Sautéed Kale with Mushrooms and Tomatoes is the best healthy side dish. It whips up super quickly and easily and tastes fantastic!
Sautéed Kale
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I love greens. Kale. Escarole. Chard. Spinach. Mustard Greens. Dandelion greens. I love them all so hard! They’re all so darn healthy and so delicious in their own ways. Growing up, I had a love/hate relationship with greens, like most kids (I know most kids are more on the hate side of that, but you know what I mean).
Kale didn’t actually come onto my radar until it became the sexy new food trend in recent years. While our current food culture is almost saturated with it, I’ve noticed it can be very divisive. I think it’s the wild amount of texture it brings to dishes can turn some people off but I rather enjoy the texture.
The first time a variation of this recipe was made, it was by my mom. She made it with Swiss Chard and we knew instantly that it was a keeper. In addition to the healthy greens, you have onions and garlic to throw in some fantastic flavor, mushrooms for the umami factor, tomatoes for a bit of acid and some crushed red pepper for a nice kick.
Tips for how to cook kale
- Pre-washed and cut kale can help make the prep much quicker and easier.
- If you’re working with kale that isn’t prepackaged (or any greens for that matter) make sure you wash it extra well and keep an eye out for worms (this was the first thing my grandma taught me when working with greens).
- Either way, remove those fibrous stems. They’re edible but not terribly enjoyable to chew. Take the extra step and remove those stems, you’ll be glad you did!
- If you’re really feeling frisky, you can throw in a few tablespoons of white wine to really pull everything together.
Frequently asked questions about making this sautéed kale recipe
- Do I have to use kale? This particular recipe is amazing with any greens you choose. I happened to have kale on hand and so this recipe was born. But feel free to sub any other type of greens.
- What do you serve with sautéed kale? This dish not only makes an excellent veggie side, but also a hearty meatless main. I’ve been eating it for lunch all week over brown rice and it’s made an excellent lunch!
- Should you massage kale before eating? If you’re eating it raw then yes. For this preparation, it’s not necessary because cooking it will tenderize it.
- How long does sautéed kale last? This stays good covered in the fridge for up to a week.
- What’s the best way to reheat sautéed kale? I do it in the microwave, but you can also do it in a small pan over medium heat stirring often.
- Can this be frozen? I wouldn’t recommend it.
Make it a meal!
A few great recipes to round out and complete this meal would be:
Helpful tools:

- A large head of kale or your greens of choice, cleaned well, trimmed of stems and cut down to the size that you make lettuce in a normal salad- not a chopped salad
- 1 small to medium onion, diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 medium tomato, diced
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 2-3 Tablespoons Olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- Garlic powder to taste
- Crushed red pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons white wine (optional)
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Heat a olive oil over medium to medium high heat in saute pan and add garlic and onion.
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Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper to taste and saute stirring frequently for 5 minutes until they are sweating but not browning.
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Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and allow them to brown 3-4 more minutes stirring often.
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Add greens to the pan and season liberally with salt, pepper, garlic powder and crushed red pepper. Mix everything together and allow the greens to cook down for 3-5 minutes, turning them periodically.
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Add the diced tomatoes and wine. Cover and cook down for 5-7 minutes, stirring periodically.
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Once everything is well combined serve as a side dish or over rice as a meatless main dish.
