German Braised Kale | Grünkohl
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Delicious and hearty, braised kale is a staple side dish in Germany, especially during the winter months. This German-style kale recipe comes together really easily and pairs well with almost any protein.
This recipe was first published in January 2023. It has been updated with additional information and helpful recipe tips.
Whether you have had this dish in Germany before or not, you will love this delicious braised kale recipe. It is a staple in Northern Germany in the cold winter months for good reason. But even in other regions, you will find all sorts of variations of this hearty side dish.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
Since this is a traditional German recipe, it can sometimes be challenging to get the same ingredients the same way as in Germany. At farmers’ markets, you can actually buy very large quantities of kale.
Living in the US, I often buy shredded kale in bags at Trader Joe’s. The advantage is that you don’t have to cut it down, but the downside is that those bags contain little pieces of the tough stems as well. Typically I find myself picking those out during the cooking process.
The ingredients:
These are the simple ingredients for this easy braised kale recipe:
- Curly kale: this vibrant green is the star and main ingredient. Traditionally, Germans use curly kale, especially the one that has already had some frost (it makes it sweeter)
- Onions: Either yellow or white onion will be fine.
- Goose fat: while I always keep some fat back when I am making a roast goose. There are plenty of substitutes though (see the substitutions section, below).
- Broth or bouillon: adding some broth makes the whole dish deeper, rounder, and savory
- Rolled oats: adding some rolled oats helps to bind and thicken the braised kale
- Mustard: I like to add a teaspoon of Dijon or stone-ground mustard to make this delicious recipe taste even better
Substitutions and variations
Here are some variations and substitutions for this dish:
- Kale: even though curly kale is the traditional choice, the recipe also works using Dino/lacinato kale or purple kale.
- Onion: feel free to substitute red onion, white or sweet onions for the yellow onions
- Goose fat: I really like the slightly gamey flavor of goose fat but you can easily use duck fat, lard, tallow, extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, or any other cooking oil
- Mustard: if you don’t have or don’t like mustard, you can omit it altogether
- Broth: I always like using my homemade bone broth but any chicken broth or even vegetable stock works in this recipe
- Other seasonings: even though the authentic German recipe is very simple and basic, you can add some chili flakes, soy sauce, a spitz of lemon juice, a couple of garlic cloves, or a dash of sugar
Useful tools and equipment
You don’t actually need any special equipment to make this recipe, but here are some that are helpful:
- large Dutch oven or pot: since you will need a lot of kale, it helps to use a very big pot, even though the kale will shrink a lot during cooking.
- slotted spoon: this comes in handy if you’d like to boil or steam the kale before braising it
- sharp knife: an essential tool to cut away the thick kale stems
How to make braised kale
★ This is a summary of the steps involved. For the complete instructions, please scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Prep the kale and onion.
- Sauté the onion on the stove in a Dutch oven with melted fat.
- Gradually add the chopped kale, sauteing it until it wilts.
- Add the broth and mustard, cover the pot, and braise the kale for about 90 minutes..
- At the end of the cooking time, add the rolled oats and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Season the kale and serve while warm.
Helpful Recipe Tips
- Braised kale tastes just as good reheated and eaten the day after you make it.
- If you refrigerate it in an airtight container, it will stay fresh for about a week.
- For longer storage, you can freeze it for up to 4 months.
- Kale preparation: I like to keep things simple and sauté the raw kale with the onions. Another way is to steam or quickly boil the kale to break down the tougher parts, then cut it into smaller pieces before braising.
- Freezing kale: If kale has had some frost before the harvest, the starches turn to sugar and give this dish its distinct flavor. I often throw kale in the freezer before braising it, which is not exactly the same, but the next best option.
Serving suggestions
The perfect protein to serve with braised kale is a red sausage with a smokey flavor, such as Polish Kielbasa. In some areas, people serve braised kale with Kassler which is a salted and smoked piece of pork. Sometimes, you will even find red sausages, smoked pork, and pork belly all on a serving platter with the kale.
Either boiled or German fried potatoes are a classic side with this dish. My late mother-in-law even rolled the boiled potatoes in caramelized sugar.
I don’t see any reason why you can’t eat braised kale with white rice, pasta, or German egg noodles.
Braised Kale (German-Style)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds kale
- 1 medium onion yellow or white
- 2 TBSP goose fat (see notes for alternatives)
- 2 cups bone broth or bouillon
- 1 tsp German mustard medium-hot spice level
- 2 TBSP rolled oats
Instructions
- Use a sharp knife to cut the kale leaves off of the stem. Discard the stems, then chop the leaves into smaller pieces. Set aside.
- Peel and cut the onion into small dices. Set aside.
- In a large pot or dutch oven, melt the fat over medium heat.
- Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Gradually stir in the kale, continuously cooking as you do. The kale will shrink a lot!
- Add the broth and mustard. Cover the pot with a lid and turn the heat to low. Simmer for about 90 minutes.
- Check occasionally to make sure that the kale isn't too dry. If needed, add more broth.
- At the end of the cooking time, add the rolled oats and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Serve with red smoked sausage (Polish Kielbasa) or your favorite meat and boiled potatoes.
Notes
- you can substitute goose fat with lard, tallow, olive oil, or any other cooking fat.
- this braised kale tastes even better reheated and eaten the next day
Nutrition
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Oh MY, it looks great! Can’t wait to cook em this Sunday!
Nice! Happy cooking ~ Anja