This recipe was inspired by the 2 lb bag of baby kale I was slowly using up for smoothies over the past week. Despite putting a big handful in my smoothie every morning, I had barely made a dent and the package says you should use all the kale within 2-3 days of opening… I didn’t know how anyone could eat that much kale… Until today.

Here is my creation! It’s a cross between traditional braised kale and exotic African kale stew. I threw in bacon for good measure, too.

Ingredients:
1 large onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs olive oil
1.5 lbs kale (yes, that’s a ridiculously large amount, but it cooks down)
2 cans diced tomatoes (28 oz total)
For spiciness: 1 tbs sambal olek (chili paste) or 2 tsp red pepper flakes or 1 jalepeno, diced
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 c PB2 powdered peanut butter or 1/4 c natural peanut butter
1 c chicken stock
Stevia or sugar to taste
6-8 slices bacom, cooked and chopped (optional, but recommended)

1. Sauté onion in a large stockpot with 2 tbs olive oil. Once translucent, add garlic. Sauté 2 mins more. Add ground ginger, chicken stock, peanut butter, and spicy seasoning of choice. Stir.

2. Add the kale, chopped bacon, and diced tomatoes. Stir until kale is wilted. Cover the stockpot and reduce to a simmer for approx 20 minutes or until the kale is no longer bitter. Add sweetener of choice until the flavor is adjusted to your preference.

Serve as a main course or side dish!
1/3 of the recipe (with bacon and PB2) contains 400 calories, 17 grams protein, and serves well as a hearty lunch! This recipe is a must-try! The flavor is amazingly rich, savory, spicy, and slightly sweet.