Kale agrodolce with shallots, honey, raisins, and crunchy marcona almonds. Sweet, tangy, and a delicious new way to cook kale.
Why I Love It
I'm always looking for new ways to cook kale. Partly because I love it, but also because we planted a lot of it in our garden this year and suddenly found ourselves with more kale than any family reasonably needs.
This recipe was inspired by the classic Italian idea of agrodolce, the balance of sweet and sour that's used with everything from vegetables to braised meats. Here, a syrupy mixture of red wine vinegar, honey, raisins, shallots, and garlic coats tender blanched kale. It softens the earthiness of the greens and gives every bite a little sweetness, tartness, and heat.
If there's one step I wouldn't skip, it's blanching the kale first. It turns silky and gives the leaves a chance to really soak up the agrodolce. I finish everything with chopped Marcona almonds for a nutty crunch that ties it all together.
If I'm serving it to the kids, I usually leave out the chile flakes. When it's just me and my husband, I love to crank them up for extra spice.
It's wonderful straight from the skillet, I also can't seem to stop eating the leftovers straight from the fridge.
If you like this combo of sweet raisins and punchy vinegar, you'll probably love my warm kale salad too. Or pile it onto thick slices of homemade country bread (maybe with a smear of ricotta?) for a super delicious lunch.
How to Make Kale Agrodolce
Recipe Tips
Don't skip the blanching. It's the key to silky, tender kale that readily absorbs the sweet-and-sour sauce.
Squeeze the kale dry. Too much water water will make a watery, dilute tasting agrodolce!
Use Marcona almonds if you can. Their buttery flavor and delicate crunch are especially nice here, but any roasted almonds work well.
Adjust the heat to your taste. I leave out the chile flakes when serving kids and add a generous pinch when it's just adults.
Use your favorite kale. Tuscan kale is my favorite for its tender leaves and deep color, but curly or Red Russian kale are both excellent. Swiss chard and collard greens also work great!
Kale Agrodolce
Kale agrodolce with shallots, honey, raisins, and crunchy marcona almonds. Sweet, tangy, and a delicious new way to cook kale.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- kosher salt
- 3 bunches kale
- 5 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp golden raisins
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced into rings
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup finely chopped Marcona almonds
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, cut or tear kale leaves away from thick stems. Stack 3- 4 leaves at a time and roughly chop into bite-sized pieces. Transfer to a colander and rinse well.
- Add kale to the boiling water and blanch for 1 minute. Drain and run under cold water until cool enough to handle. Squeeze dry and set aside.
- Combine vinegar, honey, raisins, red pepper flakes, and 2 tbsp water in a small glass jar and stir until honey is dissolved. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until translucent, 3- 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in vinegar mixture, bring to a simmer, and cook until reduced to about 1 tablespoon, 4- 5 minutes.
- Stir in kale, season with salt and pepper, and cook another 2- 3 minutes, until glossy and evenly coated.
- Transfer to a serving platter, drizzle with good olive oil and sprinkle with chopped almonds. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 135
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 115mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 11g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
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