Kale and Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Almonds

Kale and Brussels sprouts are a compatible pair of vegetables in this super green side dish. A flexible recipe, you can use other greens in place of kale. Halves of Brussels sprouts look appealing mingled with leafy greens, and they taste great together, too.

Chard, mustard greens, escarole, broccoli rabe — or any combination these valuable veggies — can be used in place of kale if these are the greens on hand.

Enjoy this side dish, filled with green goodness, in the fall and winter when hardy greens and Brussels sprouts are plentiful.

Lacinato kale

A note about kale

Though the crazed devotion to kale seems to have peaked, it’s still a Most Valuable Vegetable. Kale is in the family of cruciferous vegetables, along with broccoli and cauliflower. It comes in several varieties, the most common of which are the curly green, lacinato (also called dinosaur kale), and Russian.

Lacinato kale has long, narrow leaves that are a handsome forest green, sometimes blue-green. Russian Kale is also curly, with red-tipped leaves and a slightly less sweet flavor than its monochromatic counterpart.

The mild, slightly sweet flavor of the curly variety is the most widely adaptable to all manner of preparations (including smoothies!), but lacinato and Russian kale are totally worth using if you happen to spot them.

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Yield: 4 to 6

Kale and Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Almonds

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Kale and Brussels sprouts are a compatible pair in this very green side dish. You can use other greens you have on hand instead of kale.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds
• 10 to 12 ounces Brussels sprouts, stemmed and halved
• 10 to 12-ounce bunch kale (any variety — lacinato is good in this)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or more, to taste
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Vegan Parmesan for topping (purchased, or see how in Notes), optional

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet. Add the almonds and toast over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant and beginning to brown lightly here and there. Stir occasionally. When done, transfer to a bowl or plate.
2. In the same skillet, combine the Brussels sprouts with about 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook until tender-crisp, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and remove to a bowl and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, cut the leaves away from the kale stems. cut into ribbons, about 1/2 inch in width if using lacinato; or bite size pieces if using curly green or Russian kale. Give the kale a good rinse.
4. Heat the oil in the same skillet. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute or so. Add the kale. Sauté over medium heat, stirring often, until the kale is tender to your liking, about 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Stir the Brussels sprouts back in, then season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Scatter the almonds over the top. 
6. Serve at once straight from the skillet or transfer to a serving container.

Notes

Here's how I make a super-easy vegan Parmesan topping — without the need for any machine. Simply combine 1/2 cup almond flour, 1/3 cup nutritional yeast, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small storage container. Mix well. This is more than you'll need for this one recipe, so cover tightly and put the unused portion in the refrigerator, where it will keep indefinitely.

If you like this greens and Brussels sprouts due, you might enjoy …

Brussels Sprouts with Chard (or other leafy greens)

Here are more easy vegan salads & side dishes.

Top three photos: bfohack22/Bigstock