15 High-Protein Kale Recipes So Delicious You Won’t Have Any Problem Eating Your Greens

Kale is such a nutritious leafy green that can be a great addition to your diet. You can throw it in soups, pastas, and rice dishes, or use it as a base for salads and other bowls. It’s super versatile! If you’re not too fond of kale or haven’t found that kale recipe that works for you, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. There’s something for everyone on this list of 15 plant-based kale recipes! These dishes are so flavorful and delicious. If you need to hide your kale, there’s even a dessert you can include it in!

We also highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App  — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help you get healthy! 

1. Creamy Kale & Zucchini Pasta

Source: Creamy Kale & Zucchini Pasta

This zucchini pasta is tossed with kale and a delicious tahini-miso dressing. You will love Rouxbe‘s Creamy Kale & Zucchini Pasta!

2. Kale Sweet Potato Salad

Source: Kale Sweet Potato Salad

This warming and beautifully spiced salad is made with kale, quinoa, sweet potato, and spiced Moroccan-inspired dressing that’s infused with cinnamon, ginger, cumin, and coriander. You have to try Hannah Sunderani‘s Kale Sweet Potato Salad!

3. Root Vegetable Chowder

Source: Root Vegetable Chowder

This Root Vegetable Chowder by Annie Kimmelman is hearty and warm. The recipe uses turnips rather than potatoes, which give you the same creamy texture. The chowder features delicious flavors including sage, thyme, and vegan bacon made from rice paper.

4. Kale and Roasted Cashew Fried Rice

Source: Kale and Roasted Cashew Fried Rice

This Kale and Roasted Cashew Fried Rice by Angelina Papikolaou is made with brown basmati rice, lots of kale, and roasted cashews. Think fried rice from your favorite Thai restaurant, but made at home … and tastier … and healthier. It comes together in under 20 minutes, and you can pretty much add whatever you want in it. The trick to getting the perfect toasty and semi-crispy rice is to use cold rice, so fried rice is always a good idea whenever you have leftover rice in the refrigerator. This 20-minute Kale and Roasted Cashew Fried Rice – extremely easy, super healthy, and SO delicious.

5. Kale Stuffed Shells with Marinara

Source: Kale Stuffed Shells with Marinara

Everyone loves stuffed pasta shells smothered in marinara sauce. Though traditionally a vessel for cheese, these shells are stuffed with a creamy blend of white beans, sautéed kale, and garlic for a healthier, lighter take on the traditional dish. Any white bean will work here, but we like cannellini beans for their ease of smashing. These shells also freeze quite nicely, making them ideal for a quick weeknight dinner.  This recipe for Kale Stuffed Shells with Marinara is reprinted with permission from Frugal Vegan by Katie Koteen and Kate Kasbee, Page Street Publishing Co. 2017. Photo credit: Allie Lehman

6. Miso Greens Soup

Source: Miso Greens Soup

This Miso Greens Soup by Katie Koteen is the perfect soothing meal for days you don’t feel like eating heavy foods. Added bonus: It’s ridiculously quick and easy to make. Keep in mind that boiling miso kills all the good digestive helpers it contains. For this reason, this soup doesn’t reheat that well, but the recipe halves easily if you want to avoid any waste.   Reprinted with permission from Frugal Vegan by Katie Koteen and Kate Kasbee, Page Street Publishing Co. 2017. Photo credit: Allie Lehman

7. West Coast Kale Salad

Source: West Coast Kale Salad

This West Coast Kale Salad by Nikki and Zuzana is not only super delicious and satisfying it also comes with many health benefits. Loaded with vitamins and minerals, eating this green beauty helps you fight cancer, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, and even slow down aging. With all these good things, let’s make some salad for dinner tonight!

8. Green Machine Brownies: Kale, Zucchini and Avocado

Source: Green Machine Brownies: Kale, Zucchini and Avocado

These Green Machine Brownies by Ashley Smyczek are packed with vegetables. They’re made with kale, zucchini, and avocado, which may sound crazy, but they actually make for a delicious and nutritious dessert or snack. This recipe is a great way to get picky eaters to eat more veggies!

9. Kale and Mushroom Skillet Pasta

Source: Kale and Mushroom Skillet Pasta

This Kale and Mushroom Skillet Pasta by Kristen Genton makes a wonderful dinner! Also, feel free to add much garlic as your heart desires!

10. Braised Kale

Source: Braised Kale

Healthy and delicious kale, braised with onions, garlic, and stock. This Braised Kale by Rouxbe is so yummy and goes well with almost anything.

11. Kale Salad with Cherries and Almonds

Source: Kale Salad with Cherries and Almonds

The colors in this Kale Salad with Cherries and Almonds by Katie Koteen are fit for the holidays, but your best bet is to make it at the tail end of summer when kale and cherries are both in season. When each ingredient is at its peak of freshness, the entire meal just tastes so much better. Not to mention, shopping seasonally can save you a pretty penny at the supermarket. Be sure to use French lentils for this recipe, rather than ordinary ones. They hold their shape better when cooked and pack 9 grams of protein per serving!   Reprinted with permission from Frugal Vegan by Katie Koteen and Kate Kasbee, Page Street Publishing Co. 2017. Photo credit: Allie Lehman

12. Savory Indian Spiced Curry Porridge

Source: Savory Indian Spiced Curry Porridge

This multigrain Savory Indian Spiced Curry Porridge by Nele Liivlaid is full of fiber and nutrients your body needs to start off the day right. Top with sesame seeds, parsley, coriander, or paprika powder!

13. Rainbow Sushi Rolls

Source:  Rainbow Sushi Rolls

In these Rainbow Sushi Rolls by Hannah Sunderani, sushi rice, nori, purple cabbage, carrot, kale, avocado, and alfalfa rolled into a tightly packed sushi roll, with a tamari almond butter sauce to dip. Are you drooling yet? Making sushi at home may seem a bit daunting, but it’s actually super easy especially if you follow this recipe! When it comes to making sushi, you want to ensure the veg is well chopped into thin slices. Using a sharp knife, and taking extra care in slicing. It will go a long way to getting you a nice and tightly packed roll. Making rainbow sushi rolls is also a great date night activity, or something fun to do with your kids. Apart from chopping the veg (which honestly, takes some time), the sushi-making process is quite straightforward.

14. Kale Falafel Salad Bowl

Source:  Kale Falafel Salad Bowl

This Roasted Poblano Kale Falafel Salad Bowl by Stephanie McKinnie is the epitome of comfort food.  It’s spicy and it is hearty enough to be considered a meal.  There is so much flavor, texture and nutrition and the tahini jalapeño vinaigrette put it over the top! Because this dish is spicy, it pairs best with a slightly sweet or fruity wine like a Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Albarino, or a sparkling wine. For a red, you want a spicier wine like a Grenache or Syrah.

15. Greek Lemon Herb Tofu Naanwiches

Source: Greek Lemon Herb Tofu Naanwiches

These vegan Greek Lemon Herb Tofu Naanwiches by Allie Penner are inspired by Greek chicken souvlaki. Crispy lemon-herb-baked tofu, tzatziki, hummus, and Greek kale salad are loaded onto naan bread for the ultimate hearty summer meal.

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home!

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer and has many side effects.

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some great resources to get you started:

• Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
• Plant-Based Health Resources
• Plant-Based Food & Recipes
• Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
• The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
• Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
• High Protein Plant-Based Recipes
• Plant-Based Meal Prep

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