German Kale and Potato Recipe – Oma's Grünkohl mit Kartoffeln

by: Gerhild Fulson  /  Cookbook Author, Blogger, German Oma!

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Make this kale and potato recipe on your stovetop, sort of like a stew, that includes smoked sausage. A one pot meal that's comfort food, just like Oma made. 

This sort of reminds me of a German classic, the Grünkohl mit Kartoffeln und Pinkel, a dish that consists of kale and potatoes with a traditional sausage called Pinkel. 

What is Pinkel?

In northern German, especially East Friesland, this smoked sausage is made mostly of a mixture with bacon, pork belly, beef suet, onions, oats, and spices. The recipe, though, is a well-guarded secret.

Being about to buy it outside of Germany is therefore very difficult. What to do?

I just use a smoked German sausage, the type that's available where I live. You can use any type that's your favorite. Will it be the same? No. But I think that a bit of compromise is totally acceptable, because it will still taste amazing.

The recipe below is NOT the one for Grünkohl mit Kartoffeln und Pinkel. That dish is basically a well seasoned kale side dish, made with pork belly, smoked pork, and the pinkel sausages. It's then served with boiled potatoes.

My recipe is actually made more like a stew, with everything in one pot. That's easy. That's delicious. That's my way!

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I LOVE one pot meals. They are usually quick to put together and are an easy way to serve a crowd, because it's easy to just double it up.

In the recipe below, I like to blanch the kale briefly before using. This helps to take the edge off the bitterness. It's a step that could be eliminated if you wish.

Here's how to make this one-pot meal:

First, you'll need to prepare your kale. If you're using fresh kale, you'll need to strip the leaves from the stalks.

To do this, just grab at bottom of stalk and pull upwards to strip those leaves right off.

Put the leaves into water and wash really well. You want to remove any dirt or insects that could be lurking among those curly leaves. 

Some people don't like the 'natural' bitterness that kale has. If that's the case, then briefly blanching before using is the way to go.

Here, I've taken the leaves and submerge them briefly, about 30 seconds, in boiling water.

Remove from the water, drain thoroughly and squeeze any remaining water from the leaves. Then, chop the kale in order to use in the recipe. 

If you're using jarred or canned kale, just drain it well. If you're using frozen kale, thaw and then drain.

At this point, you're ready to start with this simple recipe. Start by frying up the bacon in the bacon fat (schmaltz), but stop short of making it crispy. Add the onions. 

Continue frying until the onions are translucent, which will take several minutes. Make sure your heat isn't too high or else things will brown too quickly before the onions are cooked.

Now, add the well-drained kale, whether it's the fresh, the blanched, the jarred or canned, or frozen. Stir together.

(BTW, in these photos, I only made half the recipe since it's only for hubby and me. That's why the saucepan looks a bit empty.)

Add the cubed raw potatoes on top. I used russet potatoes since they will hold together well and won't fall apart during the long cooking. 

Sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Then, pour the chicken broth over.

Cover and bring to simmer. Lower heat and let simmer to cook the kale and potatoes. Yes, it's a long cooking period, but it's the 'traditional' way of making this. 

Could you shorten the cooking time? Of course. 

Then, it's time to add the sausage. Since I don't have pinkel sausage available, I used a smoked (cooked) German sausage that's sold in our area. Don't have German sausage available where you live? Use any smoked sausage that you like that you can get where you live. 

Can't find any that's nice? You could use some smoked ham, some kielbasa, Polish sausage ... something that tastes good to your tastebuds!

Should you poke holes in your sausage? Well, that really depends on you. If you do, you'll let out some of the juices (read fat) into your dish. That will bring more flavor to your dish. That's what I do.

Normally, by poking holes in the sausage, the meat will dry out a bit. However, in this case, that's not the case! Since you are cooking in a moist environment with the lid on the pot, the sausage stays nice and juicy and the kale and potatoes soak up that yummy liquid.

Once this has cooked together, it's time to thicken the cooking liquid by first removing the sausage.

I like to use Veloutine to thicken my gravy. It's quick and simple, giving a bit of added brown color. Just sprinkle some on top and stir in. Since it thickens almost immediately, you can adjust how much you add. Start wit a bit. Add more if needed.

If you don't have Veloutine, then you can make a cornstarch slurry and stir that in. Mix about 2 - 3 tablespoons of cornstarch in some cold water. Stir in just as much as you need to thicken the gravy. 

That's it! See, that really was easy. Serve this with mustard on the side. I like a grainy mustard. 

Ready to make this kale and potato stew?

Print Recipe

German Kale and Potato Recipe – Oma's Grünkohl mit Kartoffeln

Make this kale and potato recipe on your stovetop, sort of like a stew, that includes smoked sausage. A one pot meal that's comfort food, just like Oma made. 

This sort of reminds me of a German classic, the Grünkohl mit Kartoffeln und Pinkel, a dish that consists of kale and potatoes with a traditional sausage called Pinkel. 

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 65 minutes

Servings:

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds fresh kale
• 3 tablespoons lard or butter
• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 - 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 quart chicken broth
• salt, pepper, allspice
• 1 pound smoked sausage
• Veloutine or cornstarch, as needed

Instructions:

1. Prepare fresh kale by washing well. Strip leaves from stalks and immerse leaves briefly in boiling water to blanch. Drain and chop. Set aside.
2. Heat lard or butter in a large saucepan. Add bacon and saute lightly.
3. Add onions and saute until transparent.
4. Add kale, potatoes, and broth. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of allspice.
5. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes without stirring.
6. Place sausages on top of other ingredients. Cover and simmer an additional 20 minutes.
7. Remove sausages and thicken cooking liquid, if desired, by gently stirring in just enough Veloutine to thicken. If you are using cornstarch, mix about 2 to 3 tablespoons of cornstarch in some cold water. Stir in just as much as you need. Try not to break up the potatoes while you are thickening the gravy.
8. Check the seasoning and add more salt and/or pepper, as needed.

Notes/Hints:

• Delicious with mustard served on the side.
• You can use canned or jarred kale. Just drain well before adding to the onions and bacon.
• You can also use frozen kale. Thaw and drain well before using.
• Instead of sausage, use kielbasa, Polish sausage, kasseler, or smoked meat (such as pork hocks).

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Oma's Kale and Potato Recipe ~ Grünkohl mit Kartoffeln



By Oma Gerhild Fulson





Make this kale and potato recipe on your stovetop, sort of like a stew, that includes smoked sausage. A one pot meal that's comfort food, just like Oma made.


Ingredients: kale, lard, bacon, onion, potatoes, chicken broth, seasonings, smoked sausage, veloutine or cornstarch,

For the full recipe, scroll up ...

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More about me >

Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.