Festive Kale with Fennel, Cranberries, and Walnuts

This colorful kale dish featuring fennel, cranberries, and walnuts makes a lovely Thanksgiving side dish, but you need not wait for a special occasion to enjoy it. Recipe contributed by Ellen Kanner. Photos by Hannah Kaminsky.

Festive Kale with Fennel, Cranberries, and Walnuts

This colorful kale dish featuring fennel and walnuts makes a lovely Thanksgiving side dish, but you need not wait for a special occasion to enjoy it.

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Course: Vegetable side dish

Cuisine: Healthy / Thanksgiving

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 6 to 8

Author: Veg Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 fennel bulb
• 2 lbs kale roughly 8 cups, packed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup sherry
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

• Remove stalks and fronds from fennel. Chop fennel bulb into bite-sized cubes and pieces.
• Remove stems from the kale leaves, and cut the kale into bite-sized pieces or strips. You can discard the stems, or slice them very thinly and use as well.
• Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add chopped fennel to pot and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender.
• Add kale by the handful, stirring gently until wilted, but still bright green, about 8 minutes. Stir in sherry, pepper flakes and cranberries.
• Spread walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast for 10 minutes in a 350°F oven or toaster oven until golden brown and fragrant. Or, you can toast them on a dry skillet over medium heat. Let the walnuts cool briefly, then stir into the fennel and kale mixture.
• Season with salt and pepper, transfer to a bowl, and serve.

Ellen Kanner writes the Meatless Monday column for The Huffingon Post, and is the Edgy Veggie, a syndicated columnist.

• Find lots more recipes on VegKitchen for kale, collards, and other hardy greens.
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