Before beginning the recipe remember to read the "Invent Your Recipe" section below for additional suggestions, recipe combinations, or ingredient alternatives.
Preparing the Spinach:
In a large skillet or pot bring the olive oil to high heat. Next, add in the sliced garlic and sauté until golden, about 1-2 minutes.
Next, add in the kale, salt, and black pepper and sauté for 5 minutes, mixing occasionally.
Next, add in the vegetable broth and balsamic vinegar and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, mixing occasionally, or until the kale in tender.
To Serve:
Serve the kale with garlic and oil with a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes as a side dish with a main entre, or over pasta for a great vegetarian meal option.
Notes
Invent Your Recipe:For this dish I am letting the kale shine as the main ingredient and adding in some extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and vinegar to compliment the taste and texture of the kale. Kale is a tough vegetable and sometime needs to be cooked for a while for it to become tender. In addition, it can tend to be bitter. So as I do with broccoli rabe, I am adding in some vinegar to help with the bitterness and vegetable stock to help cook down the kale.If you are looking for some additional flavor I would recommend adding in some red onion and diced tomatoes to this recipe. Sauté the red onion with the garlic and then add in the diced tomatoes when you add the vegetable broth.Other ingredients that would also work with the kale are mushrooms, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, black beans, red kidney beans, cannellini beans, sun dried tomatoes, and red peppers.