Published: · Modified: by Cadry Nelson
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This broccolini recipe with garlic & kale is an easy vegan and gluten-free side dish with gobs of color.
It comes together in just minutes. And it’s packed with antioxidants.
Sometimes you just want to kick it old school at dinner.
You want something protein-dense like lentil loaf, a scoop of mashed potatoes, and a pile of green vegetables.
And when the classics call, answer it with this sautéed broccolini recipe.
It’s made simply with chopped broccolini and kale.
They are sautéed with minced garlic, and steamed in a skillet with a pinch of salt.
It doesn’t get much easier!
This broccolini recipe with garlic & kale is a super easy side dish that adds color, texture, and nutrients to your plate.
In this post:
Jump to:
- What is broccolini?
- Step by step instructions
- Make it your own
- What to serve with it
- Storage instructions
- 📖 Recipe
What is broccolini?
Broccolini is a hybrid of broccoli and Chinese kale. In stores, it’s sometimes labeled as baby broccoli.
(It’s labeled as broccolini at my local Co-op. However, at Trader Joe’s, the package reads baby broccoli.)
If you’re a broccoli fan, then you’re going to love broccolini.
They taste very similar. But broccolini is slightly milder in flavor.
It also has a thinner stem, which makes it quicker cooking.
The whole spear of broccolini can be eaten – including the leaves, “tree top” portion, and stem.
However, I do like to cut off the ends, which can get a little tough or dried out.
And if there are any portions that are starting to look a little rough or discolored, gently slice off that portion.
Step by step instructions
Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.
Start by slicing off & discarding the ends of washed broccolini.
Cut the remaining broccolini spears into 1-inch pieces.
Then remove the leaves from the ribs on a bunch of kale.
Roughly chop the kale leaves.
Finally, mince garlic.
Now sauté the garlic in a lightly oiled skillet.
Add the broccolini, and sauté a bit more.
Add a couple Tablespoons of water, and cover with a lid until the water steams the broccolini and cooks off.
Add the kale to the skillet, and cook it down with a pinch of salt.
Make it your own
Make this broccolini recipe your own by varying the ingredients, amounts, or serving method.
- Finish it with a squeeze of lemon juice or a pat of non-dairy butter at the end.
- If you’re not a big kale fan, add less of it, or omit it altogether. You can keep everything else in the recipe the same.
- If you have leftovers, add them to your vegan tofu scramble or baked tofu bowl.
What to serve with it
Sautéed broccolini & kale is a great side dish with any of the following:
- Vegan eggplant parmesan
- Easy baked tofu recipe with lemon & rosemary
- Vegan lasagna for one in the air fryer
- Vegan arancini (Italian rice balls)
- Creamy vegan risotto
- Chicken-style vegan pot pie (Using frozen pie crust!)
- Lentil loaf muffins (from Veggies Save the Day)
Storage instructions
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
It will keep for about 3 days.
Reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!
📖 Recipe
Sautéed broccolini with garlic and kale
Author: Cadry Nelson
5 from 9 votes
This side dish combines two of my favorite vegetables and gives some added texture and crunch to your average cooked kale.
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Vegan
Keyword: baby broccoli recipe, broccolini recipe, easy vegetable dish
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 bunch broccolini about 11 ounces, cut into one inch pieces with ends removed
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 bunch curly kale leaves removed from ribs and roughly chopped
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
In a large skillet, bring extra virgin olive oil to a medium heat and sauté garlic for a couple of minutes, until fragrant.
Add broccolini to the skillet and sauté for a minute more. Add water to the skillet and cover for about 3 minutes, allowing the broccolini to steam.
Once most or all of the water is gone, uncover the skillet and add chopped kale. Evenly combine the kale with the broccolini and sauté for a few minutes more, until the kale is soft and wilted.
Add a pinch of salt and serve warm.
Notes
Make this dish your own by finishing it with a squeeze of lemon juice or a pat of non-dairy butter. If you’re not a big kale fan, add less of it, or omit it altogether. You can keep everything else in the recipe the same.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for about 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
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Nutrition
Calories: 54kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 4g | Sodium: 35mg | Potassium: 159mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 4625IU | Vitamin C: 111mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 1.1mg
Content updated October 26, 2022. Originally posted September 10, 2014.
