Creamy Kale Chowder, with potatoes, corn and a hint of cheese. Enjoy this simple, hearty and satisfying soup, with salad and a crusty baguette… slathered with butter, of course!
I love the complex notes that Kale adds to this soup…. I think it’s a great way to include this nutrient-packed “Superfood” into my everyday meal-planning.
What is Chowder?
Someone says “Chowder“, and the first thing I think of is potatoes and corn in a thick creamy base. Instantly, I begin to salivate…. in anticipation of the “warm, yummy-in-my-tummy” feeling that a steaming hot bowl of chowder never fails to generate.
Aware that lots of folks are trying to incorporate Kale into their everyday routine, I thought I might try to develop a chowder recipe that featured Kale as a distinctive ingredient. As I’ve tinkered with different variations of chowder, I’ve started adding different vegetables in addition to potatoes and corn – one such variation is the Creamy Kale Chowder I’ve shared here.
Kale – A Superfood ?
In recent years, Kale has garnered a lot of attention – some even hail it as a “Superfood”. So… What exactly is so special about this leafy green that makes it stand out from the rest of the pack?
Kale is abundant in a multitude of vital micro-nutrients that keep you strong and healthy. Vitamins (especially A, B6, C, E and especially K), minerals (manganese, calcium, potassium, copper, magnesium, iron and phosphorous) and various phyto-nutrients (lutein, zeaxanthin) work together to keep your bones strong, combat inflammation and protect your vision.
Vitamin K-rich Kale
Let me make a special mention of Vitamin K in Kale. Kale is one of the richest food sources of Vitamin K : 1/2 cup cooked Kale provides 531 mcg, which is about 443% of the recommended daily value! Vitamin K is intricately involved in various processes in the body, including blood clotting and bone and heart health.
In this creamy Kale Chowder recipe for 4 servings, I have used 1/3 cup cooked Kale. Do the math and you see that each serving, with just a little bit of Kale (about 1 1/2 tbsp per serving), meets nearly 75% of your daily value for Vitamin K!
How does one ensure that our bodies actually absorb all of this good stuff? Add some fat to your Kale dish! Why? Vitamin K is fat-soluble, so the fat helps your body absorb it more easily. So, go on, add a little fat: oil, butter, Ghee, sour cream, cream… Not only will it enhance the flavor of the dish, it will actually help you absorb the Vitamin K, along with the other fat-soluble nutrients such as Vitamin E, Lutein and Zeaxanthin.
Kale – Raw v. Cooked – Eat Both!
While we’re on a roll, extolling Kale’s many virtues, let’s not go overboard! Please do consume this amazingly nutrient-dense vegetable regularly… but please also do it in moderation, especially if you frequently consume it raw!
Hmmm.. Why? Like many other cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.), Kale, too, contains goitrogens: these are known to inhibit the absorption of dietary iodine, potentially leading to hypothyroidism. But wait…. that fact in itself should not raise alarm bells in your mind!
First of all, you would have to regularly consume a pretty large quantity of these vegetables for this to cause serious iodine deficiency. Secondly, goitrogens are often completely destroyed during cooking, eliminating their potential for causing harm. Of course, on the flip side, cooking also destroys several of the precious nutrients listed earlier, particularly Vitamin C.
That said, the bioavailability of various other nutrients actually improves significantly upon cooking, particularly the carotenoid phytonutrients mentioned earlier. How come? Typically, many nutrients are stored within cells, and the cell walls prevent their release. Cooking breaks down the cell structure, so the cell contents are are no longer “trapped”: being released more easily, they are more readily absorbed by the body.
And so the dilemma rages on. Should we even consume Kale, considering its potential to hinder thyroid function? Oh that’s an easy one to answer: absolutely we should! The positives far outweigh the negatives. As far as consuming it raw v. cooked….. I follow my instincts and do both! Get the best of both worlds, so to speak!
Kale … too earthy and bitter for you? Mix it up!
I must admit, I don’t especially enjoy the taste of Kale by itself: I find it bit too earthy…. and just a little bitter as well. And when it’s raw…. Hmm.. a bit too tough and chewy for my palate.
So, generally I’m not particularly thrilled about a salad where the star ingredient is raw Kale. Easy to fix, though… just mix it up! Make a salad in which Kale shares the “spotlight”. How? Add a bunch of other “salad” ingredients with different flavors, colors and textures – lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, herbs, etc.
With cooked Kale, I often pair it with other things I love. Mixing Kale with protein-rich legumes such as beans, chickpeas, peas, edamame, etc. and/or other vegetables, such as potatoes, onions, tomatoes, etc., truly works wonders! What can you make with these combinations? Stir-fries, soups, curries, croquettes, mix in with Pasta, rice, noodles… Simply follow your instincts!
