Kale stems: culinary uses

In a bag of whole curly kale, the stems — the central rib running through each leaf and the thicker base where it joined the plant — make up a noticeable part of what you bought. Many recipes, ours included, tell you to strip them out of salads, because thick raw stems are tough to chew. That advice is about texture, not about whether they’re edible.

Cooked or cut the right way, stems turn pleasantly tender with a bit of bite, rather like celery or chard stalks. Using them stretches a 250 g bag further, cuts waste and adds a different texture to the meal.

1. 1

   Wash first

   Wash leaves and stems together under clean, cool running water just before use, then dry them.

2. 2

   Strip the leaves

   Hold the base of the stem in one hand and pull the leaf away along it with the other, or fold the leaf in half and cut the stem out with a knife.

3. 3

   Keep the tender tips

   The thin top part of each stem is soft enough to stay with the leaves.

4. 4

   Trim and slice

   Cut off any dry or discolored end, then slice thick stems thinly — about 2–3 mm — straight across or on a slant. Split very thick ones lengthwise first.

If you’re not cooking the stems the same day as the leaves, keep them in a closed container in the fridge and use them soon. See the stems section of our preparation guide.

Sautés and stir-fries

Heat olive oil, add the sliced stems with onion or garlic and cook for about 3–5 minutes, until they start to soften. Then add the leaves, cook just until wilted and finish with lemon juice. That’s the method behind our garlic-lemon sautéed kale. For a high-heat stir-fry, slice the stems thinly on a slant so they cook fast; they go well with garlic, chilli, a splash of soy sauce and sesame, or with peppers and onions over rice.

Soups and stews

Finely chopped stems behave like celery in a soup base: add them with the onions at the start so they get the whole simmering time to soften, then stir in the leaves near the end. Try it with kale and lentil soup or a kale and white bean stew. Diced, pre-sautéed stems also add crunch to an omelette or a kale and potato frittata.

1. 1

   Slice

   Cut the stems into thin sticks or coins and pack them into a clean glass jar, with a sliced garlic clove and a pinch of chilli flakes if you like.

2. 2

   Make the brine

   Heat equal parts vinegar and water with about 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of sugar per cup of liquid, stirring until dissolved.

3. 3

   Pour and cool

   Pour the hot brine over the stems so they are completely covered. Let the jar cool, then close it.

4. 4

   Refrigerate

   Keep the jar in the fridge and give the stems at least a few hours — overnight is better — before eating.

Serve them with labneh, tucked into a wrap such as our kale and halloumi wrap, or on a mezze plate next to pickled turnips.

Blanch chopped stems in boiling water for 2–3 minutes, until tender, then cool them in iced water and squeeze them dry. Blend with the leaves, garlic, olive oil, lemon, nuts and cheese for a kale pesto; the stems add body and a gentler flavor.

In a blended soup, simply cook the chopped stems with the other vegetables until soft, then purée. In smoothies, a powerful blender copes with thin stems, but thick ones can leave stringy bits — keep those for cooking.

Combine the stems with onion, carrot, celery, parsley stalks and a bay leaf, cover with water and simmer gently for about 30–45 minutes, then strain. Use the stock for soups, rice or lentils.

Make the stock the day you trim the kale, or soon after. Once cooked, treat it like any cooked food: refrigerate within 2 hours, use within 3–4 days or freeze it in portions, and bring it to a full boil when reheating.