Kale

boerenkool / couve / kale

Flavor and role

A thick-leaved, slightly bitter cabbage-family green. The thick stems are tough, so strip them and use only the leaves.

Typical dishes and uses

Stamppot, served with feijoada (sautéed kale), caldo verde, kale salad

Substitutes

Use the same amount of savoy cabbage, chard or spinach (cooks faster).

Storage

Wrapped in damp kitchen paper, 5–7 days in the fridge. Blanched and frozen, 6 months.

Main countries

Netherlands · Portugal · United States

Used in this book

Boerenkool Stamppot (Kale Stamppot)Feijoada Completa with Garlic Kale and FarofaFeijoada Croquettes with Kale and BaconRoasted Minestrone Salad BowlDry-Brined Goat Nyama Choma with Charred Pili-Pili and Sukuma WikiBrown Butter Stamppot with Onion GravySaag Aloo Stamppot with Tadka and PaneerCheesy Stamppot Croquette Cakes

Updated 2026-10-10