Each ingredient brings its own distinctive flavor, not allowing the earthy bitterness of Kale to dominate. In addition, this “mix it up” strategy also ramps up the collective nutrient benefits of the final dish.
Substitute other greens with Kale
I’ve also experimented quite a bit with using Kale in place of spinach, chard, collard, etc., while making various dishes that are not traditionally made with it. Sometimes, I replace the “traditional” green completely, sometimes only partially. Sometimes, my creative juices have pushed me into whole new directions altogether!
These culinary explorations have been fun and have resulted in several delectable outcomes! This Kale Chowder recipe, so creamy and luscious, is a perfect example. It is inspired by one of my favorite Maharashtrian dishes – Taakaatli Paatal Bhaaji (pronounce all the “t”s like the “th” of “thank”; Taa-kaat-lee Paat-hull Bhaa-jee (Marathi). It’s a creamy soup-like dish with spinach and yogurt, thickened with a little chickpea flour (gram flour, Besan), posted on this blog as: Spinach in Kadhi
On a whim, I thought I would use this approach to add a fun new Kale-spin to traditional chowder. So, I added a bit of Kale to give the chowder a nice little nutrient-boost, along with some pretty green flecks as well … and here we are! Yet another way I can enjoy Chowder – with Kale benefits!
Special Diets
This luscious and creamy Kale Chowder is vegetarian, gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free. You can make it vegan by swapping out the butter, milk and cheese with your favorite dairy-free substitutes.
A word of caution…. Do you plan to use canned coconut milk for your vegan version? Be aware that, cup for cup, coconut milk has more than 7 times the amount of fat as whole milk: 58g (coconut milk) versus only 8g (dairy whole milk)!
So, here’s my recommendation: to replace 1 1/2 cups whole milk, use only 1/3-1/2 cup of coconut milk, then add enough water to make 1 1/2 cups mixture. Otherwise, you will most certainly end up with a seriously fat-laden soup that might well be described as “heart attack in a bowl“!
If you are a soup-lover like me, you might like to try some of the other soups I’ve posted on this blog: some are very light, others can serve as a whole meal
- Lentil-Vegetable Soup: a hearty one-dish meal
- Tomato Basil Soup – tangy and flavorful, quick-fix, low-fat soup
- Navy Bean Soup with Carrots: a hearty one-dish meal
- Cream of Mushroom Soup with Tofu and Brown Rice– there’s no cream in this soup!
The next time you pick up a bunch of Kale, save half the bunch to make this hearty Kale chowder. It will leave you feeling well sated and happy!
Do leave a review and star rating- much appreciated!
Enjoy!
Creamy Kale Chowder -Simple, Hearty and Satisfying
Equipment
- microwave oven if not available, see Recipe Notes for alternative, stove-top cooking, directions
- Heavy bottom medium saucepan – 2 quart/liter
- 1 Microwave-safe glass/ceramic dinner plate if not available, OK to use 2-3 stacked paper towels to hold the leaves
- 1 Microwave-safe glass/ceramic cereal bowl (2 cup size) I do not recommend using plastic bowl, even if it is labeled microwave-safe; also OK to use a microwave-safe glass/ceramic dinner plate instead of a bowl.
Ingredients
- 50 g Lacinato Kale – steamed (wilted) and finely chopped – about 1/3 cup firmly packed need about 5-6 medium large leaves, about 1/2 bunch; if Lacinato Kale not available, use another Kale variety, or one of these: Collard greens, Chard, spinach. Note: cooking times will need to be adjusted if you sub Kale with a different leafy green, and its flavor will be different too
- 100 g Potatoes: peeled and diced small – 1/4 inch / 2-3 mm cubes – about 2/3 cup any kind of potato OK; if using potatoes to thicken soup instead of Cornstarch, use 1/3 cup more (i.e 150 g / 1 cup) – See Recipe Notes for details
- 1 cup Onions: diced medium – 1/4 inch / 2-3 mm White/yellow onions preferred; red onion OK, but it will darken the color of the soup
- 2/3 cup Corn kernels (cut corn) Frozen / canned / fresh (blanched – see directions for details)
- 1 tsp Garlic – chopped 1-2 cloves
- 2 tsp Butter for vegan, use non-dairy alternative; coconut oil works well; for nut-free, use a mild-flavored nut-free oil of your preference
- 3/8 tsp Salt – divided (1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp) – adjust as per preference
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper – freshly crushed preferred – divided (1/8 tsp + 1/8 tsp)
- 1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper also called Chilli flakes – adjust as per preference
- 1 piece Bay leaf – broken into 2-3 pieces
- 1/4 tsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Fennel powder can add up to 1 tsp total if you like; nicely balances the bitter notes from Kale
- 2 1/2 cups Water
- 1 tbsp Shredded Parmesan cheese if not available, use another aged cheese – sharp cheddar, Asiago, Romano, etc.; for vegan, try adding nutritional yeast
Slurry for thickening soup
- 1 1/2 cup Milk – at room temperature whole milk preferred for best flavor; for vegan soup, use your preferred non-dairy milk; Note: if using canned coconut milk, use only 1/3-1/2 cup milk (see directions for further details)
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch also called Cornflour – Note: this is NOT the same as milled whole corn; if not available, see Recipe Notes for alternatives
Garnish
- 1 tbsp Shredded Parmesan – optional
- 1/2 tsp Dried Parsley omit if not available
- 1/4 tsp Paprika omit if not available
Instructions
- Rinse the Kale leaves under running water; drain thoroughly in a colander.
