Sautéed kale and mushrooms is an easy, healthy side dish recipe that the whole family will love. It’s low carb, clean eating, and tastes amazing. Plus, it only takes a few minutes to cook!
Need more side dish inspiration? Try our sautéed beet greens or green beans and mushrooms. Serve with our creamy chicken noodle soup for a healthy dinner.
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Why This Recipe Works
- The garlic is cooked until it's golden brown for lots of flavor, and then is removed to prevent burning and is added back at the end.
- The kale is added a little at a time so it wilts, and is cooked in broth to make the greens tender and delicious!
- The mushrooms are cooked in butter until golden brown. This is done in two batches so the pan doesn't get overcrowded, which makes them steam rather than fry.
- For maximum flavor, the seasonings and vinegar are added at the end.
Ingredients
Our sautéed kale and mushroom recipe takes pantry staples that are easy to find at your local grocery store. Let's talk about the key ingredients.
- Aromatics: We used freshly minced garlic, roughly 6 large cloves.
- Vegetables: We used fresh kale and white button mushrooms.
- Liquid: We used low sodium chicken stock for the best flavor.
- Acid: We used white wine vinegar.
- Spices: We used salt and black pepper.
See recipe card for the full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- We used freshly minced garlic for the best taste, but you can use the pre-minced garlic that is in a jar to save time.
- To save time you can also use a bag of kale that is already cut and washed, or you can buy the kale in bunches and cut the ribs out.
- The chicken broth can be substituted with vegetable broth or water.
- The white wine vinegar can be substituted with plain white vinegar.
How to Make
Gather all the ingredients for our sautéed kale and mushroom recipe. Quarter the mushrooms, mince the garlic, and measure out the liquids (oil, chicken stock, and vinegar).
- Sauté the garlic in the oil over medium-high heat until golden and fragrant, then remove and place in a small bowl.
- Reduce the heat to medium, then slowly add the greens a little at a time, and toss it with the oil.
3. Stir in the chicken stock, then cover and cook for 5 minutes.
4. While it is cooking, melt the butter in a large saucepan and sauté the mushrooms over medium heat until they are golden brown.
5. Uncover the pot. Cook the kale until the stock has been evaporated, roughly a minute. Remove the pot from the heat and add the mushrooms and garlic. Add the vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Stir until well mixed.
6. Transfer it to a serving bowl and serve hot as a side dish or over pasta (garden rotini or orzo) for a quick weeknight meal.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, kale is very high in vitamin C and a good source of minerals, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. It is also high in vitamin K and lutein, and promotes healthy digestion. In a one-cup serving, there are 228 calories and 14.9 g of carbs. For more nutritional information, scroll past the recipe card.
Stack three leaves on top of each other and line up the stems. Next, fold the leaves in half with the top of the leaves facing in. Cut the stems out and discard them. Re-stack the leaves, roll them up, and slice them into 1-inch strips.
Yes, you can, but they do tend to be quite tough and fibrous. We find sautéed kale is best when the stems are removed.
It needs to cook longer than other similar greens such as spinach. Adding liquid to the pan, such as the chicken broth in our recipe, helps the greens cook and soften, making it tender and delicious!
Serve
Our sautéed kale and mushrooms tastes amazing as a side dish when served with creamy lemon chicken, Salisbury steak, pan seared pork chops, salmon croquettes or shrimp and grits. You can also serve it has a main dish by serving it on top of pasta, such as garden rotini or orzo.
Store
- Make Ahead: Our sautéed kale and mushrooms tastes best when made fresh, but all the ingredients can be prepped ahead of time.
- Leftovers: Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: It's best to freeze kale before it's cooked. Use thawed kale to make this dish.
- Reheat: Any sautéed kale and mushroom leftovers can be reheated in a skillet over medium heat or in a microwave.
Expert Tips
- Save time by using kale that is pre-cut and pre-washed.
- Want flexibility? Swap out different kinds of vinegar or oil.
- Want it spicy? Add red pepper flakes with the garlic.
- Try other add-ins such as bacon, Parmesan cheese, or onions.
- Make this a meal by serving the sautéed kale and mushrooms over pasta.
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Recipe
Sautéed Kale and Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 teaspoons garlic, minced (about 6 cloves)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 pound button mushrooms, quartered
- 1 pound kale, rinsed and cut into pieces
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven, then sauté the minced garlic until fragrant, about a minute, then remove and place in a small bowl.
- While the olive oil is heating up in the Dutch oven, melt the butter in a large frying pan. Cook the mushrooms in two batches so the pan isn't overcrowded, or the mushrooms will sweat. Add the mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat until the mushrooms are golden brown and any liquid has evaporated.
- Once the sautéed garlic is done, stir in the greens a little at a time. Pour in the chicken stock, cover, and cook for 5 minutes over medium-high heat. The kale will significantly reduce in volume and will turn a bright green.
- Uncover the pot and cook for another minute, or until the chicken stock has evaporated.
- Remove the sautéed kale from the heat and season with salt, black pepper, and white wine vinegar. Add the sautéed mushrooms and garlic and toss until well combined. Serve as a side dish or mixed in with rotini or orzo pasta.
Video
Notes
- Save time by using kale that is pre-cut and pre-washed.
- Try different kinds of vinegar or oil for different flavors.
- Want it spicy? Add red pepper flakes with the garlic.
- Try other add-ins such as bacon, Parmesan cheese, or onions.
- Make this a meal by serving the sautéed kale and mushrooms over pasta.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Alex
The kale is chewy and the vinegar adds a pop of sweet and sour. It has an indescribably good flavor with the garlic!
Emma
Glad you enjoyed it, Alex! I love the vinegar in this dish, too.
Beth
The sauteed kale is juicy and chewy. The garlic is a nice accent, along with the mushrooms. It is a really nice side dish!
Emma
Garlic and kale is always a delicious combination! So glad you enjoyed this dish, Beth!