Print Recipe

Oma Shows How to Cook Kale – Grünkohl

 Kale, aka Grünkohl, is a hearty side dish for many German dinners. It has an earthy taste that goes great with other hearty dishes. It just needs to be cooked properly!

It's great if you buy it canned or jarred. It's so easy to prepare then. If you have fresh kale, here's how to cook it.

Servings:

Makes 4 - 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 pounds fresh kale
• ⅓ cup lard, goose fat, or butter
• 1 onion, diced
• ½ pound bacon, diced
• salt to taste
• l pound sausage, smoked and pierced with a fork in several places (optional)
• 1 tablespoon rolled oats or cornstarch (to thicken)

Instructions:

1. Wash kale leaves well. Trim stalks and ribs from leaves.
2. Blanche by immersing leaves briefly in boiling water. Then, drain well.
3. Finely chop blanched kale. 
4. Melt lard, goose fat, or butter in a large saucepan.
5. Add onion and saute lightly. Add bacon and fry briefly.
6. Add kale, about ½ teaspoon salt, a little water and sausage (if using)
7. Cover and cook on low heat about 1 hour for a traditional texture. Cook for shorter time if you prefer. Make sure it doesn't dry out - add more water as needed. Cook until kale is tender as you like. 
8. Thicken cooking liquid by adding rolled oats (the traditional way) or dissolve cornstarch in a bit of water and add enough to thicken, stirring constantly.
9. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. 

*  *  *  *  *

Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com