnish on a plate at your local Applebee’s. As far as its origins, kale is a member of the Brassica family of vegetables that includes cabbage, collard greens and Brussels sprouts, all of which are known for their richness in anti-oxidants and phytonutrients. The health benefits of consuming kale are innumerable. Kale has not only been proven to reduce inflammation (something to do with omega 3’s and Vitamin K which is a key nutrient to help regulate our bodies inflammatory process), but the fiber properties have shown to help lower cholesterol and kale has also been touted as a major player in the detoxification process. Kale also contains cancer preventative nutrients called glucosinolates…Need I say more?

There are many different ways you can consume kale and reap the many health benefits it has to offer. I like to juice kale and incorporate it into my morning green juice with an apple, orange, ginger, and cucumber. I also love to make this salad, which features not only the good green, but also shredded carrot, daikon radish, and red pepper, cilantro, parsley and mint all covered in a delectable orange ginger dressing…Yum.

But honestly, if you’re looking for something down-home that you can serve as a side with just about anything, the following recipe courtesy of our friends at Whole Foods is an excellent way to incorporate this superfood into your diet.

Eat Healthy, Stay Happy.

~jenni

Vegan Creamed Kale
Serves 4

Ingredients

½ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1 white onion, finely chopped
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup raw cashews (the recipe calls for ¼ cup, but I used a little more to make the sauce thicker)
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp mellow white miso
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of red pepper flakes
4 cups chopped kale or other dark, leafy green (I use a bag of frozen kale, Whole Foods brand comes already shredded)

Preparation

Heat broth in a large skillet over medium heat. Add white onion and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor, add almond milk, cashews, nutritional yeast, onion powder, miso, nutmeg and pepper flakes and puree until smooth.

Transfer blended mixture back to skillet and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in kale and continue simmering, tossing often until kale is just tender, about 5 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper and serve warm.

( In the above photo, I served my creamed kale with veggies I sauteed in my Pistachio Pesto.)