Kale with Bacon

I started making kale with bacon years ago as substitute for the "cabbage" part of the traditional  corned beef & cabbage that was served when I was a child on St. Patrick's Day.  Seriously-- who wants a side of wilted cabbage when you can have kale?  Isn't that a lovely shade of green?  Frankly, though, the picture doesn't do it justice--perfectly cooked kale is almost vibrant.  Kale wilts a bit when cooked, but it still stays fairly firm--firm enough that you can top it with the bacon.  It also tastes terrific and is absolutely loaded with nutrients.   Kale with bacon is the perfect side dish for Irish spiced beef on St. Patrick's Day. I found the recipe in an Irish cookbook at our local library when I was a newlywed and have tweaked it several times since until you see what you have before you.

A couple of tips.  First, the bacon, while traditional, is optional in my opinion.  You could even lower the amount to a few strips that you crumble on top and it would be just as good.  (Or use turkey bacon.)  My boys really love the bacon, but for me the kale is the best part of the dish.  Also, you really, really need to use low sodium broth when making this if you are adding in the bacon.  I forgot one year when I was busy and on auto-pilot mode, and we ended up with uber-salty kale.  Whoa!  

Whether you agree with me about cabbage or not, consider trying kale with your St. Patrick's Day meal one year. It's a nice change of pace while still being traditional.

Kale with Bacon  -- Yield:  6-8 side dish servings
1/2 lb. bacon, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bunches of kale, stems cut away and leaves torn into 1" pieces
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp.  Remove the bacon from the pan to paper towels to drain--reserving two Tbsp of the bacon drippings.  Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender.  Add the kale and broth.  Cover and cook for about 12 minutes, or until kale is slightly wilted and bright green.  Remove the lid and cook until kale has cooked through and most of the broth has evaporated, about 10 more minutes.  Top with bacon and serve.