Braised kale is a quick, easy, and delicious way to eat your greens. In this pretty dish, the cancer-fighting veggie lead — the cruciferous superstar kale — is backed up by lycopene-rich cooked tomatoes and protein-packed peas. Serve it with some quinoa or steamed brown rice to transform it from a side into a main dish.

4 servings

8 ingredients

15 min prep

Ingredients
  • 1 bunch Lacinato or other kale varietal, leaves stripped from the woody stems
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon whole cumin seed
  • 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
  • 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
  • ¾ cup quartered cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice mixed with ¼ cup water
  • 1 cup frozen peas

Directions
  1. Cut the kale into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a wok or saute pan over a medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the cumin seeds. Let them sizzle for 30 seconds. Add the garlic. Cook, stirring until the garlic just starts to color, about 1 minute. Add the shallots. Cook, stirring until the shallots look wilted and are starting to caramelize, about 3-5 minutes.
  3. Add the kale and sprinkle with salt. Cook, stirring until the kale starts to wilt, about 5 minutes. If the bunch is large, you may want to add the kale in a couple of batches. When the kale has wilted, add the tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes start to soften.
  4. Add the lemon juice mixed with water. Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute, or until the liquid has reduced by about half. Turn the heat down to medium. Cover and cook until the kale is just tender, about 5-8 minutes. Add the peas and stir to mix. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook for 2-3 minutes more, or until the peas are bright green and warmed through and any liquid has reduced to just coat the kale. Taste for salt and serve.

Chef Tips

The number of people this dish will serve can depend on the size of a bunch of kale in your local store or market. If the bunches are really large, with the exception of the oil, you may want to up the other ingredients by half and serve 6.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories: 136; Fat: 8g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g; Monounsaturated Fat: 5g; Carbohydrates: 15g; Sugar: 6g; Fiber: 5g; Protein: 5g; Sodium: 61mg

Registered Dietitian Approved

Your recipes, articles, videos, and more content are reviewed by our Registered Dietitian Kate Ueland, MS, RD, CSO, a board-certified specialist in oncology nutrition, to ensure that each is backed with scientific evidence and follows the guidelines set by the Oncology Nutrition for Clinical Practice, 2nd Ed., published by the Oncology Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group, a professional interest group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the American Institute for Cancer Researchand the American Cancer Society.

This recipe was originally published on Cook for Your Life. It is used by permission.

Fred Hutch Cook For Your Life logo TM