Get to know the sweet & sour side of kale – sweet with roasted red peppers, balsamic vinegar and pan-roasted garlic and sour with capers and kalamata olives – Kale Agrodolce adds an Italian flavor burst to a most healthy garden green – a little gem.
Kale has been the vegetable darling recently, fashioned into chips, pasta, salads, etc. Kale was also a favorite among the families I cooked for as a personal chef and this recipe, Kale Agrodolce, led the requests.
Agrodolce is sweet and sour sauce in Italian cuisine, from “agro” (sour) and “dolce” sweet. This sauce is often created by a reduction of vinegar and sugar and appears frequently in Sicilian regional cuisine as a sauce with meats, pasta and vegetables.
Kale Agrodolce cooks up quick and makes use of items you normally stock in your pantry. Fresh kale is essential and although it seems you are cooking a mountain of kale (2 large bunches or about 10 cups) in a deep stockpot (essential to avoid hot oil from spattering) the kale quickly reduces down after the initial stir-fry to a manageable pot of greens.
This sweet & sour side adds a flavor burst alongside simply grilled meats or fish. Kale Agrodolce – a little emerald jewel from the kitchen.
As always, enjoy. B
You’re on! I have all the ingredients! Do you need to use your good balsamic or your everyday balsamic? : )
Hi Lentil! Don’t use your really good finishing balsamic – everyday is perfect – add the sugar and then adjust the sweet/sour balance – I like to keep it not too sweet – but adjust to taste!. Enjoy!
Wow! What a great combo of flavors. I’ve just started eating kale raw, but can’t wait to make this.
Your Italian white beans pulled me in. I’ve been making them weekly. Baking them really is the key-thanks for the wonderful recipes!
Hi Alice – I do favor the salty-sweet flavors in this kale recipe. You know, I also love the Italian White Beans – at first glance they seem a bit boring – but they are so rich and creamy – been making them for years:) Thank you so much for writing in and so happy you are enjoying the little jewels from the kitchen!
Coincidentally I made something very similar for dinner last night which I topped with grilled Italian sausage. GREG
Thank sounds like the perfect combination Greg! Love it!
This is one gorgeous, hearty, delicious looking dish!