If you tried this recipe please comment and rate it 🙂 I love hearing your feedback and answering your questions! And if you make this please tag me on Instagram with @thelifejolie so I can share it <3
Try some other great vegetable side dishes include:
- Sautéed Shredded Brussels Sprouts
- Grandma’s Baked Artichokes
- Honey Soy Glazed Carrots and Parsnips
- Garlic Green Beans
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34 Comments
Kaitie
April 20, 2015 at 3:28 pm I have chicken breasts to eat up this week and extra kale & spinach left over in my fridge... Sounds like I have a complete meal now :)Jessy
April 20, 2015 at 4:08 pm Sounds delicious- I hope you enjoy!Tonya Marie
April 20, 2015 at 5:26 pm I love kale! This looks like a great new kale recipe to try!Jessy
April 20, 2015 at 9:35 pm I hope you enjoy it!Velaundra{at}Velsworld.com
April 20, 2015 at 11:40 pm This is the second kale recipe I've seen tonight and it's really making me want to try it out! This looks and sounds delicious!Jessy
April 21, 2015 at 9:49 am Thank you- there are so many awesome Kale recipes out there, I love trying them all!sarah
April 21, 2015 at 9:39 am This looks like a savory dish. I love when I can cook something healthy for my family that they (meaning my picky kids) will eat. Thanks for sharing, I will try this.Jessy
April 21, 2015 at 9:46 am Thank you- I hope you enjoy it!Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens
April 21, 2015 at 1:15 pm So excited to find this recipe! Lots of things that I love, all wrapped up into one ... quick and easy, gorgeously appealing, and loaded with oh-so-healthy veggies! Perfect! And I love that you suggest alternate ideas besides baby kale - so versatile! Definitely pinning this to share! :DJessy
April 21, 2015 at 10:09 pm Thank you- its all about having options :)Shann
April 21, 2015 at 9:00 pm I'm still not so sure about kale, but you make it look delicious. I may have to try this :)Jessy
April 21, 2015 at 10:09 pm Thank you! Is it a textural thing? I've found that baby kale is less fiberous.All that's Jas
April 26, 2015 at 8:50 pm I'm so excited for this recipe. A new way to use the Swiss chard from my garden. Thanks for sharing at Thursday Favorite Things. I hope you will join us again this Thursday!Jessy
April 27, 2015 at 8:58 am I'm so jealous- I wish I was growing Swiss Chard- enjoy!Zan
April 28, 2015 at 8:03 am I don't think I have ever cooked with kale...but the recipe sounds healthy and delicious!Jessy
April 28, 2015 at 10:32 am Thank you, it's really tasty :)Zan
April 28, 2015 at 8:04 am BTW: Thanks for sharing with us a the Home Matters linky party. Hope you join us again!Jessy
April 28, 2015 at 10:32 am Thanks for stopping by :)Zan
April 28, 2015 at 8:06 am I don't know that I have ever cooked with kale; bu the recipe sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing with us a the Home Matters linky party. Hope you join us again!Jessy
April 28, 2015 at 10:18 am Thank you- I encourage you to try it. I love the texture and the flavor. If you or your family is not into to a ton of texture, baby kale may be a good place to start.Emily
January 9, 2017 at 11:41 am This looks so fresh and vibrant and I love how simple it is!Jessy
January 9, 2017 at 2:55 pm Thank you, Emily!sue | theviewfromgreatisland
January 9, 2017 at 11:49 am I feel healthier just looking at this vibrant dish ~ do you think it would work with spinach, or any other greens as well?Jessy
January 9, 2017 at 2:54 pm Thanks Sue! I think it would be delicious with other greens. Spinach is a great option- I would probably add it in at the same time as the tomatoes since spinach wilts quicker. Enjoy!Suzy | The Mediterranean Dish
January 9, 2017 at 12:02 pm What a bowl full of goodness! Love this recipe.Jessy
January 9, 2017 at 2:52 pm Thank you, Suzy!Tracy | Baking Mischief
January 9, 2017 at 12:09 pm One of my goals this year was to get more leafy greens into my diet. This sounds like such a good way to start! It looks delish, and thanks for the washing tip. That makes me glad I always wash my greens thoroughly because ew! ;)Jessy
January 9, 2017 at 1:55 pm Thank you Tracy! That's a good goal- I need to set some goals like this!Claire @foodiequine
January 9, 2017 at 12:39 pm That super green mix sounds ideal. My favourites and spinach and chard. I often mix them with mushrooms but have never thoight to add tomatoes. Gonna give it a try, perfect for Veganuary too.Jessy
January 9, 2017 at 1:54 pm Veganuary: I love this! How brilliant (and delicious!).Maddy
July 2, 2018 at 8:56 pm This was perfect! I made it as a side and skipped the garlic powder. I love how simple and delicious it was!!! Thank you!Jessy Freimann
July 4, 2018 at 8:30 am So glad you loved it- I just made it last week with swiss chard to enjoy with my eggs in the morning :)Amanda Wade
August 26, 2019 at 6:27 pm This was delicious! Followed the recipe to a “t” asidefrom using a little balsamic vinegar in place of the wine. It came out perfecto! Next time I’m going to make it with pasta as a main dish. Thanks for sharing with us!Jessy Freimann
September 4, 2019 at 1:32 pm Yum, I bet it was fantastic with balsamic! Please let me know how it is with pasta because that sounds sooooooo good!