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    You are here: Home / Sides / Vegan Creamy Kale, Version 2.0

    LAST UPDATED: January 29, 2022 • FIRST PUBLISHED: November 19, 2015

    Vegan Creamy Kale, Version 2.0

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This vegan creamy kale is made with a garlicky simmering of curly kale in creamy cashew milk. It makes a perfect addition to a holiday table, or a simple but delicious weeknight side dish.

    Vegan Creamy Kale

    I've been having a seriously hard time with Thanksgiving recipes this year. Normally, about a third or so of the recipes I make never end up on this blog, because I just don't like them enough. This is fine, and totally expected, but every now and then I hit a rough patch, where I bomb on everything for weeks. That just happens to be what's been happening with the majority of my planned Thanksgiving posts for the year. It's rough. How did I manage to screw up mashed potatoes? I don't know, but they were awful. My sweet potatoes turned out to be a soggy mess. I even tried to create a fancy stuffed puff pastry main course thing, and despite the fact that it's pretty darn challenging to make anything out of puff pastry that isn't absolutely delicious, I did.

    Vegan Creamy Kale

    So I decided to go back to something tried and true. My first year blogging I shared a recipe for vegan creamed kale, which was awesome, but the photos weren't all that great. I'd been meaning to update the photos, and figured about now, in the midst of a bunch of epic holiday fails, would be the right time. As things turned out, I couldn't manage to stick to the original recipe.

    Ah well. I did make it better though! While the original was a simple simmering of kale and cashew milk, this time around I decided some garlic was needed. I also thickened up the creamy cashew mixture with just a bit of flour, which did awesome things. As much as I love cashew milk, the one issue I have with it in recipes like this is the fact that you I never, ever seem to get it 100% smooth. Like, it might taste smooth, but you can always see little microscopic bits of cashew in the mix, and that bugs the heck out of me. A little bit of flour smoothed things out perfectly, and I feel confident when I say that this creamy vegan kale is just as rich and luscious as any dairy version that may have ever graced your holiday table.

    Vegan Creamy Kale
    Bowl of Vegan Creamed Kale with Spoon on the Side, Salt and Pepper Shakers in the Background
    5 from 2 votes
    Print

    Vegan Creamy Kale, Version 2.0

    This vegan creamy kale is made with a garlicky simmering of curly kale in creamy cashew milk. It makes a perfect addition to a holiday table, or a simple but delicious weeknight side dish.
    Course Side
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 20 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 205 kcal
    Author Alissa

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4-8 hours, rinsed and drained
    • 1 cup water
    • 1 tbsp. olive oil
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 cup vegetable broth
    • 1 large bunch curly kale, stems removed and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
    • 2 tbsp. lemon juice, or to taste
    • 1 tbsp. whole wheat flour
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    1. Place cashews and water into blender or small food processor bowl. Blend until very smooth.
    2. Coat the bottom of a large pot with olive oil and place over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add vegetable broth and kale. Cover and allow kale to steam until fully wilted, about 5 minutes, removing lid and flipping every so often.
    3. Remove lid from pot and add cashew milk. Stir a few times to incorporate. Bring to a simmer and lower heat. Allow to simmer, uncovered, until liquid reduces by about half, about 5 minutes.
    4. Stir in lemon juice. Add flour, a little bit at a time, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens.
    5. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

    Recipe Notes

    For a gluten/grain free option, skip the flour and reduce the amount of water to about ½ cup. You may need to allow the mixture to simmer a few minutes more to thicken up, and in the end it won't be a smooth, but it will still be tasty.

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan Creamy Kale, Version 2.0
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 205 Calories from Fat 107
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 11.9g18%
    Saturated Fat 2.2g11%
    Sodium 537mg22%
    Potassium 723mg21%
    Carbohydrates 19.8g7%
    Fiber 2.3g9%
    Sugar 1.2g1%
    Protein 7.6g15%
    Calcium 130mg13%
    Iron 3.1mg17%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    « Vegan Pumpkin Gingersnap Tiramisu
    Savory Mushroom Burgers »

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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Chrissy says

      November 19, 2015 at 4:26 pm

      I wanted a creamy greens recipe for Thanksgiving, so this is perfect - Thank you! Do you think you can make it ahead and reheat or do you recommend just cooking right before serving?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        November 21, 2015 at 11:35 am

        Thank you! My husband took the leftovers to work and reheated them in the microwave. He confirmed that it was just as delicious on the first day, just needed a little stir to reincorporate everything. It also might not be as pretty, as greens tend to dull in color after cooking.

        Reply
    2. Alex says

      December 29, 2015 at 9:30 am

      Hello,
      I'm out of cashews, do you think this could be done with unsweetened almond milk?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 29, 2015 at 8:23 pm

        Hi Alex! Maybe, but it probably won't be as rich, and you'll probably need to play around a bit with amount of liquid and flour in order to get the right consistency. I haven't tried myself so I can't say with absolute certainty.

        Reply
    3. Dee says

      December 05, 2017 at 5:36 pm

      The secret to making smooth cashew milk is to purée in a small amount of liquid and get it as smooth as possible. Then keep adding liquid to the blender until you like it.

      Reply
    4. Simon Nightingale says

      October 24, 2019 at 2:45 am

      5 stars
      This is awesome! Thanks so much for posting.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 27, 2019 at 1:58 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    5. Jenn says

      November 27, 2020 at 10:24 am

      5 stars
      This was so amazing! I used quinoa flour instead of whole wheat because it was all I had. I made it last night for Thanksgiving and it was a hit! Thank you for sharing this recipe! Definitely a keeper!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

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