Kale Matters

By Zoe Eisenberg

I’ve been on a kale kick recently. This leafy green is actually in the cabbage family and has oodles of anti-cancer agents. High in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and calcium, back in the day kale used to be one of the most commonly consumed veggies in Europe—right up until the Middle Ages.

Kale is fantastic because it can be grown in the winter, so it’s one of the seasonal greens I enjoy when the weather is frosty. With a mild flavor, kale isn’t bitter like many of its leafy cousins—this means it’s delicious raw. Here are my top three favorite ways to enjoy it.

1. Raw! I love raw kale, and my favorite way to get it is in a raw kale and avocado salad. You simply mash 1 extremely ripe avocado and massage it all over 3 cups chopped kale. Add ½ a diced red onion, 1 cup diced tomato and some salt and pepper and voila! Delicious, creamy raw kale salad.

2. Steamed. I like my kale like I like my men—simple, satisfying and easy. No really, I love steaming kale and drizzling it with 1-2 Teaspoons of apple cider vinegar. It takes only a few minutes and is seriously satisfying.

3. Blended. In the summer, I am a green smoothie goddess. However, the winter makes it more of a struggle to put a cool liquid in my tummy first thing in the morning. I still manage a few times a week. Check out my go-to winter kale breakfast smoothie recipe on SexyTofu.com.

Want more Kale? The sweetest vegan I know, Hannah Kaminsky–author of My Sweet Vegan and Vegan Desserts, Sumptuous Sweet for Every Season–posted this delicious recipe for kale salad last week!