Description
This delicious Vegan Creamed Kale is a twist on the classic spinach side dish. It’s simple, quick, and perfect for any dinner or Thanksgiving.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 bunch fresh kale, stemmed & chopped (or use 1 lb. frozen kale)
- 1 small sweet onion, diced finely
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ - 1 cup light coconut milk (see note 2)
- ⅔ cup unfortified nutritional yeast (see note 3)
- ½ tsp sea salt
- A pinch nutmeg, optional
Instructions
- Saute: In a medium saucepan or large skillet over medium high heat, start your onions sauteing 2-3 minutes before adding the garlic. Garlic burns fast, so I recommend letting the onions get a little translucent first. I saute my veggies in water but you can use oil if you prefer. After the onions have cooked for a few minutes, add the garlic and saute for another minute.
- Using Frozen Greens?: If using frozen greens, add them now and cook down until they have thawed and the excess water has cooked off.
- Add Spices and Coconut Milk: Then add the nutritional yeast, spices, and coconut milk and stir until the spices have dissolved. Start with the smaller amount of coconut milk and add more if you feel it gets too thick or dry.
- Using Fresh Greens?: If using fresh greens, add them now and cook down just a few minutes, until they wilt and have the desired texture. You may choose to use a lid to keep the moisture in the pot.
- Serve: Serve hot along with your favorite dish. I like serving this with mushroom lentil loaf or seitan turkey.
- Store: Store leftovers 2-3 days max in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Unfortunately when cooked, the greens don’t stay super fresh.
Notes
- Note 1: Instead of kale, you can use collards, chard, or spinach if you like. If you choose to use frozen, cook the liquid off before adding any additional liquid. With fresh, strip off the bulkiest parts of the stems and save those for stir fry, soup, or give ‘em to your dog. My dog loves them!
- Note 2: Canned light coconut milk makes this side dish SUPER creamy, and the light hint of coconut from it is ACTUALLY AMAZING. A touch of decadence without the cream or butter. You can sub cashew cream for non-coconut, or if you’re watching your fat intake, go for low fat non-dairy milk (like oat milk). But I highly recommend the coconut in this. So good!
- Note 3: To sub for the cheese in this, I love to use nutritional yeast. It has a nutty and somewhat cheesy flavor, and it’s so savory and delicious in this dish. To keep this side dish from turning yellow, I used unfortified nutritional yeast. But the fortified kind will still taste the same and work just fine.
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Ingredient
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free, Sugar-Free, Vegan Creamed Kale