- Place on a microwave-safe glass/ceramic dinner plate (or on a stack of 2-3 paper towels) and microwave 2 min on Hi. The leaves soften as they wilt, and turn bright green. Set aside to cool while prepping other veggies.
- Meanwhile, chop the onions, medium dice.
- Transfer to a glass/ceramic cereal bowl and microwave on Hi 2 min. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp sugar and 1/8 tsp salt.
- Microwave on Hi for 2-3 min. The onion should become translucent and tender, and begin to brown just a little on the edges.
- While onions cook, peel and dice the potatoes to small cubes: 1/4 in (2-3 mm)Transfer potatoes to the cereal bowl with cooked onions. Add 1/2 cup water and add a 1 tsp butter on top. Sprinkle 1/8 tsp black pepper and microwave, uncovered, 3 min on Hi.Note: If using fresh-cut corn (not canned/frozen), add on top of potatoes after cooking for 2 min, then continue to cook for 2 more min on Hi. Do not overcook the corn!
- While the potatoes cook, prepare the Kale. Use a sharp knife to carefully strip away the thick stalk and leaf veins .Note: Don't throw these stalks- set them aside for another purpose – see Recipe Notes for suggestions
- Stack the leaves, roll up and slice into thin ribbons.
- Turn the cutting board 90 degrees and cut across the ribbons thinly to chop – yields about 1/3 cup firmly packed Kale.
- Peel and chop garlic.
- Place 2 1/2 cups of water in a pot, cover and set it to boil on low-medium heat. When water boils, turn heat off – keep it covered, so it stays hot until needed.
- While the water heats up, place a heavy bottom medium saucepan (2 quart/liter) on a different burner. On medium heat, melt 1 tsp butter, then add add chopped garlic, freshly crushed 1/8 tsp black pepper and crushed red pepper.
- Add bay leaf; stir-fry on low heat for about a minute till garlic just begins to brown.
- Add chopped Kale and fennel powder, and stir-fry the mixture for 2-3 min on medium-high heat, stirring continuously. Splash a little water if it starts to burn.
- Add 1 1/2 cups boiling hot water; stir in 1/4 tsp portion of salt; bring to a gentle boil. The add the cooked onion-potato mixture and stir.
- Add corn and stir. Note: If using fresh corn, cook briefly before adding to soup: see earlier note for cooking corn with the onion-potato mixture.
- Heat on Hi until mixture begins to boil; turn heat down and simmer for 2-3 min longer.
- Meanwhile prepare the milk-cornstarch slurry: stir the cornstarch into milk at room temperature. the cornstarch has a tendency to quickly settle to the bottom as thick sludge.Note: – I do NOT recommend using very cold milk – it will take longer to cook and thicken the chowder. – See Recipe Notes for cornstarch alternatives.– If using canned coconut milk for making vegan soup- use only 1/3-1/2 cup and dilute with water to make 1 1/2 cups.
- I recommend that you turn the heat off while adding the well-stirred slurry – this will help prevent lumps.Stirring constantly, quickly add the slurry into the hot soup; some cornstarch will stay behind, settled at the bottom of the container: use a little water (1-2 tbsp) to collect it and add it to the soup mixture.
- Turn heat on again (medium-hi); bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent sticking on bottom, until soup comes to a boil. Decrease heat to low-medium and continue to cook until it thickens (stir frequently) – about 5-7 min total.Note: If the milk-corn-starch slurry is very cold, it will likely take longer to thicken, maybe up to 10-12 min.
- Thickened and creamy smooth
- Stir in 1 tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese – optional.Taste-test and adjust salt, if needed. Not: I recommend adding less salt at first, because cheese can quickly make a dish become too salty – so taste-test after adding cheese, not before.
