Countering the bitterness of kale

Share a great recipe or restaurant, ask a question about how to cook something, or mention a good ingredient substitute or packaged food.

Moderators: JeffN, f1jim, carolve, Heather McDougall

Countering the bitterness of kale

Postby Skip » Sat Jul 21, 2018 9:52 am

By itself, Kale may have a bitter taste. To counter the bitterness, it is suggested that kale should be cut up and massaged before serving. Sometimes, even after messaging, the bitterness may still be bothersome. It has been suggested that a sweet salad dressing added to the kale will mask the bitterness. I have found this to be true. It's like adding fruit to make a green smoothie that contains kale. Lately, I add cut up apple slices and add balsamic vinegar to my kale salads to mask any bitterness. This seems to work well.
"The fundamental principle of ethics is reverence for life" Albert Schweitzer
User avatar
Skip
 
Posts: 2230
Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2010 9:19 am

Re: Countering the bitterness of kale

Postby AlwaysAgnes » Sat Jul 21, 2018 12:07 pm

Skip wrote:By itself, Kale may have a bitter taste. To counter the bitterness, it is suggested that kale should be cut up and massaged before serving. Sometimes, even after messaging, the bitterness may still be bothersome. It has been suggested that a sweet salad dressing added to the kale will mask the bitterness. I have found this to be true. It's like adding fruit to make a green smoothie that contains kale. Lately, I add cut up apple slices and add balsamic vinegar to my kale salads to mask any bitterness. This seems to work well.



Dr. Esselstyn is big on the balsamic with greens thing because of the acetic acid. I never caught the balsamic bug. I don't really eat raw kale, but massage does help make kale a bit more tender. If you have the kale in a big bowl or pot or sink full of water it's easy enough to massage there. (It helps to remove dirt and grit and bugs in the water too, if your greens have just been field-cut or aren't pre-cleaned when you get them.)
You don't have to wait to be happy.
AlwaysAgnes
 
Posts: 3436
Joined: Sat Sep 03, 2011 12:45 pm

Re: Countering the bitterness of kale

Postby kirkj » Sat Jul 21, 2018 6:08 pm

FWIW, I eat collards rather than kale because they are a bit less bitter. Collards are also easier to cut with because the leaves are not frilly.
kirkj
 
Posts: 336
Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2012 10:35 am
Location: Ypsilanti, Michigan

Re: Countering the bitterness of kale

Postby Idgie » Sat Jul 21, 2018 6:10 pm

I like kale as a bit player in soups and rice dishes. The slight bitterness is a plus, to me, in small doses.
Idgie, Southern CA
My recipes (mostly MWL) are at https://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=58361&p=586527#p586527
My new MWL-only recipe site is at http://mwlrecipes.weebly.com
Idgie
 
Posts: 1153
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2018 1:20 am


Return to Food, Recipes & Meal Planning

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests


cron

Welcome!

Sign up to receive our regular articles, recipes, and news about upcoming events.