More Sides
- Vegan cauliflower cheese soup
- Vegan corn cakes (similar to arepas or pupusas)
- Air fryer cauliflower (or oven roasted)
About Cadry Nelson
Cadry Nelson is the writer, recipe creator, and photographer behind Cadry’s Kitchen. She's also the author of Living Vegan For Dummies, 2nd edition. Cadry loves sharing vegan comfort food classics that come together quickly. Her work has been featured on NBC News, Mashable, Yahoo, Buzzfeed, Parade, Huffington Post, VegNews, and Vegan Food & Living.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Tracey
I’ve always been intimated by kale and greens like collards. I’m not sure how to properly wash, prep or cook them. Do you have a video on this? Thanks!
Reply
Cadry
You are full of good ideas! I should do a get-to-know-you type video with those greens since they require a bit more work, and many of us didn’t grow up eating them. I did one video on a massaged kale salad, where I showed how to remove the kale from the stem and wash them.
This is my default way of preparing collard greens.
Reply
Laura Black
I absolutely love simple recipes like this! This will be a perfect side dish for my dinner tonight! Thanks for the inspiration.Reply
Cadry
I’m glad to hear it, Laura! I hope you enjoy it!
Reply
Cadry
Wow, that’s really high! I think the raw organic cashew pieces are $9.99/pound at the Co-op. Still, I’m glad you were able to find them! Enjoy your dessert! 🙂
Reply
moomoo
Yeah, I don’t think Hy-Vee is the best place to get many natural products. They hold a 10% off sale on everything in the “Health Market” on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of every month, but our food bill is so much higher here than when I lived on the East and West coasts.
On the other hand, raw cashews as well as most (all?) of the processed health foods are totally non-essential in a healthy diet, so most of the time I can do without them. I’ve been using the pressure cooker to make big batches of beans which are healthy & BPA-free, go with most foods we eat, and are easy on the pocketbook!
Reply
Cadry
I know your pain and completely agree! When I lived in Los Angeles, our food bill was considerably lower. On the West Coast, there was a lot more competition to drive down prices. Here, there’s a lot less competition and so therefore less incentive to keep prices reasonable. For example, the price of organic pickles at the Co-op is $7! At Trader Joe’s they’re about $2.99. I know people give Whole Foods the nickname Whole Paycheck, but the prices (especially of their 365 line) is significantly less than what I’m paying. Whenever we’re in Des Moines, we stock up on staples at Whole Foods & Trader Joe’s.
I make all of my beans from scratch too to avoid BPA and reduce costs. All of those little things add up!
Reply
moomoo
+1 to everything you said. Whole Foods is reasonably priced compared to Quad Cities prices (with much less selection here). I rarely eat pickles b/c all the grocery store versions have Yellow #5 and the non-artificially-colored ones are $6-7 a jar. Maybe we should learn to make pickles next summer. 🙂
I moved away years ago, but I still miss San Francisco’s Rainbow Grocery, which is a ginormous vegetarian co-op. I don’t have any reason to go to Des Moines or Chicago on a regular basis but if I ever find myself in either of those areas I will stock up on the nonperishable foods at TJ’s! I have ordered some items from Vitacost and Swanson, but Trader Joe’s always wins.
Reply
Shell
This dish looks fabulous! I love broccolini, but I haven’t bought it before. Is it easy to find at the grocery store?Reply
Cadry
I would think any grocery store with a sizable produce section would have it. It’s usually near the broccoli.
Reply
veganinbrighton
I got home from Austin this morning and this looks like something I need to be eating right now! Going veggie shopping in the AM for sure!
Reply
Cadry
I hope the taco withdrawals aren’t too intense!
Reply
Randi
I love broccolini! I’ve never tried to mix it with kale though- I’ll have to try this!Reply
Cadry
I got really hooked on making it this way this summer. It’s a fun change of pace and has more crunch than kale by itself. I hope you enjoy it!
Reply
panda cookie
Yeah, I’ve also never thought to put these two together. I love good simple recipes.Reply
moomoo
This looks delicious!Reply
Liz
This looks delicious!Reply
Cadry
Thank you, Liz!
Reply
Becky
This looks like cruciferous heaven!Reply
Cadry
Indeed! It’s a cruciferous paradise! 🙂
Reply
Shannon
Broccolini is one of my absolute favorite vegetables. This is simple perfection!Reply
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