- Serve piping hot Creamy Kale Chowder; garnish if you like, with a little shredded Parmesan and paprika, and maybe a dollop of butter.Shown accompanied by sliced baguette, baby carrots and cucumber slices.
- Enjoy!
Notes
No microwave oven? No worries…
If a microwave oven is not available, no worries. You can make this soup entirely on the stove-top – it will, however, take a little longer to make. Follow the directions given below for the stove-top prep of Kale and the onion-potato mixture (instead of the microwave-prep as described in the main recipe) Wilt the Kale leaves- Stack the rinsed Kale leaves in a wide, medium/large frying pan (10-12 inch / 24-30cm)
- Pour 1/4 cup water and turn the heat on Hi. Cook for 2-3 min, turn the heat off , cover and set aside for 2-3 min.
- Use tongs to transfer the wilted leaves to a cutting board
- Cut away the tough stems and thick leaf-veins, then chop as directed in the main recipe directions.
- Place 1/4 cup water in a small heavy bottom pan (1 quart / 1 liter).
- Add the diced onions; sprinkle 1/8 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp sugar.
- Cover and cook: Hi for 30 seconds, then low for 2-3 min: the water will have mostly dried out.
- Add the diced potatoes and 1 tsp butter; sprinkle 1/8 tsp black pepper.
- Add 1/2 cup water, cover and cook: hi for 1 min, then low for 6-8 min: potatoes should be tender (check for done-ness by piercing with a fork/knife – should be soft): fully cooked but not mushy – pieces should hold their shape.
- If using fresh corn, add on top of potatoes after 5-6 min.
- Add 2-3 tbsp water, cover and continue to cook for 3-4 min.
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What to do with the Kale stalks and thick leaf-veins?
The thick stalks and leaf-veins are tough and take rather long to cook, so I do not recommend adding them to this soup. However, don’t throw them away: chop them up and turn them into this tangy, spicy and tasty little pickle: https://theculinaryheart.com/use-kale-stems-how-to-make-tasty-pickleÂ
Don’t have Corn Starch (aka Cornflour)?
If you don’t have cornstarch (cornflour) on hand, try using one of these alternatives to thicken the soup:- Potato starch – replace 1:1
- Arrowroot Starch (flour) – replace 1:1
- All purpose flour (APF): use 3 tbsp
- Prepare the white sauce separately:
- Heat the milk-APF mixture in a small saucepan, stirring continuously until it thickens
- taste-test a small sample- (1/4 tsp) to make sure the raw flour taste is completely gone. if you can still taste raw flour, cook it longer – stir, so it doesn’t stick. it will become quite thick when it’s done.
- Heat the milk-APF mixture in a small saucepan, stirring continuously until it thickens
- Transfer about 1/2 cup of the simmering liquid from the soup pot into the white sauce; stir to mix and transfer the thinned out sauce back into the soup pot.
- Stir and simmer the soup for 3-5 min to blend flavors before serving.
- Prepare the white sauce separately:
- Cooked potato (peeled) – about 1/4 cup (from 1/3 up raw)
- Increase the quantity of potatoes cooked with the onions:
- use extra 1/3 cup diced raw potato (50 g):
- cook a little longer (1-2 min extra) to soften the potatoes completely
- use extra 1/3 cup diced raw potato (50 g):
- Remove 1/4 cup cooked potato and add to blender jar along with milk
- Blend till smooth
- Add thick milk-potato mixture to the soup pot when the directions call for adding milk.
- Stir and simmer the soup for 3-5 min to blend flavors before serving.
- Increase the quantity of potatoes cooked with the onions:
- Do NOT use whole milled corn – sometimes described as corn flour, or Makki Ka Atta (in India)- the texture is too rough and will not give a creamy texture to the soup – the thickened mixture will have a grainy texture, which is NOT what we want in this chowder!
Storing Leftovers
Refrigerate: Refrigerate leftovers in a glass/ceramic container with a well fitting lid. Consume within 2-3 days.- Reheat in the microwave (cover to catch any messy splatter) or stove-top, on low heat , until steaming hot, stirring periodically to ensure even heating.
- Thaw and reheat
- In microwave:
- Thaw on Defrost setting –Â 30% power
- it will look watery in parts
- Heat on 50-60% power until heated through (to near boiling)
- stir periodically to blend into creamy smoothness
- Thaw on Defrost setting –Â 30% power
- On counter-top:
- Remove container from the freezer and thaw on the counter for about 20 min.
- it will look watery in parts
- Transfer to a heavy bottom saucepan and heat on medium-high until heated through (to near boiling)
- stir periodically, to prevent scorching / sticking / burning on the bottom, until it blends again into creamy smoothnessÂ
- Remove container from the freezer and thaw on the counter for about 20 min.
- In microwave:
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