Sautéed Kale with Onion and Bacon

Name: Sautéed Kale with Onion and Bacon
Yield: serves 8
Ingredients: 2 1/2 pounds (about 4 bunches) kale, tough stems and center ribs cut off and discarded; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 4 strips thick-sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 1 large onion, thinly sliced; 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; Generous pinch crushed red-pepper flakes; 1/4 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika; 1 cup Chicken Stock (page 28) or water; 2 teaspoons sherry-wine vinegar; Kosher salt; Freshly ground black pepper

December 9, 2011

Gina: Some Southern greens benefit from long, slow cooking, but kale is best prepared as a speedy sauté. Shredding the kale allows it to cook even faster, keeping its bright color and abundant nutrients (calcium, vitamins A and C) intact. Adding bacon, onion, and the unexpected flavor of smoked Spanish paprika creates a spectacular side dish that just might steal the show from the main course. For a quick, satisfying dinner, you could also toss this sauté with whole-wheat pasta, and finish the dish with toasted pine nuts and grated Parmesan cheese.

Cooks' Note

Large kale leaves are easier to cut in the manner described in this recipe. If all you can find are small leaves, just coarsely chop them.
Smoked Spanish paprika, also called pimentón, has an entirely different flavor from regular paprika. It is really, really smoky—and a little goes a long way in any dish.

Recipe notes

Caramelized Onion Pasta

Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.

Vodka Gochujang Pasta

This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Smothered Italian Sausage

This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.

Béchamel Sauce

This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.

White Bean Turkey Chili

A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.

Golden Mushroom Soup With Orzo & a Pat of Butter

This is the type of soup that, at first glance, might seem a little…unexciting. But you’re underestimating the power of mushrooms, which do the heavy lifting.

Baked Butter Paneer

I should address the awkward truth that I don’t use butter here but cream instead. You could, if you’re a stickler for tradition (and not a heretic like me), add a big slab of butter to the finished curry.